Transformative Homes with Mitchell Thompson Interiors

Designing Spaces with Heart: How to Start Your Interior Design Project

• Roy & Diane Mitchell • Episode 2

Share episode

Send us a text

How Do You Get Started?

Looking to transform your home but feeling overwhelmed about where to begin? This episode pulls back the curtain on the interior design process, revealing how professionals like Roy and Diane Mitchell approach the crucial first steps that make all the difference.

The creative duo explains their unique "design journey prompts" – thoughtful questions that go far beyond color preferences and room dimensions. These prompts help uncover the emotional aspects of home: how you want your space to feel, what memories resonate with you, and how your environment can better support your lifestyle. As Roy shares, "What we've done is put together questions that truly get to the heart of what your home feels like currently."

One particularly fascinating insight involves bringing luxury hotel experiences into everyday living. Why spend thousands on vacation just to enjoy beautiful surroundings when you can create that same feeling at home? The Mitchells also tackle the challenge of blending meaningful heirlooms with contemporary design, sharing a remarkable story of integrating a 1700s English buffet and antique tapestry into a sleek, modern space using lucite, chrome, and clever display techniques.

For couples struggling to align their design visions, the Mitchells offer practical advice: independently explore platforms like Pinterest and Houzz, then compare inspirations. "A lot of times they're not too far apart," Diane notes – a reassuring thought for anyone navigating design decisions with a partner.

Ready to begin your own design transformation? Visit MitchellThompsonInteriors.com to schedule a complimentary 30-minute discovery call and learn how Roy and Diane can help make your vision your reality.

To learn more about Mitchell Thompson Interiors visit:
http://www.MitchellThompsonInteriors.com
Mitchell Thompson Interiors

Speaker 1:

Welcome to Transformative Homes with Mitchell Thompson Interiors. Join hosts Roy and Diane Mitchell, the creative force behind Mitchell Thompson Interiors, who together bring over 50 years of expertise of residential interior design across the US. Are you navigating a major life transition, upsizing or downsizing your home, purchasing a vacation home or redefining your space? You've found the team to guide you so your home truly reflects your unique dreams. Stay tuned and learn how to schedule a complimentary 30-minute discovery call. Let's delve into today's topic.

Speaker 2:

Taking the first step in an interior design project can feel overwhelming, but it doesn't have to be. Roy and Diane Mitchell break down how to begin your journey towards a beautifully transformed home, whether you're looking for a small refresh or a full-scale renovation. Welcome back everyone. I'm Sofia Yvette, co-host, slash producer. Back in the studio with Roy and Diane. Roy and Diane, how's it going?

Speaker 3:

Wonderful. How are you?

Speaker 2:

I'm doing great also, and that's great to hear. So, roy and Diane, everyone wants to know how do you get started?

Speaker 4:

Well, sophia, we have created a series of design questions. We call it our design journey prompts, and this is something that a potential client can go out on our website and just pull it up and start going through the process. It goes much further than just you know what colors do you prefer and what's the size of your room, or you know what is your design aesthetic or your goal. What we've done is put together some questions that truly get to the heart of what your home feels like currently. If you're in a transition to where you're moving, you're going to a brand new home. What do you want that home to feel like? And that gets developed through a series of questions related to who lives in the home.

Speaker 4:

What does the family look like? How do you use the home? How is the home supporting your family or not supporting your family? What kind of things do you like to do when you're on vacation? Are there some things that you love about glorious hotel rooms that you want to bring into your own home?

Speaker 4:

There are questions related to if you have any childhood preferences, like maybe we had someone a client one time who really enjoyed a bay window that acted as a reading nook, and they'd never been able to incorporate that bay window into their home but we were able to give them that in this new home that they were moving into. We were in the process of renovation but we were able to create that reading nook for her in this new home. So what that does, when we get to the conversation and the potential client wants to move forward, it really connects us to them and their goals and the dreams that they have, not for just what the space is going to look like with the furniture and the pieces and the lamps, but that we really gather what we need to make it feel like the home they want to live in.

Speaker 3:

But getting back to the hotel room, you know everybody goes to the beautiful spas and they spend a lot of money just for that field. Why not be able to have that in your own home, rather than have to spend thousands of dollars just to go on a vacation to get it? It can be done in your own home and I'm trying to understand why people don't want to do that. So the other thing is as far as husbands and wives getting together and trying to figure out. It's very daunting trying to figure out how to go about it. Well, I think the best thing to do is go through Pinterest, howescom, and both parties find things that they love about a room and a lot of times they're not too far apart.

Speaker 2:

And what should homeowners bring to their initial design consultation?

Speaker 4:

Well, when we get to the point of starting to develop the vision for the home, we're definitely going to need input in your neighbor, you know, whatever it is that the family is wanting to do to step up their home and their lifestyle. A lot of times we have inherited pieces that maybe come down from the family or were given by a good friend. A good example of this is an old English buffet and table that we worked with for a client a few years back. They were both originally from England and she had this buffet and table absolutely gorgeous solid wood from 1700s and they were moving into new construction 1700s and they were moving into new construction.

Speaker 4:

The chandelier in that room had lucite spears and a chrome structure and we were able to bring those two very opposite worlds together and create a beautiful dining room. We even included an antique tapestry that they had, but we hung it from an acrylic and chrome rod so it immediately leveled it up to a more modern looking piece. She also had a collection of pewter dinnerware and we were able to display some of that. She sets her everyday dining table with the pewter. She absolutely loves it, uses it every day. So we need to have all of that input, including dimensions and the backstory, on the piece of furniture, and that way we can really put it into the grand design in a way that's going to work.

Speaker 3:

Basically, it adds heart to your house. Rather than you go to a store, you buy everything that is, you know, up to date. Everything looks the same, but there's no heart to the design and the warmth and a story to tell when someone's walking to your house, especially with company coming over, and you know they're looking around the walls like, oh, oh. It just adds a lot of heart to the house when you're able to use antique pieces or things that really matter to you.

Speaker 2:

So absolutely yes well as always, roy and diane, that's some informative and helpful information you gave us today. Thanks again, and we'll catch you on the next episode. Have a fantastic rest of your day.

Speaker 4:

Thank you, thanks, sophia.

Speaker 1:

Thanks for tuning in. That's a wrap on this episode of Transformative Homes. Are you ready to begin the journey toward elevating your home and lifestyle? Visit MitchellThompsonInteriorscom and schedule your complimentary 30-minute discovery. Call Roy and Diane will explore making your vision your reality. Join us for the next episode as we continue discussing elevated lifestyles through the lens of interior design. One unique and exquisite home at a time.