We all know that prevention and preparation is the better route, but we also know that the temptation is there to opt for trends, fads and other versions of the popular style of the moment! Unfortunately, those impulses may be fun and exciting at first, but often they up the risks concerning durability, good and doable maintenance and repeated costs.
In order to indulge both concerns — getting an exciting look and feel for our Interior environments and taking the “oops!” factor into consideration, it is very important that you and your Interior Design team thoroughly and realistically investigate your Interior environments’ end use.
That “oops” factor I am referring to contains any and all the things that can happen to your Interior environments! That list is hugely varied and when you separate the children from the adults, it gets even longer. Your Interior design team has answers for just about every possible accident or “oops!” that could occur in your finished Interior space. Prevention and preparation become involved with every element up for selection.
Today, the Interior design industry has choices, preventive options and many, many solutions that were not, or may not have been, available the last time you were making Interior design decisions.
Let’s take a look at just a few examples for both adult and child Interiors. Kids first! Whether we are considering medical, dental, educational, recreational or residential Interior space to be used primarily by children — the Oops! factor expands rapidly! The list ranges from scuff and tumble wear and tear all the way to exotic spills, interesting artwork with any handy tool, all the way to barf. Stains, breakage and other consequences of youthful energy and experimentation abound! The elements your professional Interior design team advises, vs the choices you may want to make, relate directly to your wallet! The materials you select can make a huge difference in maintenance. It can be very interesting — even fun — to acquaint your Interior designer with your approach to parenting, as well as the habits and interests of your children. Are they budding artists or perhaps prone to flying objects? When it comes to the treatment of all surfaces, consideration for easy, incremental replacement and the right choices for maintenance, your Interior specialists have the best answers.
Adults simply have more sophisticated versions of the same things! For instance, instead of replacing entire Interior areas with completely new floor covering, the innovative answer of individual carpet tiles has saved the day for high traffic Interior areas. Examples of the availability of new materials and creative approaches to Interior Design choices are numerous and remarkable! Commercial Interiors — particularly tough use retail and medical/dental — have revised traditional maintenance challenges and choices with amazing solutions and decisions.
The key to managing the “Oops!” factor is your willingness to commit to in-depth exploration of the end-use factors — in the planning stages. You know…that point in time when you just want to get started! Haven’t we talked about it enough? Let’s get going! (No. Let’s hurry-up-and-slow-down, just a little — and get it right!)
Robert Boccabella, B.F.A. is principal and founder of Business Design Services and a certified interior designer (CID) in private practice for over 30 years. Boccabella provides Designing to Fit the Vision© in collaboration with writingservice@earthlink.net. To contact him call 707-263-7073; email him at rb@BusinessDesignServices.com or visit www.BusinessDesignServices.com or on Face Book at Business Design Services.
