I’ll never forget the day I spent most of an afternoon with a client, reviewing their very extensive art collection. One of their favorite things to do is pick up artwork at local antiques shops and in their many travels to Italy …. paintings, drawings, tapestries, collectibles…. most of which are old-world Italian. So perhaps you can imagine my utter shock later that evening when this client sends me a photo of a rather large Yertle the Turtle collectible figurine, and tells me that she’s sorry she forgot to show me this, but it absolutely must go somewhere in the design!
My first reaction was that she must be kidding me…. but then I realized she was serious (gulp!). It is a cute and playful collector’s piece and was quite expensive, but it had absolutely nothing to do with anything else in the design….nothing! But it is a favorite piece of her husband’s, and it really meant a lot to them to use it somewhere.
So, although I was perplexed at first, I do feel very strongly that every home needs to reflect the owner’s personalities and needs to make them happy. As a designer I think it’s crucial to put the client’s wishes first, and find creative ways to incorporate them into the design.
As it turns out I did find the perfect spot, front and center in their front entry hall on top of a beautiful antique sideboard. It basically greets their guests with a smile as they enter the home, and sends them off with another smile as they leave. The homeowners were ecstatic that the perfect home was found for Yertle, and it remains a topic of laughter for everyone. Win-win!
“From there to here, and here to there, funny things are everywhere.” Dr. Seuss