When I meet with clients early on, in the conceptual phase of a project, I always suggest they provide pictures to express what they hope to achieve. I don’t do this out of laziness or lack of creativity. I do this because an image gives me a lot of clues about how to give my clients the best design possible.

Words can mean a lot of things to a lot of people. For instance, let’s say a person tells me she wants a living room that is “modern.” Which of these fits the bill?

Clearly, we are going to be delving into a lot of details, such as color and pattern preferences (or aversions). But while the term can have a precise meaning to designers, “modern” can mean different things to different people. Some homeowners mean “contemporary” and some mean “mid-century modern”; some mean the decor should be truly minimal in every way (form follows function!), and some mean they want more trendy colors. And finally, some folks say “modern” but really mean “transitional” or even “I just want to update/freshen my current traditional style”.

Occasionally, I will get pictures from Instagram or catalogs that show off very white, sunny and bright interiors. Studio McGee, for example, does a beautiful job with white, which is their signature “color”. Here is an example of their work:

Look at the tall ceiling, that natural light! It is a beautiful (professionally styled and lit) photo! But if we are working with eight-foot ceilings and minimal natural light, I owe my client an awareness of other methods besides white paint to lighten and brighten a room. In other words, I need to make sure we feel free to dream BIG, but also understand the quirks and beauty in their own home may require a different tack. Instead of painting everything white (which can look dull and shadowy in the wrong application) we could embrace color to give a certain room its “wow factor.” We would strategically add lighting fixtures to brighten things up, saving the white walls for another room in the house that can take white better. However, I don’t like to focus on “can’t”— so we then discuss what is definitely do-able and will look beautiful in their space.

We might also discuss, for example, that my client is hoping their home can look just as neat and tidy as in the pictures. So how can I provide the best storage solutions to achieve that result?

Pictures tell me about how my client wants to see their home and themselves. Relaxed, glamourous, edgy or traditionally elegant. They are a helpful jumping off point to a lot more discussion. Pictures are invaluable tools in the dialogue between designer and client.