Quality Interior Design Requires Balance – As Does the Interior Designer

One of the most important principles of a quality interior design project is balance. And yet, we see too many interior designers who lack that same balance, personally and professionally. That is, struggling to overcome a poor work/life balance.

Yes… Yes… Yes… We know every business coach and/or life coach on the internet spews virtual reams of blog posts and pages about the subject of finding a balance between work and life. We also know it can be tiresome to see the same subject being touted incessantly. But please, hang with us for a moment and let us tell you how we see this subject. We think you will appreciate our take.

You see, for us, the question arises, how does a designer’s life balance affect design project balance?

Put differently, is it possible for an interior designer who is struggling to find equilibrium between their work and their life to create balance in their projects consistently? Unfortunately, we find ourselves forced to say, “No”; consistency of one’s work is bound to suffer from living an imbalanced life.

An Imbalanced Life Leads to Unbalanced Designs

The question of which comes first, imbalance in life or work mimics the chicken/egg question. Do problems at home lead to stress levels at work, or is it the many challenges faced at work that contributes to stress and unhappiness at home? Needless to say, the experts have multiple answers for you, and they should be heeded.

Our approach is more practical. We want to explore how an imbalance in life impacts your ability to create a balanced environment for your clients.

Imagine for a moment that you wear a pair of (non-metaphorical) “rose-colored glasses” all day. What will this do to the way you perceive everything around you? More importantly for an interior designer, how will these lenses impact your ability to choose colors for your clients? When everything you see is tinted red, can you make good choices for them?

Similarly, what would happen if you were forced to wear sanitary rubber gloves 24/7, 365? This would make it impossible to appreciate the textures or “touch” of the fabrics you're trying to choose for your clients.

We could go on with examples like these, but we think the point’s been made. Which begs the question: If your life is seen as a metaphorical balance beam, and if you keep falling off, how can you possibly expect to balance a home design?

Work/Life Balance Comes from Within You

Caring for your clients is admirable, not to mention a necessary trait for an interior designer. Yet, if you forget to care for yourself as well, your ability to follow through for them will be negatively impacted. When you focus too much on your work, you can lose touch with the people you love and become burned out. The fatigue and poor health that follows is almost inevitable.

According to an article at MayoClinic.org, finding that elusive balance between life and work begins with setting limits.

“If you don't set limits, work can leave you with no time for the relationships and activities you enjoy… As long as you're working, juggling the demands of career and personal life will probably be an ongoing challenge. But by setting limits and looking after yourself, you can achieve the work-life balance that's best for you.”

While time management is one of the keys to this, learning to say “No” when you need to is even more important. “When you quit accepting tasks [or unreasonable client requests] out of guilt or a false sense of obligation, you'll have more time for activities that are meaningful to you.” (emphasis added)

In addition, you will need to figure out how to detach yourself from work and take some “Me time”. This should include anything from simply relaxing to enjoying time with family and friends. Yes, you may have to learn to delegate some tasks to others but, once you do, you’ll likely be amazed by the sense of freedom you experience.

Help to Balance Design Work and Designer Life

Finally, the folks at Mayo recommend finding professional help if you need it. This could certainly refer to a mental health professional, but help may also be found from working with a business consultant. After all, sharing and learning from someone who’s “been there and done that” will often offer more practical solutions that lead to immediate results.

Our founder, Ted Fall, has managed to balance the demands of work and life admirably, even during the ongoing pandemic. We have all appreciated this quality in him. We are also confident he can be the business consultant you need to help balance your life and work so you can continue to offer quality interior design that reflects that balance.

Ted has the experience and knowledge to help. Get in touch with TD Fall today.