How Can Interior Design Concepts Be Adapted to Suit a Client's Lifestyle?
Best of Home & Garden
How Can Interior Design Concepts Be Adapted to Suit a Client's Lifestyle?
To provide insights on adapting interior design concepts to better suit clients' lifestyles, we asked interior designers and remodeling experts for their stories. From creating a functional kid-friendly living room to redesigning a home for relaxed coastal living, here are nine experiences these professionals shared.
- Create Functional Kid-Friendly Living Room
- Design Multifunctional Spaces with Style
- Modernize Home for Elderly Safety
- Durable Yet Elegant Kitchen Design
- Adapt Water Feature for Practical Use
- Ensure Safety with Stylish Sliding Doors
- Innovative Materials Match Country Lifestyle
- Transform Kitchen for Baking Enthusiast
- Redesign Home for Relaxed Coastal Living
Create Functional Kid-Friendly Living Room
At a certain stage of my career, I had to make a living room for a young family with two little kids. The first concept featured light furniture and pretty accessories that looked great but wasn’t realistic when it came to homes with small children.
In order to create something more suitable for the family’s lifestyle, I employed robust, stain-resistant fabrics for upholstery and increased storage options to hide toys and clutter. Also, I chose rounded furniture pieces because they are safer, especially around kids. For example, we threw in some playful elements such as colorful throw pillows and an easy-to-clean rug just to have a stylish space that would still be friendly for kids. That is how the family ended up having a functional yet aesthetically pleasing living room that could withstand all of the kid-inflicted daily wear and tear while still reflecting their taste.
Design Multifunctional Spaces with Style
Having run a custom-construction company for over 15 years, adapting concepts for clients is second nature. For example, a client wanted an open-concept living space but also needed an office. We designed a wall partition with bookshelves that let in natural light but provided privacy. The shelves added storage, maximizing the multifunctional area.
Another client had a small yard but wanted an outdoor oasis. We used vertical elements like trellises and lighting to make the space seem larger. Choosing light, bright furniture and finishes improved the open, airy feel. Despite constraints, the client got an inviting retreat exceeding expectations.
Understanding how clients live in spaces is key. Asking about daily activities, storage needs, and lighting preferences identifies priorities. The solutions address these in unexpected ways, customizing spaces. Flexible, multi-purpose elements maximize value. A client wanted a high-end kitchen but had budget constraints. Choosing high-impact accents like a statement fridge, range hood, and backsplash lifted the overall look while keeping costs in check. The client got a dream kitchen on a budget.
Adapting design requires creativity. The reward is giving clients custom spaces suiting their unique needs. My approach is finding solutions addressing priorities in unexpected ways. The results are highly customized havens exceeding expectations.
Modernize Home for Elderly Safety
We were once hired by a young couple who wanted to modernize a home built in the 1950s. Normally, this would be a fairly straightforward process of gutting the outdated materials and replacing them with new ones.
However, they later informed us that the home would be used for the husband's 80-year-old father who prefers to live alone. Although the husband insisted that his father is very fit for his age, I wanted to make special adjustments to the home to help keep him safe. But to do this, I had to keep two things in mind:
1. I still have to keep the house modern as the client's wish.
2. I can't have anything too specialized in case they sell the house in the future.
Luckily, it was already a single-story home, so to get the client what they wanted and create a safe home for the father, I made the following changes:
1. Installed a walk-in shower with almost no step to get in. I also added a modern bench and grab bars.
2. Ensured that all flooring was slip-resistant, so no stone tiles or other polished surfaces.
3. Used a bit of color in key areas of the house to make visibility easier.
4. Maximized lighting and added dimmers where applicable.
These are all features that would comfortably house someone of his age. Plus, we accomplished the two goals of keeping the house modern and attractive to future buyers.
Durable Yet Elegant Kitchen Design
There was this one project where a family with young kids wanted an elegant kitchen that could still handle their hectic lifestyle. They initially envisioned an open kitchen with a lot of glass cabinets and delicate finishes. While the idea sounded beautiful, it didn't quite fit the practical needs of a household buzzing with playful, energetic children.
To make the design work for them, I suggested using durable materials that are both stylish and hard-wearing. We opted for engineered-stone countertops that resist stains and scratches, and swapped the glass cabinet doors for solid ones to avoid constant fingerprints and potential breakage. Additionally, I recommended integrating a few hidden storage spaces to keep the kitchen looking tidy. Adding soft-close drawers and cabinets also proved essential to prevent the kids from slamming them shut. This kind of adjustment not only preserved the aesthetic appeal but also made sure the kitchen could stand up to daily wear and tear.
Adapt Water Feature for Practical Use
While I'm not an interior designer, I can share an experience from adapting our water-feature designs to suit a client's lifestyle. We once had a customer who loved the idea of an indoor water wall for their open-plan living area but had concerns about maintenance and noise.
Our adaptation:
1. Size: Reduced the scale to fit a more manageable wall space.
2. Sound: Incorporated variable flow rates to adjust water sound levels.
3. Maintenance: Installed a self-cleaning system with UV sterilization.
4. Aesthetic: Used tempered glass instead of stone to match their modern decor.
5. Functionality: Added smart-home integration for easy control.
6. Safety: Included child-safe features as they had young kids.
The client got a beautiful, low-maintenance water feature that enhanced their space without disrupting their daily life. They particularly appreciated the ability to control the water flow and lighting from their smartphone.
This experience taught us the importance of flexibility in design and really listening to the client's lifestyle needs. It's now a standard part of our custom design process.
Ensure Safety with Stylish Sliding Doors
In my position at JDM Sliding Doors, where I've helped manage and monitor the completion of various projects, there was one situation in which we needed to modify our design to suit a client's lifestyle better.
The customer, a young couple with active children, desired a smooth, modern style for their home but had concerns about the sliding doors' durability and safety.
They initially loved a design that included enormous, floor-to-ceiling glass doors. While visually pleasing, this alternative proved less practical for a family with children.
We recognized their desire for design and usefulness, so we recommended tempered safety glass with broader frames and a more durable track system.
This ensured endurance against children's rough-and-tumble and preserved the desired clean, modern design.
We included discreet but effective child-safe locking systems to personalize the room further. The ultimate product was a pleasing balance of appearance and function that suited their lifestyle.
They enjoyed how we maintained the design's originality while making it functional for their daily lives.
At JDM Sliding Doors, we are committed to ensuring that every installation meets aesthetic desires and creates places where families can live comfortably and safely.
Over the last two decades, this strategy has helped us establish confidence and dependability in the sliding door repair sector.
Innovative Materials Match Country Lifestyle
My design philosophy always centers around the client, but sometimes it can be challenging when you envision how stunning a space could be if only the client would give you free rein. However, the real art of interior design lies in balancing your vision with the client’s needs, and that’s where the magic happens. It’s about going above and beyond to create a space that not only looks beautiful but also serves the client’s lifestyle in the most meaningful way.
One project that stands out involved a family living in the country, with a picturesque pond on their property and two young boys who loved the outdoors. The client had a specific request: everything that was fabric needed to be washable. From the rugs to the couch cushions, everything had to withstand muddy boots and wet swimsuits. Initially, I was hesitant—sourcing stylish, washable items that fit my design vision seemed daunting.
But as I spent more time at their home, especially after rainy days when the boys would come in covered in mud, I began to see why this was so important. I shifted my focus to truly understanding their lifestyle, and that’s when the design process became so much more enjoyable. I found innovative, high-quality, washable fabrics and rugs that not only met their practical needs but also enhanced the aesthetic of the space.
In the end, the project was a success, not just because the space was beautiful, but because it was perfectly tailored to the way this family lived. That experience reinforced for me that the most rewarding designs are those that embrace the client’s lifestyle while still achieving a cohesive and elegant look.
Transform Kitchen for Baking Enthusiast
On one of our house flips, we realized our initial sleek, modern kitchen design didn't fit the client's passion for baking. To adapt, we redesigned the space with a larger island, installed double ovens, and incorporated more storage for baking tools. We also selected durable, easy-to-clean surfaces. This personalized touch transformed the kitchen into a baker's dream, making the home not just stylish but also perfectly suited to the client’s lifestyle.
Redesign Home for Relaxed Coastal Living
This is happening more and more. I had a client who wore a suit every day and worked in NYC, and their house was also very pressed and almost formal. When they 'retired' and moved to the NC Coast, the formality and suits went out the front door. The textures and finishes changed from silks and shiny to more of a matte and low-key. The hardwood floors had more character with knots and wider planks. Working with the architect was a must to make the staircase not as dramatic and definitely not the focal point of the entry. Same with the kitchen and great room, not overly dramatic. Scale and the right materials were critical to pull off this change.
