She asked where I dropped my keys, how I sorted mail, even where the dog leash ended up.
That’s honestly the gold standard. I’ve seen so many beautiful kitchens with nowhere to toss a backpack or grocery bag, and then—surprise—everyone just dumps stuff on the nearest surface anyway. I always ask clients, “Where does your clutter naturally gravitate?” Sometimes the answer is hilarious (like, “the oven, but only when it’s off”). If a designer isn’t curious about your weird habits, they’re missing half the picture.
WHERE DO YOU EVEN START WITH HIRING SOMEONE TO DESIGN YOUR HOUSE?
That kind of attention to detail is honestly what separates a functional home from one that looks good in photos but is a nightmare to live in. It’s easy to get caught up in aesthetics and forget about the daily habits that actually drive you nuts if they’re not accounted for. I can’t count how many times we’ve had to rework spaces because the initial design didn’t consider where shoes pile up or how the mail gets sorted. Funny enough, our “drop zone” ended up being a random corner by the garage door—not at all where I thought it would be.
You’re right, if a designer isn’t digging into those little routines—like where you toss your keys after a late grocery run—they’re missing the mark. I do think sometimes people underestimate how much their own quirks matter in a design. You can have all the built-ins in the world, but if they’re not where you actually use them…well, good luck keeping things tidy.
Totally relate to the “drop zone” surprise. We thought we’d be all organized with a fancy mudroom bench, but nope—everyone just dumps their stuff on the kitchen counter anyway. I wish our designer had grilled us more about our routines instead of just showing us Pinterest boards. It’s wild how those little habits end up dictating where the mess actually happens.
