Why every interior designer should own a piece of hard edge glass art

Every interior designer? Really?

That's a rather extravagant suggestion, isn't it? Especially coming from an artist who'd presumably be delighted if every interior designer actually did :)

But there's a serious thought behind this rather cheeky proposition.

And it has very little to do with selling glass art.

It starts with an old principle from the world of selling.

Would you buy what you're selling?

Years ago, when life insurance and pensions were sold by armies of independent salespeople, there was an interesting expectation.

Before you could convincingly sell a policy to someone else, you were expected to own one yourself.

Even a small one.

Why?

Because there was an enormous difference between knowing all about a product and believing in it enough to spend your own money on it.

Imagine an insurance salesman enthusiastically recommending a policy, only to be asked the perfectly reasonable question:

"Have you got one yourself?"

An awkward silence wouldn't inspire much confidence.

Of course, buying something doesn't automatically make you an expert. And not owning something doesn't mean you can't recommend it.

But personal conviction has a quality that's difficult to manufacture.

And that brings us back to interior designers.

What happens when the designer becomes the client?

Interior designers spend their professional lives discovering things for other people.

Furniture, fabrics, lighting, artwork, materials and colours. They know where to look, what works together and how to create beautiful spaces.

But here's an interesting question.

When was the last time you commissioned a piece of art purely for yourself?

Not for a project. Not to complement a particular scheme. Not because a client needed something to balance the room.

Simply because you saw something that stirred your imagination.

Something you wanted.

And what if, instead of choosing a finished artwork, you became involved in creating something that didn't yet exist?

That's a very different experience.

With Hard Edge glass, a commission begins with ideas, conversations and sketches.

You start with a subject in mind. Or a colour. You'll have your own ideas about what you'd like.

You explore possibilities with Linda. Gradually, the design begins to take shape.

And throughout this process, you're not working as a professional, making decisions for someone else. 

This time you’re the client, the person whose imagination matters.

Knowing about art isn't the same as living with it

Now imagine the finished glass artwork arriving in your home.

You've followed its development. You've seen the colours chosen, the glass cut and the work emerging from the kiln.

But now you see something the photos alone couldn't show.

You see how different qualities of light affect the work. How the colours behave on a dull afternoon - and how different it is when spotlit in the evening.

You notice all sorts of details you hadn't noticed before. And the book that accompanies your artwork lets you look back at how it was made.

Visitors ask about it. And rather than explaining its specifications or where it came from, you find yourself telling the story of how it came into being, with the book open to show them.

It’s your story, and the artwork becomes part of your life as well as something beautiful to look at.

And that experience is something no supplier's catalogue, website or presentation can give you.

And then a client asks about art

Now imagine you're discussing artwork with a client who's looking for something different.

You show them photographs of Hard Edge glass. Explain the style. Describe the commissioning process. Suggest a few possibilities.

Perfectly reasonable.

But imagine being able to say:

"I've actually commissioned one myself. Would you like to hear how it happened?"

Suddenly, you're no longer simply recommending an artist.

You're sharing an experience.

You can describe the surprises, the decisions, the excitement and the pleasure of finally living with something created especially for you.

And most importantly, you understand what your client might be feeling.

You know what it’s like to commit to an idea, before you can see exactly how it will turn out.

That's quite a powerful thing to bring to a client relationship.

So should every interior designer own one?

Of course not.

A good interior designer doesn't need to own everything they recommend. Nor should their personal taste dictate what their clients choose.

But here's a thought.

Designers are exceptionally good at helping other people create beautiful homes.

Perhaps you’d enjoy being the client for a change.

Letting someone else ask about your tastes and suggest ideas you might not have considered.

It needn't be a grand commission. You could start with a Hard Edge glass Miniature

Because the real proposition isn't that every interior designer should buy Linda's art.

It's that every interior designer might enjoy experiencing what it feels like to commission something personal.

And if that experience eventually inspires them to introduce Linda to a client?

Well, that would be rather nice too.

You spend your working life discovering what other people love.

But what would you commission if, for once, the client were you?