Monday, January 23, 2012 5 Things I've Learned from Working With Emily Henderson, so far
Happy Monday! Did you get hit with the snow storm this weekend? It was a weird relief to finely get some seasonally appropriate action. It snowed here before Thanksgiving, then nothing! We didn't mind it so much. So today I am doing a little post about what I have learned so far, from working with Miss Emily Henderson. Ya know, HGTV Design star Winner? Host of Secrets from a Stylist, your favorite HGTV show. Personally I think she's the most relevant design on TV. She gets it. She knows how to make a room look like a million bucks, while looking lived in, while not breaking the bank. So what have I picked up in the 7 months I have been on board?
1. Sometimes a turban and a Red Bull is all you need. This pic was taken after a Fashion Week Party. I learned something this past September while working with Emily. This girl wakes up early and stays up late in order to get things done, and she's always doing it in style. I once heard "We as people are only good at either fashion or interiors, never both". Emily is defiantly the exception to this rule. Cram as much as you can into a day, you'll be surprised what you can get done.
2. Options. When we get a new client, it's all about sourcing options. I know it's easy to think designers know exactly what the room will look like as soon as they set eyes on it. I kinda did, but in reality that doesn't make any sense. I have learned that sourcing options is probably the most crucial thing you can do in the whole design process. You may know a perfect couch for the living room, but that couch can be 10K! Knowing how to source and having enough options something similar is way more important than I thought!
3. Ugly can be pretty. You know when you shop junk or vintage you pass by 99% of stuff and think "no way!"? Emily has defiantly taught me to look more deeply at objects. Shape, quality, scale. It can be transformed into something beautiful that works. Finding unique spots beyond the big box stores, and knowing how to find a gem has been so much fun!
4. You don't have to be one thing. People often compartmentalize themselves into a specific style, and it's OK to be attracted to two, three, or even four styles at the same time. We have a client that's Lake House with Japanese flair, in an un kitchy way - and one would think that's strange - but it's looking insanely amazing.
5. Mixing is vital. Yes, we buy stuff from West Elm, CB2, and Room and Board like the best of them, but the majoity of styling is done with way off the beaten track items. This is where Emily sets herself apart. She takes the extra step to find those unique items the clients totally connect with and is a master at grouping them.
Sometimes you don't get it right on the first try. If you watched Design Star when Emily is on it, you remember this:
So don't beat yourself up. Try, try again. It's been a blast so far, and I am so excited to share finished projects. Emily and Orlando have been doing the majority of the designing (I don't want any confusion!), but just being around them is so inspiring.
Reader Comments (2)
I agree! Emily is great at mixing big-box store with unique finds. It's usually pretty hard to tell which is which!
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