Calling All Decorating Clients - Wanted: People with a Sense of Humor

Irwin Weiner ASID - It's Friday. Time to let the cares of the past week melt away as you slide into the weekend. At times, I would like to dispense tranquilizers to some of my clients. You know - chill pills? Interior design shouldn't be taken so seriously that it makes you furious when furniture delivery is a bit late (that always happens, no matter what you're shipping, so please try to manage your expectations). Or why is it that some people have to have the "perfect" item for their living room or bedroom, and they can't make up their minds because the 500 items they've already seen aren't quite right? They're not decorating; they're playing a deadly serious game.

Here's the hard-and-fast rule I've come to formulate over the years: You shouldn't undertake professional interior design for your home if you don't have a sense of humor. Why? Because if you're already humorless, then the decorating process will drive you crazy. And the crazy client will drive the designer to the brink. The more mature and ironic the client, the more fun it is for everyone to work together on creating a beautiful living space.

But back to humor - look at the two armchairs above and the sofa below from the court jesters of the contemporary furniture world, Edra. These Italian pranksters created the Ginza armchair (top photo), the Sushi armchair (second photo), and the Cipria sofa (bottom photo) and what a riot these pieces are! The Ginza looks like a wrinkled shar pei dog, the Sushi is like a psychedelic shaggy dog, and the Cipria is like the Flintstones on acid. I think that I'll use all three of these pieces as my future client litmus test: If you find them whimsical and ironic and great fun, I'll take you on; if you wrinkle up your face like you've got a bad smell under your nose, then I'm not the designer for you.