50 shades of … decisions!

Ah, the client color catch, a standard in the world of interior design. A while ago, I worked with a client on a project for her apartment in New York city that threw me headfirst into one of those classic color battles. This client was fantastic, with a clear style and vision for her home…until it came down to the specifics of wall color.

We started off with an in-depth meeting to pin down her style, lifestyle and taste. In our studio, we’re all about creating a client’s dream space, and then some. We’re the gurus after all: the artistic translators who turn vague ideas into polished spaces. After understanding her vision, we came up with a plan for a gallery wall dressed in a statement wallpaper, complemented by walls that would pull one of its colors. The goal was to create a moody, tasteful gallery area leading up to a serene, white-walled living room.

The living room decision was blissfully simple. We brought in three warm white samples, and she was just about done picking a favorite when she said, “Oh they all look pretty

much the same. Why don’t you decide?” A couple of minutes, decision made. Check! But then came the gallery wall…and the gray. This shade needed to match the depth and tone of the wallpaper. We wanted a gray that was bold enough to hold its own but subtle enough to flow with the statement wall. Sounds simple right? Wrong.

We started off with a dozen samples. Then we narrowed it down to six, each with different shades and undertones. In hindsight, maybe we should have shown only three! And that’s where the trouble began. Too blue, too green, too dark, too light. No single color was quite right. We went back and forth, refining, re-sampling and testing in different lights until I

felt like I could open my own paint store.

One month of indecisions and endless samples later, we were two weeks off schedule. So, we gently nudged (okay, begged) for a final choice since she didn’t give us the decision-making lead on this like she had with the white paint. Finally, she gave her answer and with a sigh of relief, we moved forward. The contractor painted the walls, fitted that fabulous wallpaper, et voilà! The space was just as we envisioned.

Until, just as the furniture started arriving, she said the words every designer dreads: “I’m not happy with the gray.” My brain was doing backflips, but I kept my calm. I reminded her that this was a major change order, requiring us to step back, add extra time and, yes, adjust the budget significantly. To clarify the impact, we went over all our previous meeting notes and emails, showing that this issue wasn’t on us. She was determined and chose to move forward, covering all the costs.

Hence, we reopened the gray file, revisited the options and sent samples of every shade we’d suggested (plus our two top picks she initially turned down!). And of course, she picked one of our original recommendations. In that moment, all I could do was laugh. I even called her and asked, 'Really? Are you messing with me?' and she just laughed at herself and we all laughed at the whole situation.

This is exactly why we insist on samples, tests and thoughtful advice—things we hope you'll consider. It's also why we ask you to trust the gut feeling that led you to hire us and

allow us to do what we do best: make those decisions for you. We're here to help you make those choices with confidence.

Now, after a couple of months’ delay and a few thousand dollars in change orders, we’re all happy, gray included.

Takeaways for (*cough* indecisive) clients:

1. Ask for Thorough Records: Designers keep track of every conversation and email. Don’t hesitate to ask for clarification and request those records. Reviewing a well-documented process helps you make decisions at the right time, keeping the project aligned and on track.
2. Be Mindful of the Timeline: Delays in decisions can impact the overall schedule. Understanding how a delayed choice might affect your move-in or completion date can provide that extra nudge to make up your mind.
3. Trust the Process: Trust that your designer knows what will work best. After all, you hired them because their style and expertise resonated with you from the start.
4. Understand What Change Orders Entail: Be mindful of the cost implications of changes, whether it’s a color shift or a major design alteration. These changes involve labor, materials and time. Open communication from the start helps avoid surprises when the invoice arrives.
5. Remember to Laugh It Off: Design projects can be stressful, but sometimes humor is the best way to diffuse tension. At the end of the day, this is all about creating your dream space, and that’s definitely worth celebrating!

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