Say you have a problem with your bank statement. Do
you at the fi nal balance easily identify the issue? Or, do you
start at the other end, looking at all the individual entries and
work toward the fi nal sum?
We are usually one or the other of two people. We fi rst
see the picture as a whole and work backwards to fi nd the
pieces, or we start with the smaller parts, the smaller details
that add up to the fi nal picture.
Likewise, many of my clients start the conversation
with, "I have my paint colors," or they start with artwork
or a piece of furniture as ground zero. ey start with
something they feel in charge of. It feels tangible to
them. is isn't to say that they don't know what they
like. ey just can't see past the starting point. Although
it's completely possible to begin there, it's a process
that requires a lot of focus, and they can quickly be
overwhelmed.
Just as people fi nd fi nancial advisors and accountants to
process and protect their assets, they seek design expertise
for direction to help track and facilitate their aesthetic
needs. e fact that this is an era of immediate gratifi cation
is also a large part of the equation, which tends to further
complicate the situation.
Although I fi nd that architectural styles are still
relatively formalized, the interior design aspects have
evolved into something much more forgiving. irty years
ago, putting your house together had more rules. We were
told our furniture needed to be from the same set. We
chose one paint color for the entire house, and linoleum
was what was available for the fl oors in the kitchen. It's not
GUEST COLUMNIST
Living
Part to
whole.
Whole
to part.
By Jamie Brandes
Special to Ozark Living
24 • JULY 2018 • OZARK LIVING
