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Pro Spotlight: An Essential Guide to Interior Design
Before you begin your renovation, read these 15 top tips from an interior designer
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Who: Patricia Penker of Exclusively to Design
Where: Miami Beach, Florida
In her own words: “I love that we can enrich our clients’ lives by designing homes that represent who they are, what they love and where they have been. We design specifically for our clients’ style and lifestyle, not a trend or our company’s brand style.”
It takes a large team of professionals to tackle a home renovation and it’s easy to get mixed up when considering who is responsible for what and when. Interior designer Patricia Penker, the owner of Exclusively to Design, is here to help. Below, she shares her lesson plan for Interior Design 101: everything you need to know about a designer’s role and how they can best deliver your dream renovation.
Where: Miami Beach, Florida
In her own words: “I love that we can enrich our clients’ lives by designing homes that represent who they are, what they love and where they have been. We design specifically for our clients’ style and lifestyle, not a trend or our company’s brand style.”
It takes a large team of professionals to tackle a home renovation and it’s easy to get mixed up when considering who is responsible for what and when. Interior designer Patricia Penker, the owner of Exclusively to Design, is here to help. Below, she shares her lesson plan for Interior Design 101: everything you need to know about a designer’s role and how they can best deliver your dream renovation.
A history of fashion and great finds. Penker began her career as a fashion designer before a challenge in her life became an opportunity. “When I lived in New York, my friends and I struggled to find furniture that we liked that would fit in our apartments,” Penker says. “I was inspired to start my own design and import business, ME2 Design, focused on compact furnishings and decorative wares. Just as I had in my fashion career, I traveled to Europe and Asia to design and import my collections.” From there, clients who had purchased her pieces began commissioning Penker to complete the designs of their entire homes, and Exclusively to Design began.
A detailed study of the client’s lifestyle. Penker’s process starts with an initial consultation followed by a detail-oriented investigation. “Our questionnaire speaks to our clients’ needs,” Penker says. “We’ll learn everything from specific details like their preferred sofa to broader relationship dynamics within the house.” After connecting with everyone in the family and getting a sense of their style, Penker designs a home that’s completely theirs. “If a client wants something difficult or eccentric, we approach it clinically,” Penker says. “We’ll tell you the rules of thumb without judgment, because we would never make our clients live in a home that doesn’t feel like them.”
Ready to learn everything you need to know about interior design? Follow Penker’s lesson plan below.
Ready to learn everything you need to know about interior design? Follow Penker’s lesson plan below.
What Role Will an Interior Designer Play in My Project?
1. Designers aren’t just decorators. They create the total picture for your new home before contractors come in to build the vision.
At this Miami residence, the clients hoped to open up their 1960s-style bungalow and create a more eclectic Key West-style home. “The home needed structural, electrical and plumbing upgrades and the clients wanted a creative interior that represented their personalities and their many interests,” Penker says. “We created the vision within this two-story home while integrating the various design elements to give them unique spaces to enjoy, from the custom banquette to the personalized gallery wall in the dining room.”
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2. Designers are an integral part of the initial design process with you and your architect. They make sure you’re using your interior space in the best possible way, taking into account appliances, furnishings and final materials.
3. Designers are coordinators who provide a road map for the project. They are the liaison between you and your contractors, ensuring that quality expectations are met, timelines are in place and budgets are considered. Without a designer, you’re left to make many crucial decisions on your own, without someone to oversee the design process and ensure its success from start to finish.
4. Designers source and order all the items they selected for the design and make sure the proper materials, furnishings and fixtures are ordered in the correct size, color, finish, price and delivery time from all vendors.
5. Designers communicate the design initiatives to the contractors so they have all the specs of the products that will be used in their installation.
6. They design kitchens, bathrooms, wall finishes, custom cabinetry and all elements of your interior spaces so the vision of your home is cohesive and appropriate for each room.
7. They consider the small spaces and the hard-to-furnish areas and create solutions that are unique and functional.
8. They consider you and your family for the most efficient use of your home.
9. They can design for any type of client and adapt to your style and preferences.
1. Designers aren’t just decorators. They create the total picture for your new home before contractors come in to build the vision.
At this Miami residence, the clients hoped to open up their 1960s-style bungalow and create a more eclectic Key West-style home. “The home needed structural, electrical and plumbing upgrades and the clients wanted a creative interior that represented their personalities and their many interests,” Penker says. “We created the vision within this two-story home while integrating the various design elements to give them unique spaces to enjoy, from the custom banquette to the personalized gallery wall in the dining room.”
See more of this project
2. Designers are an integral part of the initial design process with you and your architect. They make sure you’re using your interior space in the best possible way, taking into account appliances, furnishings and final materials.
3. Designers are coordinators who provide a road map for the project. They are the liaison between you and your contractors, ensuring that quality expectations are met, timelines are in place and budgets are considered. Without a designer, you’re left to make many crucial decisions on your own, without someone to oversee the design process and ensure its success from start to finish.
4. Designers source and order all the items they selected for the design and make sure the proper materials, furnishings and fixtures are ordered in the correct size, color, finish, price and delivery time from all vendors.
5. Designers communicate the design initiatives to the contractors so they have all the specs of the products that will be used in their installation.
6. They design kitchens, bathrooms, wall finishes, custom cabinetry and all elements of your interior spaces so the vision of your home is cohesive and appropriate for each room.
7. They consider the small spaces and the hard-to-furnish areas and create solutions that are unique and functional.
8. They consider you and your family for the most efficient use of your home.
9. They can design for any type of client and adapt to your style and preferences.
“Our team designs to a wide variety of styles,” Penker says. “If someone is looking for a specific style, we can accommodate. But most clients want their own mix.” At this Miami pied-à-terre, one of the homeowners is an artist. “From our perspective, the design looks quite empty, but that’s because they wanted a minimalistic canvas to better display her artwork,” Penker says.
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How Can I Best Collaborate With My Interior Designer?
1. Decide what you want your home to feel like when you open the door. Do your research on inspirational images to show your designer your favorite styles.
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How Can I Best Collaborate With My Interior Designer?
1. Decide what you want your home to feel like when you open the door. Do your research on inspirational images to show your designer your favorite styles.
At this Coconut Grove whole-home remodel, the owners wanted to create a spa-like experience in their daughter’s bathroom. “The space hadn’t been updated for 25 years,” Penker says. Her team delivered on the vision by replacing the bathtub with a tub-shower combination, building a luxe contemporary vanity with a quartz countertop and adding high-end light fixtures to complement the natural light.
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2. Be clear on your top four must-haves and not-haves. This gives your designer a clear understanding of what you like and don’t like.
3. Understand your budget. Look through your favorite stores and create a shopping cart of items to fill a room to give you a general idea of the cost of furnishings and decor.
What Are Common Pitfalls and How Can I Avoid Them?
1. Contractors should not give a formal construction bid until the designer has given them the final design plans, including materials. The scope of the construction work will be based on crucial information from the designer, such as the size and type of flooring, the design of the cabinets, the amount of fixtures and so on.
2. The project timeline will be affected by your decision-making and trust in your designer. Have conviction that your designer can deliver the design you’re looking for based on the guidance you gave them.
3. Once the work starts, it’s costly and difficult to change a design plan midstream. Be clear that the final design plan is agreed upon before any work begins.
More: For more information on Patricia Penker and examples of her work, visit Exclusively to Design’s Houzz profile.
This story was written by the Houzz Sponsored Content team.
See more of this project
2. Be clear on your top four must-haves and not-haves. This gives your designer a clear understanding of what you like and don’t like.
3. Understand your budget. Look through your favorite stores and create a shopping cart of items to fill a room to give you a general idea of the cost of furnishings and decor.
What Are Common Pitfalls and How Can I Avoid Them?
1. Contractors should not give a formal construction bid until the designer has given them the final design plans, including materials. The scope of the construction work will be based on crucial information from the designer, such as the size and type of flooring, the design of the cabinets, the amount of fixtures and so on.
2. The project timeline will be affected by your decision-making and trust in your designer. Have conviction that your designer can deliver the design you’re looking for based on the guidance you gave them.
3. Once the work starts, it’s costly and difficult to change a design plan midstream. Be clear that the final design plan is agreed upon before any work begins.
More: For more information on Patricia Penker and examples of her work, visit Exclusively to Design’s Houzz profile.
This story was written by the Houzz Sponsored Content team.
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Patricia was excellent! Extremely responsive, knowledgeable and organized, and design was
Fantastic! I’d love to work with her again. Highly recommend.