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Posted: July 2011

Only a few short years ago when you hired a designer or bought a pre-construction home, you had to trust the designer or builder extensively with your investment. When it comes to making design decisions about their homes, most people say “I’m afraid I just can’t visualize how that will look. ” Or, even worse, when the work is completed “It’s not how I imagined it!”

How do you solve the problem? Nowadays, some interior designers provide a Design Visualization service, where for a fraction of the total cost of the project, you can SEE the intangible. While it takes some time and may cost a bit more up front, the peace of mind and specific design you get will help you save time and money in the long run.

How does the process work? Check out this real example.

In the Somerset neighborhood of south Bellevue, one family wanted to maximize the spa feeling their home’s special features afforded. Built in 1964, the home has an indoor sauna installed by the original owners. When the current owners bought it in 2003, they added a hot tub under the deck just outside the sauna. The owners self-designed the hot tub area, and used Trex ® decking as the material to build a graduated deck on all four sides of the tub.

The result is a covered, well lit, easy-to-access and easy-to-maintain spa area that extends from sauna to hot tub and gets frequent use by the homeowners. “We use the hot tub 4 – 6 nights each week, winter and summer” says the couple. Several times a year, the wife has spa parties with girlfriends at home, where friends enjoy the spa amenities while sipping wine and taking in the breathtaking view of Lake Washington, Seattle and the Olympic Mountains.

However, somehow the spa area is too sterile and lacks a feeling of inviting warmth and true privacy. The house has a very neutral color palette - light gray with white trim, as is the decking surrounding the tub. The location at the back of the house isn’t completely private from passing neighbors walking by on the street.  And, because the tub sits under a 70’ long deck, the open space was disproportionate to the area used as a spa.

The busy owners had seen hotels and restaurants designed with fabric to create “rooms”, but weren’t sure how that would work with their particular home. Because they travel frequently, visiting showrooms to look at samples  was difficult to schedule. They tried tacking up sheets to imagine what fabric might look like, but were frustrated with the result. When they heard about the possibilities of using a Design Visualization service, they turned to Faith Sheridan, of Faith Sheridan Design Group to find out more. 

Sheridan’s team includes 3D For All, a Seattle based design visualization company headed by Mary Curley, an accredited Interior Designer herself. Sheridan and Curley partner regularly to provide Design Visualization services to homeowners around the country.

Says Sheridan “I provide each of my clients with a minimum of two concepts. We then work together to make any necessary changes, and prepare a final image. That way, the client is not only involved in the design, but has the ability to see the effect changes make. The value is obvious, since the client sees  a finished concept prior to work commencing”

Says Curley “We work with dozens of design firms, many based in the Seattle area. Several are elsewhere around the country and world. You will rarely see our logo on our work as our main effort is powering visualizations for the design industry.”

So, how did this particular design evolve?

First, the owner took multiple pictures of the entire back of the home from various angles so that Sheridan and 3D For All would have a record to work from.

After the owners discussed their goals for the backyard, and Sheridan went to work on the design, first choosing fabric to frame and screen the hot tub area.  “I saw that simple changes could make the hot tub a complete relaxation space for the owners of the home. The solution is simple but powerful and provides cohesion while suggesting relax, unwind on the loungers or in the hot tub. The message is both function and form, and evokes a strong emotional response.”

After reviewing several companies’ products, Sheridan chose to use Gloster Furniture and materials because of their design leadership and high quality products. After she made fabric, color and furniture selections from Gloster’s online catalog, 3D For All went to work creating the image from a combination of photos from the homeowner and digital images from Gloster.  Within three weeks after sending the photos, the finished design was ready for review.  If the homeowner wanted to make additional changes, Sheridan Design and 3D For All work together to create a Design Progression for review. In this happy case, the client accepted the project on the first review meeting.

From this point, the homeowner has the specifications needed to get started on the project. While this service does not replace the architectural renderings necessary for construction, it does help to eliminate confusion dramatically during the building phase of a project.  The cost is typically included within the fees charged by the designer.

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