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Tuesday, February 28, 2012

SPEED DATING A ROOM!

   

What? Speed dating with a room? What in the world am I going to write about this time?


I have another technique to share with you. One that I use to use with some of my clients when I was trying to zero in on their design style.



I would take a stack of magazine pictures with me on the consult. Before I handed them the stack I would tell them that I wanted them to just glance at the images on each page. I wanted them to go with their immediate reaction of  LIKE or DIS-LIKE.



I did not want them to think of their existing home, or why I was there, but to truly go with their instincts here.



It was like speed dating! Fast, quick, and they had to make a decision based on their initial reaction when looking at the image. 

After we had our two piles, one for their likes, and one for their dis-likes, I would then go through them one by one, and ask pertinent questions about each image.



I think it is just as important to know what you like, and what you don’t like when deciding on what you would like to put in your home.


In my years of doing this I found that people were pretty quick at making a Dis-like pile, but the Like pile came a bit harder to them. I had to reassure them that there were no right, or wrong answers here, only their own personal taste would matter in the decisions.


In doing this exercise I would make a list  of elements that they liked, and also what they did not like.



I would ask about texture, scale, style, color, mood. Often times I would start to see a common thread appear.



I found this exercise very helpful in working with the client and also in guiding them. It also gave the client a better insight to what was truly in their hearts, not just what they thought they wanted because of the latest trend, or what they saw in a friends home.



So you see you can speed date a room!! Try it!! Take a group of pictures, and quickly make your own stack of likes, and dislikes. See what common threads are in each image.



It is fun and if you are truly being honest with yourself it is a tell all!!

I would imagine that you all can tell what I love just by looking at all the images I have in this post.



If you think about it, Pinterest is like speed dating a room. We quickly scan, and pin the rooms that we like.


If you are being honest with your pinning you will see a pattern of what you truly love. You can even tell by how you categorize your boards. Elements that you are interested in, and want in your life will most likely be on your pinboards.



As a blogger I will sometimes pin some things just for my blog that I think will interest my readers, but there will usually be a common thread, and a hint of what I like in the image.

If you go on Pinterest, try speed dating some of the rooms, even the rooms you don’t like. Pin them, and analyze what it is about those rooms that make you feel comfortable, or uncomfortable.

Now you all know how to speed date a room. You can do it with magazines, or on Pinterest. 

“Enjoy the Process!” Of:

Making discoveries  of what you like and dis-like while speed dating a room!