No matter how meticulously you research – and no matter how much time you spend on Houzz, Pinterest and social media – there’s no substitute for the unique insight gained from a visit to a design showroom.
That’s not to say anything negative about Pinterest et al.; these sorts of platforms have their own important role to play in the research phase of any remodel. But a showroom visit, along with the knowledge and experience of the people working there, gives the homeowner important details that they’d have a hard time finding elsewhere.
Still, though, a trip to a showroom doesn’t guarantee a worry-free renovation process. To get the most out of that experience, per local showroom managers, it’s wise to be well prepared before you walk through the door – to know what decisions you’ll be making and what decisions you should already have made.
Before you arrive
Though you shouldn’t be dead set on any individual element before you understand its feasibility, it’s definitely a good idea to bring with you as much information as possible. Inspiration photos, existing space photos, room measurements and preferred timeline are some of the data points that will help showroom staff understand the task ahead of them, says Carla Porter, vice president of merchandising and design for America’s Floor Source.
“To make the most of your visit, we encourage you to come with a general sense of your vision. A general idea of styles that speak to you, the feelings you want your space to evoke, and any must-haves, or must-avoids, you’ve discovered along the way,” Porter says. “The more you share, the better we can tailor the experience just for you.”
Inspiration photos are especially useful because they make things easier for customers who might otherwise have a tough time communicating their preferences, says Laura Watson, development manager for The Cleary Company.
“The important thing is to know what you like and what you don’t like,” Watson says.
It’s always a good idea to come in with a budget in mind, Watson says, particularly when the showroom you’ll be visiting has a lot of impressive features and options.
“You can get distracted and end up spending a lot more money than you thought you would,” she says.
It won’t come as much of a surprise that you should know which rooms or spaces you want to remodel, as well as the scope of the project. But there are plenty of other factors worth considering in advance, Porter says, including preferred colors, preferred textures and existing finishes you want to complement. She and Watson point to cabinetry, countertops, furniture, artwork, fixtures and paint colors as some of the areas from which homeowners take inspiration.
“Some of the most creative spaces are born when that vision meets inspiration along the way,” Porter says.
After you get there
As helpful as these inspirations are, it’s smart to leave a few decisions until your visit, Porter says, as you never know ahead of time what kinds of ideas the professionals will have. These experts also have greater familiarity with the products and a better sense of what’s feasible, Watson says, noting that customers sometimes find that the ideas they found online won’t work in their space.
Sometimes those elements are far more expensive than they anticipated, and sometimes they won’t work for space or safety reasons: Watson gives an example of a chandelier that a customer loved until they found out their ceilings were too low to support it. Worse, sometimes the image that inspired the homeowner was AI-generated and the item they like simply doesn’t exist.
“You don’t have to do all the research yourself,” Watson says.
Porter encourages looking for elements that feel like the space you want to create, rather than just going with whatever catches your eye. Among the items she recommends keeping in mind throughout the showroom exploration are:
- Functionality for daily needs
- Coordination between materials and finishes
- Maintenance requirements
- Installation requirements
- How different items will look when displayed together
Another wise decision: making an appointment. Some showrooms require appointments – Cleary, for instance, only opens its showroom to customers who have already been working with its team in the preliminary stages of their remodels and have entered into design agreements – but even those that don’t require this step recommend taking it, so their teams can do some work ahead of time.
“It’s also the best way to build a genuine connection with one of our flooring consultants or designers,” Porter says. “These are industry experts who’ll get to know your vision and guide you every step of the way.”
One additional tip from Watson: Don’t visit the showroom hungry. You could be there a while, and it’s difficult to make crucial decisions when all you can think about is how long it’s been since breakfast.
“People struggle a little more either right before dinner or right before lunch,” she says.
Garth Bishop is a contributing editor for CityScene Magazine. Feedback welcome at feedback@cityscenemediagroup.com.
Photos by Garth Bishop and courtesy of America's Floor Source
