How to Quickly Create Your
Timber Design Master Plan
Imagine This...
Three weeks from now, you have a special team assembled around your kitchen table. Sketch pads, portfolios, color swatches, and laptops are spread out and ready to engage in creating this Timber Design Master Plan to transform for the area of your choosing. Your entry. Your kitchen. Your outdoor living area. The stage is set. The thrill is beginning. They are ready... Are you?
You can anticipate seeing the different results and ideas that this highly focused effort will produce for you. Different ideas. New combinations. Fun surprises.
Here is How to Prepare:
Simply follow these steps.
Step 1: Request weeks #1, #2, #5, and #7 of the Timber Planning Guide e-Course:
(Week 1 deals with what you may want)
(Week 2 deals with who you are)
(Week 5 deals with atmosphere and lifestyle)
(Week 7 deals with timber styles)
Print out the PDFs and follow the instructions. Time is of the essence! Set aside two short time slots for five days.
Step 2: Send me pictures, sketches, and rough dimensions of the area you would like to concentrate on. Also include:
- the things you dislike about the existing space
- the activities the space is used for
- what you would like to achieve with your new design
I will distribute pertinent information to the appropriate team members. Also send your completed e-course sections as you finish them. This makes life easier for me and you... you get to avoid the hassle of "polishing a package" and I get the convenience of absorbing your information in smaller pieces at a time!
Step 3: Communicate with your team.
As you know, true artists are motivated less by money than the joy of inspiration, creativity, and gratitude. Letting them know what you hope to achieve with your project will give your team greater motivation because the target will be clear. The more information you can communicate, the better your results will be.
Are there any factors that might increase the enthusiasm of your instant design team? Be sure to let them know!
Such as:
- How long you've wanted to do something like this?
- Who do you intend to enjoy this space with?
- Activities you will host?
- Personal feeling you hope to enjoy?
- The statement your makeover should send to you and your guests?
- Smiles of contentment you hope to enjoy?
And any information for the practical side:
- What kind of budget are you planning on?
- Date you need this done?
- How do you go about making investment decisions?
- What is the best way to establish trust and move forward?
For example, the most important factor for many clients has been discovering what they really want and then getting it!
For others, establishing trust has been the first and most important factor to moving forward. I've found that trust is earned and demonstrated in actions such as putting more effort into understanding your needs and giving you thoughtful suggestions.
A dramatic example of this occurred when a client asked me to build a circular timber framed stairway. This was to be in the foyer of a non-profit ministry's group. The plans were already completed. The work was in progress. In fact, the reason we were called in was because two metal stair fabricators had failed to come through for one reason or another, and the person in charge knew that we could get the job done.
So, I sat down to figure out the best way to replace the metal stairs with timber stairs. But the parameters were simply too wide open. I didn't know enough about how they wanted their space to feel when all was complete. After locating the ministry designer and asking her about color, flooring, decor and so forth, I kept hearing "Home. I want it to feel like home when you walk in the door."
Now, I should mention that this foyer was a 25'x25' concrete and glass box with a 22' high ceiling. It had a very contemporary commercial feel.
About five minutes after hanging up the phone, inspiration struck! What about replacing the circular stairway with a timbered second level to create a cozy coffee bar and a toy/play area below for children? Warm beams, radiant lights, and kid's toys... Maybe a couple of recliners to sit in and read while children play. Sip... Ahh!
The coffee bar ended up on the first level and the play area under the stairway, with the entire second level as a place to snack and enjoy coffee. A very fun and rewarding project!
Inspiration that radical and that swift is uncommon. The big shift to such a unique end product may have been triggered by the needs of the client... I don't know. But I do know that I was, and still am, thrilled to have been a part of the solution. Other times I have put forth a lot of effort to offer multiple solutions only to be sent back to the drawing board! The thing I like to focus on is the joy of a good solution - one that never fails to elicit smiles of appreciation.
The more information you have compiled about your needs and influencing factors, the better your chances of getting an enjoyable, lasting Master Plan. The information you gather will be extremely valuable even if you choose not to participate in an intense brainstorming session. Your communication with me, with your interior designer, and with any other service providers you hire will be much easier, more effective and immensely appreciated.
But think of how much fun and what kind of surprises you can get by setting the creative stage at your home. You can quickly uncover a truly personalized timber design that fits you to a "T."
Hope to see a request from you soon! Just ask for weeks #1, #2, #5, and #7 of the Timber Planning Guide.
To your momentum,
