The KEY Ingredient for a Perfect Interior-According to LiLu

A Hurried World

We live in a hurried world, as things speed up our expectations have changed. I sometimes find myself wanting people to speak more quickly, respond to an email immediately and walk speedily. Then I quiet myself and tap into the wisdom of mindfulness and what I know to be true. Sometimes for the very best things to happen, it takes a little time. In truth, I would prefer well-formed thoughts to come back to me in my email. I appreciate a sensitive response and know that slowing down a little is good for me in many ways. I often find myself saying to my children "Have some patience, I will be there when I am done with....." I know that waiting for things to be done well and with a thoughtful approach achieves the best result.

Good Things Take Time

This is true in the work we do in the LiLu studio. Some industries have sped up stamping out identical widgets at the speed of light and shipping them overnight. If a book strikes your fancy, it's available for download from the comfort of your home and you can be reading in minutes...no pesky trip to the book store involved. Your experience of the book may be different but you are reading. However, designing custom interiors that are unique to a client can't be done quickly. We need time to think about the perfect solution for you not just a good enough solution.  Architecture and design don't happen without thought.
Before we arrive at a solution for any design, we have sketched many options and considered a variety of design elements and solutions. We are often balancing competing considerations of budget, aesthetics and function. Striking the perfect balance involves designing a great looking interior. Meeting with our clients multiple times to ensure all their functional needs are being met and conferring with all of the craftsmen involved to ensure the design will meet our clients budget criteria. .

Craftsmanship Counts

Many of the things that are in our built environment are still made by hand. Furniture is hand-turned or finished.  Fabric is carefully appliqued, rugs are hand-knotted. A craftsman in North Carolina, California, Maine, or half-way around the world in Italy, Belguim or Nepal is making something just for you.
While not every item in your interior is likely to be hand-made, I continue to be mindful that the decorative arts aren't easily automated. Carpet mills can be largely run by computers, but a handmade heirloom quality rug is still made the same way it was a 100 years ago. The shingles or walls for your home can still only be fastened by a skilled carpenter.
The pride in craftsmanship of skilled people makes a difference between a space that serves you and one that nourishes your soul and lifts you up.
Perhaps you've drawn your own conclusion about what it is that is the KEY ingredient for a perfect interior but to make it perfectly clear...it is PATIENCE. All this thinking and sketching and meeting and making takes time and that means you will need to be patient.
We've written a few blogs about craftsmanship. Check out For the Love of a Craftsman  or learn how a craftsman in North Carolina made an outdoor table for our client's deck.  If you want to explore more custom work you can search the word custom in our blog.

 Impatience Will Rob you of the Joy Anticipation-The KEY ingredient to a perfect interior is PATIENCE

If you are working on a custom interior you are engaging in a process that takes time to unfold. Enjoy the journey. Practice patience-the key ingredient to a perfect interior.
Quality lasts and it takes time. Waiting several weeks or several months for an environment to be creating give you time to anticipate and savor the anticipation of creating something that will last a lifetime, if it's done right the first time.
For more on the joy of anticipation read an New York Times article about travel. The same pleasure of anticipation can be true for many things including building your dream home or remodeling a room you will enjoy for years.