So, I have learned over the years, that my objective is firstly to make people feel comfortable. I explain when we begin the process that it is a “relationship” and an exchange. If the chemistry is not there, it probably won’t work. I am not there to tell them what they are going to do, or to force my ideas on them , rather I am their to “listen” and to really try to help them develop a style that is all their own.

Last week I was with a client at a large tile and slab showroom to select materials for her new home. When we first walked in she was totally overwhelmed and kept saying, “I will never be able to make up my mind with all these selections.” Four hours later, she had not only made up her mind, but we had designed three bathrooms and a kitchen down to the last detail.

How did we do it? We took one room at a time and I said to her, “Let’s walk around and look at all the options until you see something that you “absolutely love”. We started w/whatever that element was and built a design around it, room by room.

Four hours later, tired and a bit weary we had one bathroom left and she said, “I don’t think I can fall in love one more time today,” with a chuckle. But lo and behold, she turned around and there it was, the perfect tile for the last bathroom and she “fell in love again”.

We finished the entire house in one meeting. And the best of it was that we had fun the whole time. In fact the showroom manager said, had I known you were going to be here all day, I would have brought you lunch, but now its time for dinner. The time flew by and the creative juices were flowing. Why? Because I made Sherry a part of the process…and we did it together. She felt comfortable and was enjoying herself.

At the end of the day, if a client can still laugh and talk about “falling in love” with tile and slab material none the less, then I know I have done a good job.