Today is a day of questions.
At lunch in Whole Foods, a 60-year-old man walked by with a ponytail. That's what got me started. I asked myself this question: If there's that unwritten rule that a woman should not wear mini skirts past 40, at what age should a man lose the elastic band and get a hair cut?
At the Design Center, talking to a designer pal and a showroom manager.
Question: How much of the truth do you tell your clients when there are problems? One of showroom staff noted, "What good does it do to say that someone stole the fabric from your reserve. (We reserve the fabric for a client, but sometimes it isn't available when they say it is.) It's easier to just say: there was an issue with the fabric when they rolled it out. Either way you are not getting the fabric." So can I can trust what she tells me from now on. Or, I wonder if I always wonder if there another story behind what she tells me. What level of the truth do you share? My policy has been "tell the truth." That way, you don't have to remember what you've said (and plus it's ethical). But is this always the best policy? What do you think?
Question: Why do so many people want a tan sofa? There are so many neutrals to pick from. Today I was searching for a specific green and a specific blue for a client. Challenging. What do you think about a neutral palette?
Question: When is it a good time to fire a client? Or not take a client? This is a question that I do not know the answer, especially in this economy. I recently interviewed for a job and the job was not a fit for me. The clients were great. I liked the house, but it was toooo technical in terms of the renovation -- moving a stair, historic commission, not what my brain does with any kind of ease -- I do renovations all the time, but this one, my gut told me would make me nuts. It wasn't about big changes, but inches. So I told them and gave them my friend's name who was a good fit. What's your experience here? Do you have guidelines for yourself? Or are you like me and go with your gut?
This evening on the phone with my niece. Question:If someone shares something in confidence, does that mean you cannot tell your mother? (It's what my niece thought. She's 8. Somehow telling your aunt on the phone is OK though -- cute.) I told my niece, even if someone else tells you: "don't tell anyone," but you can always tell a grown-up you trust, which includes your mother, your father, your aunt, your grandma, your teacher. But if a friend tells you a secret, you might not want to blab it to the whole 3rd grade. This is the only question of the day whose answer I am confident about. And perhaps the only one that really matters.
What do you think?
