Buy me a Picasso; find me a grand new home.

http://www.naftalistern.com
I was challenged with an interesting question today.

A friend asked why is it that Americans who hire interior designers very often either hire or expect the designer to orchestrate all aspects of the design including purchasing a collection of some sort to be incorporated into the home or office. Why don’t the clients have their own collection of some sort, whether it is art, furniture that has been passed down to them, or anything that is uniquely theirs? The true question she is purposing is how can anyone expect the designer to decide their personality and interests? Shouldn’t the client have one on their own?

To answer this question one must understand the following.

America is a fairly new country whose success is its welcoming of the foreign immigrant looking to find a place where they can succeed. The land of the rich and famous, people come here with the idea that going to America is an opportunity to work hard and become wealthy. Many of these people who do become rich (notice I don’t say successful since it is an American idea that success is directly related to money) and can afford to hire interior designers have never amassed any collection nor have anything that they brought along with them, either because the couldn’t bring it, or because they had noting to bring.

America is the home of many self made people whom didn’t have any true possessions before they managed to acquire their American fortune. And because often people who hire designers and architect’s so to build them a home that can portray their newly accumulated wealth they also rely on these designers to incorporate a collection of some sort to go along with the success of the project, and give them, the client a social personality so to speak.
http://www.naftalistern.com
In truth such forced personal details can really inspire clients who eventually move into these completely staged environments to become more interested in the subject matter so pretty-full set before them. To some extent in can be interesting to come home and discover things one never knew about before. It can be quite exotic, and somewhat wonderful. So is my opinion at least.