The Wow Factor

On television, home makeovers happen within half an hour.  We viewers get to see dramatic transformations and homeowners’ surprised reactions when seeing for the first time everything transformed at once.  It’s a real life before and after viewing and always exciting.  And although the power of television can give us that immediate makeover, in reality, Designers manage more practical circumstances.  Homeowners usually can’t or don’t want to leave while their homes are being trampled through or torn apart during construction.  Rare opportunities do arise though.  As a Designer, I’ve been fortunate to present clients with immediate makeovers, but most often, I work closely with them during a process of planning, design, construction, and installation.  My job is not only to satisfy my clients by designing their spaces so clearly specific for them, but also to go above and beyond what is expected by achieving what we Designers call the wow factor.  The wow factor explains a first and lasting impression of a well-designed room that takes the viewers by surprise.  That surprise shouldn’t only be the result of a sudden transformation like presented so well in television, but also the result of great design. 

A few ways to achieve both great design and a wow factor can be in the unexpected use of color, oversized pieces, recycled treasures, and dramatic lighting.  Installing floor to ceiling draperies outside the perimeter of a window frame will very easily contribute to the wow factor, as well as the use of bold or unexpected colors in accent pieces such as pillows, rugs, art or accessories.  Even an accent wall can be another opportunity to use bold color.  Large scaled items, regardless of the size of the room, are also surprising.  Examples could be shown in large pottery and branches reaching high overhead, or in a life sized painting or mirror leaned against a wall.  So often these days, recycled architectural elements are becoming a part of new design.  Old doors can be hinged for use of a folding screen, old windows can be frames for photographs or mirrors, and even long-standing structural exterior columns can be brought inside to compliment new construction or simply added to the decor. Lighting is a very simple way to achieve the wow factor.  A room will easily stage itself by using as many lamps as appropriately possible and remembering to turn them on.  Overhead lighting shouldn’t be used unless necessary or unless those fixtures can stand alone as art, such as stately chandeliers.

Regardless of the use paint, fabrics, accessories, architectural pieces, or lighting, re-designing a room takes time.  Time and careful planning produce great design.  And while we all appreciate the immediate transformations seen on television, dramatic results can be reached in many ways attributing to the wow factor we all prefer to have in our own spaces.