Design Line: Be yourself to be beautiful

Relaxing setting to recharge your batteries.

When I was a kid this is something I often heard: "a pinch and a punch for the first of the month". When I think about it as an adult this saying and act was rather a mean one if done with intent. "Intent: Encarta Dictionary: English. Intent (in'tent) plan or purpose - something planned or the purpose that accompanies a plan."

The personal styling and colour consulting sides of my business and interior design side overlap considerably. They both involve the use of colour, texture, style, creating a look for my client's personality and lifestyle. The intent in both areas of my work is to enhance my client's wellbeing and lifestyle so the colours and clothes they love to wear allow them to feel fantastic and reflect them personally. And the colours and textures within their homes reflect their lifestyle and personalities. It isn't about me as the designer putting my mark on my work; it is about creating the right look for my client.

Each morning we rise with intent: most of us will have the intent to get ready for work, make school lunches and get the kids ready for another exciting day of learning, make appointments to meet friends for lunch, plan our evenings and so on.

Often we are rushed and will choose something to wear because it is safe and not a lot of thought needs to go into the choice. I have worked with many men and women who want to change because their wardrobes are predominantly black with a token colour. And let's face it, when you shop for clothes if you are not into black there is very little choice in colour.

The clothes you wear need to reflect you. It doesn't matter that your best friend wouldn't be seen dead in that gorgeous wide-legged silk pant with a long, flowing jacket. You wear it because you're tall and it gives you a sense of grace and elegance when you wear it. And because she is 1.5m and has always carried extra weight, that style of outfit would enhance her width and make her look like a blob. The clothes you wear should say something about you and not be just another item off a shop rack that you may never wear. You should look fantastic and feel fantastic.

Your home is the same. If you intend living there for a number of years rather than build or renovate for resale, then it should reflect you and the lifestyle you lead. Last year I worked with a bachelor who described himself as "a boring civil servant". I find people fascinating; there are very rarely boring people. It might be the way they perceive themselves but in reality there will always be something of interest. He was building his first home with the intent of retiring to it, so there were many things to consider when working with him. But first I needed to understand how he liked to live, what were his passions, we needed to leave the "boring" behind as we were not working in his workplace. (Personally I thought his work was fascinating, extremely stressful and dealing with people at the highest level in our government).

So that was my challenge. Some people are forthcoming with their passions, likes and dislikes where others are more guarded. My client had a passion for food and entertaining on a casual level, with people being able to drop in for a drink or a slap-up meal, or something more elaborate. He loved his extended family so his home has an open-door policy and he also had a passion for music, reading and for bold art, along with old treasured family paintings. He was also very conscious of the environment and the impact his "living" present and future had on it. That was partly to do with his work but also keeping costs down and reducing waste when he was retired. So all in all fascinating, definitely not "boring".

We had a ball working together and creating a retreat that ticked all the boxes, from his present working life to his retired life. I presented colours and textures that I felt would work well within the home, created lovely light shades for the main living areas and gave my client the confidence to push the boundaries to create a home that truly reflected him in his private life.

And that is what it is all about; creating an environment that reflects the people or person within the spaces that allows them to live their life the way they love to live it.

It is often about confidence, pushing boundaries, not working with trends but creating lasting timeless environments.

It's enhancing healthy happy lifestyles for clients in more ways than one.

If you are interested in anything I have discussed, email me at terry@terrylobb.com or like me on Facebook - Terry Lobb Colour and Design.