I happened to stop by at my returning clients’ home in Walnut Creek, CA recently. I was in the area and they hired me for a new project working on their under-construction custom home to be built in Bodega Bay, CA. Five years ago I designed their current home, and they let me in for a tour of the property. I was pleasantly surprised by how everything was still organized and all our installations were in great shape. Tasteful personal touches were added despite my fears that everything would be misplaced and my design would end up diluted soon after I completed and left the project.
I remember vividly how happily they live in the space that I designed and created. As an interior designer, that is my ultimate goal: Design happy homes. It’s a home run for both the interior designer and clients when they live comfortably and happily with the new home décor and spaces created.
These returning clients told me how much they love their home now. During an interview with the videographers after their project was completed, they said “Form and function meet in Yoko’s design”. “Form and function meet” is a cliché in the interior design world so I had to ask myself deeper questions to identify how I can consistently design and create a happy home for every client and project. I always strive to design well-optimized spaces for my client’s lifestyle, daily activities, storage, and their spiritual and emotional needs. When these elements are organized, balanced and permanently built into the design, their houses have the foundation in place to be beautiful and comfortable homes for many years to come.
I think that homes that are functional and comfortable become naturally happy and beautiful places because the homeowners’ daily activities can be completed efficiently. They have physically and visually organized spaces which make them intrinsically happy. It takes less effort for them to conduct daily activities and work since the home décor is functional and they can flow between rooms. Homeowners can also breathe in their home in the San Francisco Bay Area; they touch, sense and see beautiful and clean interiors daily. I believe these happy Californian homes have the power to enrich people’s lives physically and spiritually forever. That’s why I love what I do. I want to be part of the process of building their dream home.
Making clients happy by creating happy homes gives me tremendous joy. In my book “House of Yoko,” I shared my principled approach to designing spaces. I am now diving deeper to write more about my principled design approach to creating happy homes. I hope you will be inspired, challenged and educated to create your own happy home.
Interior Designer Yoko Oda based in Walnut Creek, CA helps clients design and decorate their homes in the San Francisco Bay Area. Photo by Eva Baker.
*Featured 3D rendering by Yoko Oda Interior Design.
Cheers to designing happy homes!
