Well today is my first blog. I have put it off for as long as I possibly could – but there is just no avoiding it anymore. A number of years ago a wonderful client gave me a beautifully wrapped gift at the end of their project. One of the great things I treasure about my career in design is the wonderful clients and people I meet in the course of my work. Everyday is different and presents itself with a variety of delightful characters and individuals who come into my life. Anyway, imagine my surprise when I opened the gift to find a tastefully framed original piece of artwork. Incorporated into the art were the following letters; WWLD.
When I asked my client what this was supposed to represent she responded with “What would LaMar do?” During the course of her project she said it became her mantra whenever she needed to make a decision. How high should the counters be? “Go ask LaMar.” Should the paint be shiny or flat? “LaMar would want it this way.” Do these fabrics go together? “Well LaMar told me to experiment with pattern and color.” You get the picture. After the project was completed she and her husband felt it was the best way to thank me. I guess thinking about what I would do or say regarding their project helped resolve many arguments and pushed the decision process along nicely. You’re welcome.
I have always felt that design is really nothing more than solving problems. The ceiling is too high, the windows are off center, the fabric is too fragile or the armoire won’t fit through the door. That is what I do everyday. I figure stuff out. It is really peculiar that I enjoy doing this so much. I have never really thought of myself as being analytical in any manner. I loathe board games, (that’s why they are called b-o-r-e-d games…) and mathematical concepts completely elude me while I find being practical and thrifty to be so “lower middle class.” But I do LOVE a good design challenge. So that is why my BLOG is titled WWLD. For awhile a national company paid me to write a column where people could write in with their design questions. I thought it would be “fun.” After a week of answering the most mundane and painful of questions, (Where do I find a lamp heavy enough that my kids can’t knock it over with a baseball bat?) I had to resign. Simply put, I was exhausted. But I still needed an outlet for my writing.
So the blog seems like a viable way for me to connect with not only the design community but also anyone who might like to hear my ideas and opinions on design. I’ll do my very best to be clever and tasteful while informative at the same time. This will not be my attempt to give away FREE design advice – “If you give away what you have for free, you will never be appreciated…or valued” And I place GREAT value on EXCEPTIONAL design and that is something I can get really excited about. I’m already thinking about my next blog – who knows I might even start tweeting.