Christina Relyea is the Business Development Manager at JB Cutting, Inc. and a director for ACSP. She recently wrote an article that was too impressive not to share. Please enjoy! – Wendy Scott, ACSP President

 

Typically, every designer has blundered hard at least once or twice in their career. Once you’re over the initial embarrassment, opening up and talking about mistakes in order to learn from them helps elevate your design abilities.  

After reaching out to multiple designers, here is a list of common mistakes and what they learned.  

 

 

Missing obstacles such as vents, electrical panels/outlets and steamer units. Lesson learned: Note obstacles at the beginning of the design process. Be thorough and note every detail no matter how insignificant. Measure twice, cut once. It’s critical to take your time when measuring and double check your measurements, as it’s very easy to transpose numbers. Taking reference photos of obstacles and the room prevents “second guessing” or remembering wrong. Having those photos for a reference view is a good practice so you can “see” the space.

 

If you’re measuring a new construction space, go back to the space at least seven days prior to your installation date for a final measure: Something may have been added that you didn’t note in your drawings.

 

Door swings and clear floor space, particularly around islands and peninsulas.  Lesson learned: Don’t just plan for walk space around these pieces, plan for the usability of the space. When opening drawers can you stand in front of them or do you have to stand to the side? Your client requested a 3-way mirror cabinet, did you leave enough room so they can see themselves in it? Twelve inches of clearance in front of a mirror is not enough.

 

Over designing - a list of client must-have options that might fit into the space but look so cluttered the overall organizational effect is ruined. Lesson learned: Don’t be a client pushover. You’re the expert, and they’re paying for your valuable advice. Take time to step back from the design process to review design details, maybe even having a trusted designer friend lend a second set of eyes if possible. Guiding clients in prioritizing their wish list from day one is essential.

 

Hardware – underutilizing the different options provided by the numerous hardware vendors to create a fully realized design. Lesson learned: Trying to keep it simple for the customer by just offering a few choices, (or the client could take longer to choose) deprives the aesthetics of your design. Visually, it makes a difference when using proper sizes. Having a closet with all 6-inch handles is okay, but tall doors that call for 10-inch handles and 6-inch handles on the short doors and drawers makes a closet more custom and less cookie cutter.