When a house becomes a home and then a house again

I have been an interior designer for many years and have worked on so many varied projects. Some projects such as single rooms take a much shorter amount of time to create and implement than others.  Most of the projects I work on are new builds or large renovation projects. 

When working on these large-scale projects, many experts are required to come together to create the home of someone”™s dreams. There is often an architect, an interior designer and a landscape architect navigating tradespeople and working together with the clients to determine the style the clients”™ want their home to be.  We discuss how they live and create a wish list with the focus on the elements that must be included.  For example, we may be creating a home for a chef who loves to entertain. A large kitchen with plenty of workspace and workhorse appliances would be on his/her list.  Perhaps a large dining area would command the living area. Would the client need room for more than one chef?   

Maybe you don”™t like cooking but love entertaining. In that case, you may have private chefs coming in. Is there enough space that would be conducive to having caterers coming in and setting up? 

With so many clients now working from home the need for home offices has become another must.  Today”™s home offices can be equipped with space for multiple computer monitors, scanning and printing.  TVs, comfortable chairs, ergonomic desk chairs and large desks to spread work out on are some of the elements we add into the design. Taking all the client”™s needs into consideration requires a long time for planning and implementation.  During the planning and designing part of the project, we are often going in and out of the house.  In its various stages of construction, the house doesn”™t feel like anyone owns it. It”™s just feels like a large construction site devoid of personality.  As we get further into the project, it starts to become more of a personal home.  It becomes easier to anticipate what the client would like or dislike. (We often have repeat clients and on the third or fourth project over the years, we already have a nonverbal communication of the clients”™ likes and dislikes.) 

Once everything is installed in the home and the client starts moving in, the house really feels like it doesn”™t belong to you or the tradespeople anymore. There is always that first time when you put the key into the lock, open the door and you feel like you”™re trespassing.  That magical moment happens with all projects that are new builds or large-scale renovations. The house has become a home. It has become someone”™s personal space.  

We create homes in houses and the houses have memories and stories ”“ so many shared memories of growing up, moving away and creating new homes. I experienced that same feeling when we sold our home that we had lived in for 30 years. Once all the packing, discarding and cleaning has taken place and you take that last walk through, the memories run through your head of all the laughter and joy that happened in your home. Although it was a sad moment, I realized the house had become a house again and we were taking our home and memories with us to recreate them in a different place. It no longer felt like our home ”“ but a house for others to imprint on and make their own.  

For more, call 914-447-6904 or visit Camidesigns.com.