Journal Entry No. 7
Design with romance.
My setting the table in Pamela Anderson’s Rose Garden - a client who lead with her heart.
HGTV Canada
“I want your home to be seductive, something you fall in love with.”
Imagining the client in their finished home - or garden - and how they will respond to the material selections is critical to each and every one of my projects. From the first moment I put pen to paper to the last moment when I put flowers in a vase (there will always be flowers…!), I am always thinking about the client. Will Tom enjoy the feel of this fabric on the armchair intended for his reading a book at the end of a long day? Will Glenda delight at the wallpaper that is reminiscent of her beloved teacup collection? Will Emily feel peace and tranquility surrounded by harmonious layers of blush tones in her bedroom? If the answer to these questions isn’t a profound, full-bodied YES, then I keep looking until I find the right fabric, wallpaper or colour scheme that strikes a soulful note with the intended client.
Working with Pamela Anderson was all about romance - she leads with her heart, soul and commitment to love. Her Rose Garden was no exception and fulfilling her brief for a ‘romantic garden theatre’ was an absolute pleasure. Impracticality aside (because sometimes you just need to give in to beauty…), we strung lights, lit candles, placed lanterns amongst rose bushes, layered linens and otherwise set the stage for a dusk reveal. I could see it in Pamela’s eyes when she walked into the garden - surrounded by the pink of her Yves Piaget roses, all aglow with candle-light - her vision had been realized and she fell in love.
I believe that the happiest clients are those that are able to reveal themselves, those that are confident in what they truly love and of what makes them happy. As a designer, I use these client-truths to guide all selections so that, once complete, the client can feel profoundly at home surrounded by their story. Like all lasting relationships, the relationship we have with our home should also be at an intimate level for it to endure. Falling in love with your home doesn’t happen just once, it should happen every time you are wrapped up in that chair you love, surrounded by colour you adore, catch a glimpse of that wallpaper you - perhaps only you - know of what it means. You can flaunt your love for your home or you can keep it secret, either way, you should love your home deeply and meaningfully.
Francesca
‘Pamela’s Garden of Eden’ on HGTV Canada is available to stream on STACKTV