When people hear the words interior designer, they often think first about furniture, fabrics and color. Those things matter, of course. But on a significant residential renovation, they represent only one part of what an interior designer actually does. For me, the process begins much earlier.
It Starts With How You Want to Live
Before selecting a single material, I want to understand the people who will live in the house. How do you use your kitchen? Do you entertain? Where do you drink your morning coffee? Do you need somewhere to hide the children’s things at the end of the day? Do you prefer rooms that feel intimate or open?
Beautiful interiors that don’t function properly quickly become frustrating. So the first stage of a renovation is about understanding the client and then looking critically at the existing home.
Developing the Design
Once we understand what isn’t working, we can begin developing a solution. Depending upon the scope of the renovation, that can involve rethinking layouts, kitchens and bathrooms, cabinetry, lighting and the relationship between rooms.
At the same time, I begin establishing the visual language of the house. Rather than designing each room independently, I consider the home as a whole. Materials and details should relate to one another without everything matching. The objective is continuity, not uniformity.
Making Hundreds of Decisions
One of the less visible aspects of renovating a home is the sheer number of decisions involved: which stone, what grout color, what size tile, where the tile stops, which plumbing finish, where a wall-mounted faucet sits, how high the sconces should be, what profile cabinet doors should have, what hardware, and what color outlets and switch plates should be.
Individually these can seem like relatively small choices. Collectively, they determine whether a finished interior feels resolved. My role is to make sure those decisions aren’t being made independently of one another.
Working With the Construction Team
During construction, the interior designer becomes an important link between the original design concept and what is actually being built. I work alongside the general contractor and trades to answer questions, clarify details, review installations and resolve design issues as site conditions emerge.
Renovations rarely proceed without surprises, particularly in older Los Angeles houses. The objective isn’t to pretend those surprises won’t occur. It is to have a sufficiently clear design direction that when they do, decisions can be made without losing sight of the overall vision.
Furniture Isn’t an Afterthought
Another reason I prefer considering the interior architecture and furnishings together is proportion. Where a sofa will sit can affect the placement of electrical outlets. The size of a dining table influences the position of a chandelier. A bed determines where bedside lighting belongs.
When furniture is considered only after construction is finished, opportunities are often lost. Instead, I like to design from the beginning with the completed room in mind.
The Final Layer
As construction comes to an end, the emphasis gradually moves toward furniture, rugs, window treatments, art and accessories. This is where the house begins to feel like a home.
I particularly enjoy combining new pieces with vintage furniture and objects that have character. A room where everything is from the same period, or worse, the same showroom, rarely feels personal to me. The most interesting homes feel as though they have developed over time.
Working With an Interior Designer in Los Angeles
The R Creative works on individual rooms, extensive residential renovations and complete furnishing projects throughout Los Angeles and Southern California.
Each project begins with how you live, then brings the architectural, material and furnishing decisions into one considered whole.
Ultimately, My Job Is to Hold the Vision
A substantial renovation can last many months and involve an extraordinary number of people and decisions. It is very easy for the original idea to become diluted along the way.
I see one of my most important responsibilities as holding onto that bigger picture, making sure that the practical decisions being made every day continue to serve the home we imagined at the beginning. Because successful interior design isn’t simply about creating a beautiful photograph. It’s about creating a home that works beautifully for the people who live there.
Rebecca Duke is Founder and Principal Designer of The R Creative, a Los Angeles residential interior design studio specializing in considered interiors and residential renovations.
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