Inside my interior design clients’ V.I.P. Showrooms Day excursion
How does an interior designer get to know a client’s style?
Not everyone possesses the design vocabulary to describe what they like, so it takes some effort to uncover how homeowners envision their ideal space.
For me, this is a multi-step process through the Conceptual Design phase, progressively narrowing down the project’s design intent.
First, I conduct a detailed intake of my clients’ desired style and function goals. I ask tons of questions about their living habits, aesthetics, and what’s meaningful to their lives that I could incorporate into their design scheme.
Taking that information, I then curate a series of interior inspiration images from talented designers whose work I respect, and then listen carefully to my clients’ feedback on different rooms that I show them.
And finally, THE HIGHLIGHT! I arrange a “V.I.P.” Showrooms Day — a luxury guided excursion, introducing my clients to my favorite NYC-based design galleries.
Read on to see what it’s like!
- Ksenya, founder of Time & Place Interiors
The showrooms we visit aren’t your run-of-the-mill CB2s and West Elms: these are luxury custom design galleries, funky decor shops, or beautiful antique collections.
Some aren’t open to the public. Many are private lofts above ground level. And most aren’t known to those outside of interior design circles.
As I build out the day’s itinerary, I line up venues that would appeal to my clients based on what I’ve learned thus far about their style, while pushing slightly beyond their comfort zones of what they already know.
The “WOW-factor” is strong in these showrooms: impeccable interior settings, appointed with original artworks and beautified by stunning floral arrangements. Incense and candles add to the mood.
My clients are treated to refreshments by showroom staff welcoming us into their spaces. We stop for a quick working lunch. And car service transports us between showrooms, letting us take a load off between visits.
This Spring, I took my clients, a young couple whose two-floor condo in a renovated Carroll Gardens brownstone I’m decorating, to my favorite design galleries in the city.
We started in Kips Bay at the D&D Building, with 16 floors of to-the-Trade-only modern and vintage showrooms, and ended the day at the Sixpenny private loft in Dumbo.
In between, we visited the K’ab Juun gallery of contemporary Mexican design in the Meatpacking District, explored Nickey Kehoe’s eclectic collection at their East Village brownstone, and popped into the 19th Century Tribeca loft housing the Quarters showroom of In Common With lighting and luxury vintage furniture.
We also stopped by an audio-visual showroom that had a banquette from their Danish partner furniture vendor, which I wanted my clients to sit on. We tried out sectionals at Maiden Home’s serene gallery, and browsed furniture and lighting at Lawson Fenning’s newly opened NoHo loft.
Through exploring design galleries in-person, my clients learn more about what they do and don’t like… sometimes even surprising themselves. Meanwhile, I’m paying close attention to what catches their eye.
Throughout our day, I picked up on the couple gravitating toward shapely mod lounge chairs, British-style plaid patterns, and traditional landscape artworks — elements that I’ve since integrated into their home design.
There’s nothing like feeling luxury fabrics in your hands and seeing material finishes in person. The V.I.P. showrooms day is a unique opportunity for my clients to explore design possibilities that expand their horizons while guided by their interior designer.
Want to join me next time? Let’s chat!
Let’s explore your interior design style
Time & Place Interiors offers residential interior design services for those who seek a highly curated, bespoke space. Founder Ksenya Malina offers both a final design and service that feel luxurious and personal. Use the link below to schedule a free 20-minute information call with Ksenya to discuss design possibilities for your own space:
