As an interior designer, you have your finger on the pulse of both modern trends and timeless classics. You walk into a space and can mentally picture how it should be. You can’t help it. It’s in your nature.
Still, even when you’ve created detailed CAD drawings and shown your clients tile samples, paint chips, and fabric swatches, they may not be able to envision the result as clearly as you can. That’s where a trip to the A&S showroom can make all the difference.
Stepping into a showroom filled with full-scale samples your clients can see, touch, and compare helps them start to imagine what’s possible in their home. Bringing A&S product and installation experts into the conversation can create a valuable dialogue that elevates your client’s vision, encourages them consider new ideas, and helps them understand how different elements of the design will start functioning and flowing together. With tangible examples at hand, it’s so much easier to turn a house into your client’s dream home while helping them be open to new possibilities.
Four Must-Have Showroom Conversations
We have found that there are four conversations between interior designers and homeowners best had in the showroom.
Function
At the outset, the purpose of each room in a house is obvious. What’s not obvious is how each homeowner will actually use that room. Consider the kitchen.
Some kitchens are the heart of the home, with work and school assignments completed at the counter on weekdays, while weekends are filled with fun and friends. The design for a “kitchen as the hub” needs to reflect that. Other kitchens are home to a foodie’s creative projects, where a designer may choose to orient the space around specialty appliances and generous work surfaces. Knowing a client’s relationship with their kitchen directs which countertops, floors, cabinetry, and finishes are used.
Conversations about function don’t stop at the kitchen. Each room must be carefully discussed to understand how it will be used. Do living rooms turn into game rooms? Are bedrooms also playrooms or offices? Is an unused space better off being transformed into a functional room for all?
Sitting in a showroom filled with possibilities lets you talk about how the homeowners currently use their space and how they’re hoping to use it in the future. It frees them of their current mindset and opens their eyes to new opportunities.
Storage
Storage conversations often happen when building or buying a home – and that can be where the discussion stops. The good news is it doesn’t have to. There are so many moments where you can bring storage into the interior design conversation and our showrooms are filled with different ways to make that happen.
Having enough space to store things easily is a primary concern for homeowners. When they move into that big, empty home and start filling it with their possessions, space becomes scarce quickly. If they fell in love with a fluid, open concept, incorporating the right storage options into the home’s décor and design can ensure that look and feel remains.
But that’s not the only aspect of storage that needs to be considered. Having enough storage is just half of the equation. Having the right storage is the other half.
Let’s use kitchen cabinetry as an example. You never know what really lies behind a modern cabinet door or drawer. Today’s options include meticulously organized pullout pantries, built-in wine refrigerators, sturdy dish drawers, customized divided drawers for bakers, unique shelves, and more. When you know all you can about your clients, it’s fun to show them customized storage solutions they never knew existed.
Your creativity combined with our versatile cabinetry options allows you to take storage to a new level and create a gorgeous one-of-a-kind look throughout the home. We even have outdoor cabinetry for backyard living spaces. Details like this give a home that custom touch.
Space Planning and Flow
It’s important to know how people will move through the house. The flow of a home plays a huge role in the type of furniture, flooring, cabinets, countertops, etc.
One major aspect of a home’s flow is its flooring. Choosing the right flooring for a space can make it more luxurious, functional, and appealing for the homeowner.
The best part about bringing clients to our showroom is they get to see and touch—and even walk on—the different flooring options available to them. Some subtle nuances in flooring options, like tiles, can be hard pick up on with just a sample square. But an entire display room instantly gives them a taste of what the finished product will look like in their home.
Aesthetic and Style
Often, interior designers will hear clients say they prefer a certain aesthetic or style. For example, let’s say the homeowner is in love with all the tv shows featuring farmhouse style and they’re sure it’s what they want for their new home.
You go to a showroom together and introduce them to some lovely options that fit the farmhouse aesthetic, but nothing clicks. As you wander around and look at other options, it quickly becomes evident the homeowner doesn’t really like farmhouse style. They are drawn to something else entirely.
Have you had this experience? A client may be eager to tell you what they like, but when you see them interacting with actual showroom settings, you get a different impression. This is where adding a showroom visit to your design process can be a game changer.
At A&S, we don’t just have options to look at, we have spaces dedicated to creating an aesthetic, whether they want to compare quartz to granite countertops, modern luxe cabinetry to traditional classic styles, or natural stone tile to glass. This lets your clients experience possibilities in an immersive way. They get a sense of what they really like and what feels like home to them. It’s almost impossible to replicate this hands-on experience outside of a showroom.
Ready to Start Having Showroom Conversations?
If you’re ready to dive in and have one of those showroom conversations, A&S Home Interiors is here to help. Connect with us and we’ll introduce your clients to function, storage, flow, and style in a tangible way so they’re more prepared than ever to make decisions that transform their space while letting your talent lead the way.