Planning With Purpose and Priority
Many of you wish I was an interior decorator. Me too! However, that is not my specialty. Today’s guest author is Sarah Pence with Pence Creative Interiors . She is a wonder as a person and happens to also be a beautiful interior decorator. Snuggle in for this one and takes some notes. Sarah is about to help you hone in on some of the same things we start with for decluttering and organizing as well.
The beginning stage of an interior decorating project is oftentimes the most challenging, but it is the most important stage of all. Before we can talk about paint colors and fabric swatches, we need to talk about two very important things: PURPOSE and PRIORITY.
Purpose. Webster's dictionary defines purpose as "something set up as an object or end to be attained with intention." Whether we are about to tackle a small room or the entire house, we need to look at the project with intention. What is the purpose of this area of your home? Is this room a place where you will host family game nights with the kids? Is it a cozy reading nook for quiet time? Figuring out what you will be using each area of your home for is a key element in planning with intention. For example, if you plan to have board games and snacks in this room, we aren't going to furnish it with a glass table and a white rug. Rather than that, we are going to talk more about durable materials and hidden storage. Knowing the purpose of each area of your home makes a huge difference in not only how we see that particular space, but also how we approach the budget we will need to set moving forward.
Priority. This is just as important as defining your purpose. Knowing your priorities for the project is a crucial step in the process and should not be taken lightly. Asking yourself "What's most important?" as we begin a new project and communicating that with all parties involved will make the process much less stressful as we progress. If your #1 priority is staying within a certain budget, then you need to take some time to work through your finances and come up with a set figure that you are comfortable with before moving to the next phase. Maybe your #1 priority is learning to minimize the amount of "stuff" you have in this room (always a good idea!). [ See my blog post about "Negative Space" here --> https://www.pencecreativeinteriors.com/post/negative-space-it-s-not-what-you-think ] Whatever your top priority may be, make sure you define it, write it down, communicate it with all parties involved, and stick to it. Sure, priorities change, but make sure that YOU are the one making those changes.
Knowing the purpose and priority of the project will allow you to set healthy boundaries and provide focus. It's something I ask my clients to spend a solid amount of time thinking about before we start a project and we re-visit and discuss these things at each phase of the process to be sure we are staying on track. We can get so wrapped up in the design fun, that we easily forget our purpose and priorities along the way. The last thing we want to do is look at a beautifully completed space with regrets.
And so, I leave you with this final thought: Plan with purpose and you'll know where you want to go. Plan with priority and you'll know how to get there.
Happy planning, my friends!
Xoxo,
Sarah
"Designs speak for themselves. I love what I do and I feel that I can show that through my work. There are TONS of extremely talented designers/decorators out there and they are killing it in this industry. I think what sets us apart is who we are as individuals. We may all have the same set of skills, but we all bring something a little different to the table. That thing that is just us. For me, it's bringing what I'm passionate about into each and every project - Jesus, family, and creativity. Of course, there are so many other things I love, but it almost always comes back to these three. They are the cornerstone of who I am. Jesus. Without him, nothing else matters. Whether they know it or not, every one of my clients and their families is lifted in prayer many times throughout the design process. Family. Beyond my husband and my daughter, whom I adore, my family grows with each client. Their project takes a place in my heart and so do they. Being invited into someone's home and getting to know the people that live there is such an honor. When a project ends, I know that in some way we will be connected and I will have learned something about someone I didn't know before. Creativity. It's everywhere and it's beautiful. My job is to help my clients see it. And when they do? Oh, it brings me so much joy! Every day I get to wake up and live my passions and for that, I am truly grateful. " - Sarah Pence
Sarah has been designing since 2019 in Evans, GA and also has online services to meet your needs. You can find her at www.pencecreativeinteriors.com .