Design Challenges: A Transitional Interior

As a designer, your clients trust you to create spaces that suit their unique tastes and lifestyles. These days, we hear a lot about “transitional” design—and you probably are, too. One of the primary challenges with so-called transitional design, however, is that the term means different things to different people. For as often as the term is thrown around in today’s interior design world, nailing down a definition for “transitional” can be difficult.

Our team at Connecticut Stone recently had the pleasure of sitting down with the talented designer, Amy Zolin, of Clarity Home Interiors to discuss the complex topic of transitional design.

What is Transitional Design, Anyway?

In its simplest terms, transitional design refers to a combination of both traditional and contemporary. Spaces with transitional design elements often feature simple yet elegant furniture, lots of clean lines, and streamlined materials. This type of design can be incorporated into any space, regardless of size, and is a relatively new approach to design.

According to Amy, when clients generally ask for transitional design, they’re looking for something with a relatively clean palette that reflects the way they live. Some potential examples of transitional design in action may include floor-to-ceiling windows that let in plenty of natural light, beams running across a ceiling, or added punches of color.

Ultimately, transitional design means something slightly different to every client because this type of design is very reflective of lifestyle. Still, having a general understanding of what “transitional” entails can be helpful as you begin working with clients who are requesting this type of look and feel.

Unique Challenges in Transitional Design

Aside from challenges in defining transitional design to begin with, another major challenge designers often face is working around a client’s budget. It’s difficult, for example, to put new things in a house all the time. Ideally, transitional design would entail the use of older pieces in a new space—but this isn’t practical in every client’s budget. Even clients who have the budget for this could have a hard time being convinced to spend the money on things like artwork, antique pieces, and other older items.

At Clarity Home Interiors, they find the best way to accommodate this challenge is to incorporate a mixture of new and old pieces in the design itself.

Pulling Off Transitional Design for a Client

The most important thing to keep in mind as you design a transitional space for a client is to work around the client’s unique lifestyle. Often times, clients are looking for transitional spaces that are calming and relaxing without being boring. This can be achieved by layering colors, such as whites, creams, and soft grays. Adding different textures and materials can add dimension and interest to the space while still keeping it relaxing. For example, one way Connecticut Stone and Amy collaborated to create this type of transitional design was to use Caesarstone Cloudburst Concrete on the kitchen countertop in a recent revival of a pool house retreat in Rowayton, CT.

At the end of the day, when a client asks for a transitional space, it means they want something that’s not traditional but not quite modern; they want something truly unique and reflective of their lifestyles. By keeping these different considerations in mind, you can pull off a design that your clients will love.

When it comes to all your interior and exterior stone supply needs for your project, be sure to turn to our team at Connecticut Stone.