Staging, Decorating, and Professionalism in Modern Design

Here at Modern Interior Design, we wanted to create a space for industry professionals to discuss some of the fundamental principles, as well as some of the editorial opinions that come with creating modern interior spaces. Whether we strike out on our own or find employment with a large design firm, some design professionals love dealing with the wrinkles in the marketplace and consumer demand. Others struggle with it. Others simply ignore it altogether and claim to adhere strictly to aesthetic concerns. This includes both residential living spaces as well as any number of interiors for commercial activities and organizational sites.

 

The opportunity to “be ourselves,” as it were, is one of the great advantages of maintaining an online presence outside of a formal design business. In addition to all the normal politicking and backward priorities that come with competing in the marketplace, an online forum allows staging, decorating and design experts to talk about general design tips and specific personal philosophies. Rather than constantly serving the whims of the customer or a prospective buyer who doesn’t actually exist yet, we can look to our own unfettered ideas.

 

Professional services vs. expert ideas

When it comes to the difference between our personal ideas and our professional recommendations, there’s naturally a lot of overlap. And if you’re an interior design client, “what would you do?” is a completely legitimate question. So long as you’re past the free consultation phase, picking the professional’s brain is part of the package. On the other hand, by this point, the design professional already has a decent sense of what you’re looking for. The what-would-you-do question already exists in a context that makes it difficult to state, in simple and clear terms, what the professional would do personally. Even many design professionals have quirks and eccentricities that we wouldn’t push on our customers and which also help keep us grounded as an individual with individualistic tastes. Still, there can tremendous value to both clients and other professionals to get a glimpse into these personal oddities as well as general tips and thoughts untethered from the concerns of customer satisfaction.