It’s rare to find an interior designer that doesn’t have an enduring story to tell about a client who makes the most bizarre, head-scratching request for his or her home.
Well, we rounded up those stories from interviews on Elle Decor, Architectural Digest, Houzz and The WSJ.
Get to know 6 funny and strange interior design requests we found:
1. Taylor Spellman
“One particular A-lister was obsessed with getting an awning put over his outdoor terrace on the 24th floor of the high-rise luxury building he lived in. Every good New Yorker knows that outdoor space is the most coveted real estate feature, and this guy actually wanted to cover it so that paparazzi would not obtain a helicopter to come watch him grill a hamburger. I really wish I was kidding; but alas, this is a true story.
My other favorite is about a playboy from a well-regarded New York family. He had me install soundproof floors so that his neighbors would not notice all the women in high heels that paraded through his home at all hours of the day and night. Mostly the night, I think.” – Elle Decor Interview
2. Kara Smith
“We once worked with a celebrity client who is passionate about animal rescue, and has a lot of pets. She wanted a whole area in her house designated to her dogs. Essentially, we created a dog bedroom, complete with a dozen dog beds, a chandelier-lit vaulted ceiling, a lounge area, and direct access to an enclosed dog run.” – Architectural Digest Interview
3. Francis Sultana
“Once a client asked me to design a bed with a hidden compartment to hide something, “in case of emergency”…” – Elle Decor Interview
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4. Amy Lau
“Once there was a choreographer who regularly entertained his guests and organized parties in the living room. They asked me to create a dance floor in the living space to fit 250 people. I imagined parties with the same vivacity as the “Starry Night” by Van Gogh, with guests socializing and music booming, so I created interiors in a deep and seductive blue with sparkling details.
In the same house I also used a handmade, abstract wool and silk rug with embroidered pillows from Lauren Saunders. The cherry on top was a bronze sculpture from Claire Falkenstein hung above the couch that captures the imagination between details in welded copper, brass, and sparkling crystals.” – Elle Decor Interview
5. Mary McDonald
“We were instructed to drain a pool and reconfigure the clients’ initials [that were on the pool floor]. They had been installed previous to a divorce.” – Elle Decor Interview
6. Brian Murphy
“What is a designer to do when his client falls hard for a life-size Yves Klein-blue flocked-velvet gorilla sculpture? Embrace it and give it pride of place in a dazzling white Miami house. Throw in a giant orange sectional for good measure – and don’t tell the husband.” – The Wall Street Journal Interview
From hidden compartments to entire spaces devoted for pets, imagination is the limit when it comes to strange interior design requests.
Laskasas contributed to a guide that can help you make better decisions and follow the advice of furniture industry experts. This guide was created by the blog The Porch, and we believe it meets the criteria — you can read the full article: Expert’s Furniture Guide: from DIY to home Design
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