Southern hospitality plays a big role in the relationships we have with our interior design clients in the Atlanta area.  Inviting an interior designer into your home begins an intimate relationship between designer and client, and we never forget that at R.W. Design and Exchange.  We understand the unique privilege you’re extending when you invite us into your home.  We also appreciate how difficult a decision it is to find the right interior designer.  How do you know which designer is right you for you?  Here are three tips for finding the best fit in an interior designer:

1. Does the designer work with you at your stage of life? Are you building a new home, living in an existing home, or outgrowing your current space?  We enjoy meeting our client’s needs no matter what stage of home ownership they’re in:  from the ground-up with the architect, mid-project in the building stage, or updating an older home.
2. Does the designer learn how your family likes to live and function? It doesn’t matter if a design is beautiful if it doesn’t function well for your lifestyle.  Look for a designer who spends the time to get know how you live and work in your home.  What rooms do you use to watch television?  Do you have children? Where do they do homework? Are you a multi-generational family with older parents living with you?  Are you retired?  Where do you spend most of the time in your home?  What is the priority for each room:  beauty or functionality?  How do you like to sit in a room?  Do you like to talk and enjoy conversation, or are you readers who need a comfy chair and correct lighting?
3. Has the designer gone the extra mile in finding out what choices will work for you? If you are unsure about the size of a furniture piece you’re considering, we’ll bring in one in a similar size so you can see for the the room will feel when it’s pulled together.We won’t just deliver the bed to your home, we’ll fluff the pillows and put fresh flowers on your nightstand to give your bedroom at retreat-at-home look.

Give us a call at R.W. Design and Exchange or visit our showroom in The Avenue Forsyth.  We would love the opportunity to make your home “Where the Art is.”

February is here and with it comes colder winter temperatures, even here in Georgia.  I love the warmth and glow in my home during the holidays, and you can create that atmosphere in your home long after that season is over.  How?

• Always keep your lamps on.  Many homeowners don’t use the wonderful lighting they have in their homes, and it completely throws a room off balance without ample lighting.
• Light a candle on your dining room table during dinner, our favorite being non-scented soy candles in neutral colors.  Candlelight instantly creates a warm and cozy atmosphere.  Keep scented candles through out the house, especially when you have guests.  We offer scented candles in aromas that instantly create an atmosphere, like Big Sky Ranch House and Seville Spice Townhouse.
• Add a live potted houseplant to your end table and keep it under a lamp.  Even without natural sunlight, the plant will thrive if you keep your lamp on during the day.  Remember to water it once a week.

I’m Rhonda White, founder of R.W. Design and Exchange, and I come from a highly creative family.  My mother Dorothy is an oil painter whose gorgeous landscapes grace the walls of our showroom in The Avenue Forsyth.

My husband Charles handles the financial end of our business, and you’ll find him here in the showroom, making deliveries along with our team, and welcoming guests into our gallery.

My daughter Danielle grew up with my love of interior design and furniture, and she’s caught the bug herself.  She loves working in the gallery and dreaming of what her home will look like one day.

I’ll be joining you here each week with design ideas, tips, and fun advice along the way.  I’d be honored if you’d join us, and visit our Facebook page where we share as well.  We’d love to see you in our interior design gallery in The Avenue Forsyth, Cumming, Georgia.  It’s a great place to spend the day with family:  eat lunch at Ted’s Montana Grill  and visit our showroom.  Stop by to say hello and tell us you saw us on the blog!