How do we at WindowFashionista get couples to agree on a window treatment design? As a secondary title this could read: Does He or She Just Have Terrible Design Taste?
This has been an age-old issue, and a common one that we have come up against many times while designing window treatments for our clients. Paul Kempler, our lead designer, has often taken on the job title of Relationship Therapist when it comes to choosing a window treatment design.
It's really about perspective. Each one in the relationship has a different perspective and a different objective in choosing just the right window treatment. Not to be stereotypical, but both genders have different approaches to a common goal. The goal in this case is window coverings. How we achieve that goal depends on how well, as a designer we've addressed the core issues for each party involved and how satisfied they are with the solution.
In our experience women care most about the ambience of the room, or home. They are concerned with the "look", or "feel" they get when they enter the room. Women care about the color, the style, the touch of the fabric, or texture.
Men on the other hand are concerned with bottom line factors; functionality, cost, weight, longevity compared with the price, or overall cost factors.
These are just a few examples. There can also be cultural differences between two people who are living together. This of course would impact the design style. But at the heart of the matter it's all about understanding each persons perspective and reaching a peaceful resolution that accommodates both parties involved.
In truth both sides are necessary for coming up with a satisfactory design for the client.
For many years the man of the house was ridiculed for his decorating ideas by their wife or the designer she hired. Decorating was largely the area of the woman of the house. It has been our experience in the design field that some men care about the look of their home as much as women do.
A quick, personal story: I was raised in a household where the man of the house didn't care at all about the decorating, the furniture choices, the paint color, or any type of drape. However, when I married, my husband definitely had an opinion about all the decorating decisions. There was no way he wanted a flower chintz covered sofa. This came as a huge surprise to me! I could not believe he actually cared. (I'm so glad we didn't get that flowery sofa by the way!) That was a new life lesson for me.
The concerns of both genders are important as a whole, and add stepping stones to the destination of a beautiful window treatment that brings joy to both people, not to mention a peaceful environment. Really then, the big job in accomplishing this is on the shoulders of the designer. The designer you hire needs to find the common interests of the couple. Once that is established then following that trail can lead to a successful design choice.
This has been such an important issue that from 1998-2003 there was a successful television show called Designing for the Sexes. It aired on Home and Garden Television and was hosted by interior designer Michael Payne. He was so adept at getting couples to agree on design styles that he went on to write a book entitled, Ask Michael-100 Practical Solutions for Interior Design Challenges (published by McGraw Hill, 2003)
The concerns of both a man and a woman are important as a whole, and add stepping stones to the destination of a beautiful window treatment that brings joy to both people, not to mention a peaceful environment.
What is the takeaway? When you use a designer they are responsible for satisfying the design tastes of both people in the home. While we at WindowFashionista aren't magicians we do have a good sense of pleasing all parties involved with challenging design decisions. If you are having conflicts with your significant other in the job of decorating your windows, please give us a call and see if we can help you navigate the difficult process of designing for your home.
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