Spacecrafting
Deciding you want to start a home project is easy. Defining the vision for your new space is often trickier. You might know what you like and don’t like, but maybe you’re not sure how to articulate exactly what you’re looking for in just a few words.
Sound familiar? It’s an all too common conundrum that many people face and when it comes time to meet with an interior designer to discuss their vision for the spaces within their home.
The team at O’Hara Interiors is trying to make those initial conversations easier with the December launch of their new style quiz. Created as a practical starting point for clients navigating early, big-picture design decisions for a renovation or new build, the quiz helps them to better understand and articulate their personal style before the real work begins.
“We found the style quiz was a way to start the conversation that felt very approachable and easy for people,” says Kate O’Hara, CEO and creative director of O’Hara Interiors. “Once they see their style reflected, they feel we understand them before we meet with them. And anyone that works with a designer wants to be understood, first and foremost.”
The quiz is short, approachable, works well on both mobile and desktop, and its structure is informed by the firm’s many conversations with clients who are trying to put words to what they love and how they want to live. It’s built around five core style categories, each broken into common sub-styles O’Hara Interiors sees with its clients in Minnesota, Texas, and nationwide. Because there’s often overlap in color palettes, materials, and finishes, the subcategory level helps homeowners better pinpoint what resonates with them before meeting with a designer.
In total, the quiz walks through these style options:
- Classic (Traditional, Heritage, Coastal)
- Minimal (Sculptural, Japandi, Urban Industrial)
- Rustic (Alpine, Lodge, Hill Country)
- Modern (Organic, Art Deco, Contemporary)
- Eclectic (Maximalist, Romantic, Americana)
The O’Hara Interiors Quiz Is a Productive Starting Point
Spacecrafting
O’Hara herself is usually the first person prospective clients interact with when engaging with the design firm for a home project, and she has found the style quiz to be a useful catalyst for more productive conversations about their project direction.
“If I say, ‘Let’s talk through your aesthetic,’ they will say, ‘I took your quiz AND…’ so it’s an easier conversation,” she explains. For example, someone may come in already knowing they identify with the “classic” style, and O’Hara will dig deeper on other details.
“Questions like, ‘What is your inspiration for this house?’ or ‘What is your North Star?’ are such big questions that people aren’t ready to answer,” she adds. “I ask the ones that feel easier; ‘How do you live in your home?’ is an easier question to answer than, ‘What are your values?’”
Quick Tips for Your First Meeting With an Interior Designer
Beyond using the style quiz to zero in on your design preferences, O’Hara has a few other tips to prepare for a first meeting with an interior designer and to build momentum for your home project:
- Get on the same page: If you’re not the only decision-maker, be sure to have a conversation with the others about your collective project priorities. If you walk into the meeting with competing priorities, it can slow down the process.
- Provide context: Whether you bring examples of projects from O’Hara Interiors’ portfolio, or images of other projects you like, O’Hara says that anywhere you can pull inspiration from will help you explain your vision and discuss it with her team.
- Consider your lifestyle: O’Hara says when she asks about a client’s home, lifestyle, and what atmosphere they want to convey, it starts to paint a picture for her team. “We need to get to know our clients as people,” she emphasizes. Think about what your family life is like, do you enjoy hosting and entertaining others, etc.
Read this next: Farmhouse Reimagined: Inside a Classy-Casual Custom Home
|
|
|
