How to Get the Most Out of Your Design Project through Your Great Room
If I’ve said it once, I’ve said it a thousand times… Go big or go home!
OK, maybe that’s not the best turn of phrase for an interior designer to use, seeing as being at home is my absolute favorite thing in the world. What I mean to say is the more you invest in your home, the more peace, comfort and happiness you’ll enjoy in the long run.
Interior design, as I’ve said so many times before, is no easy business. As I lay out in our free Budget and Timeline Guide, there are about 400 decisions to be made per room in your home. That can get pretty overwhelming.
But what if I told you that it’s way easier and more cost effective to design more than one room at a time?
With so many decisions to be made, it can feel impossible to keep track of every detail all while ensuring the project actually gets done. Allow me to break down the process, and explain why taking on more is easier than taking on less.
The Great Room Puzzle
So, what is a Great Room?
Ironically, you may not use this term for a space that is already in your home. You might be sitting in it right now.
A Great Room is a cohesive space, usually including the kitchen, dining space and living room, that is not divided up by walls. This is likely the hub of your home, which is why it’s actually one of the more difficult spaces in your home to design.
Because the Great Room is one space sectioned off into multiple spaces of different functions, we want those spaces to be cohesive in design yet unique enough to stand alone for their unique purpose.
This is a difficult undertaking, but should you choose to use an interior designer, the process should turn out significantly smoother. If you’re not sure what working with an interior designer looks like, here are 3 Simple Ways to Know if You’re Ready to Work with an Interior Designer!
Why Taking on More will Actually Save You the Headache
Designing a handful of spaces － rather than just one － all at the same time is a strategic move in redesigning your home that shouldn’t be overlooked.
While the overall cost of completing three rooms instead of one can be daunting, this large investment will yield an impressive return. Designing and styling a Great Room will uniquely influence the lifeblood of your home and happiness of your bustling family.
A Great Room should always keep the primary functions of your family in mind. If your family loves game nights, the living space of the Great Room should include comfortable seating and a large coffee table for board games. The same idea should be threaded throughout the Great Room, selecting pieces that will support your current way of life.
Choosing cohesive styling － such as accents of tweed throughout the dining space and living space or splashes of color in the kitchen that coincide with the colors in the dining space － is the trickier part, but is absolutely worth the work.
At the end of your Great Room project, you’ll have a large harmonious space that represents the uniqueness of your family and home. You won’t be left wondering when you’ll finally have an updated living room to match your new kitchen. You’ll have all visible spaces of your Great Room polished and complete.
Not sure where to start? Check out our Budget and Timeline Tips: Before Your Project Begins.
What Kind of Design Journey Do You Prefer?
Imagine you’re planning a vacation across the country. Do you choose to fly or road trip?
Neither choice is inherently wrong, and both options come with their own set of benefits and downfalls.
If you choose to fly, you’re signing up for the guarantee that you’ll reach your destination in a timely manner. You could even take a nap, allowing the pilot to make all of the hard decisions while you rest easy. This option will most likely cost you more in the long run, but in return you’ll receive quality care, a quick arrival to your destination and more time to relax.
If you choose to roadtrip, you’re agreeing to make some tough decisions without a professional navigator. You’ll drive long hours, taking longer to reach your destination, and you’ll have to account for the potential hazards of popped tires, dangerous weather and tricky backroads. However, many people love to road trip specifically for these reasons; they want control of their journey, and they enjoy the memories they’ll make along the way.
Again, neither option is incorrect. There are simply people who enjoy the caravan life and people who’d prefer to take a nap and allow a pilot to do the work.
The same is true for choosing to take on a large project, such as a Great Room, on your own or with the help of an interior designer. You can hand over the keys to your home to an interior designer, and they’ll navigate your space to the destinations of your dreams. They’ll handle the tiny details － like the tweed accents within your Great Room － and the larger endeavors － like outsourcing contractors and ordering renovation materials.
No matter the means by which you choose to redesign your Great Room, keep in mind the value in redesigning that space in the first place. Do it for yourself, for your family, or simply for some peace of mind that greets you each day.
For more information about how to get started on your Great Room with the Jackie Barnes Team today, visit our Design Services page!
