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We are often asked questions about our design firm or how we work with you on your design project during the first interview with new clients and thought it would be nice to share the most frequently asked questions.
The ultimate goal is to have your home reflect your special taste with the unique flair and personalized signature that is all yours.
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What is your style?
I don't have a design style that defines me as an interior designer.
My portfolio has a very broad range of design style because my clients have different tastes and their stories are very different from each other. You will see modern, traditional, transitional, and eclectic styles on my portfolio page.
I design spaces for all types of clients with different lifestyles.
My clients range from single executives, professional couples, professional athletes, families, multigenerational families,and baby boomers all with a common thread of needing a beautiful home they truly love to live in.
If you don't see a style that you like, it's because we haven't worked together....yet.
My portfolio has a very broad range of design style because my clients have different tastes and their stories are very different from each other. You will see modern, traditional, transitional, and eclectic styles on my portfolio page.
I design spaces for all types of clients with different lifestyles.
My clients range from single executives, professional couples, professional athletes, families, multigenerational families,and baby boomers all with a common thread of needing a beautiful home they truly love to live in.
If you don't see a style that you like, it's because we haven't worked together....yet.
Do I need to have a budget in mind BEFORE i contact you?
It would help, but when we discuss your project on the phone or I come to meet with you, I will tell you what my starting budget is for your project.
I suggest you do some budget homework prior to contacting me so that your investment equals your wish list.
Shop your room at a local furniture retail store and add up all the pieces needed for your room. That's your starting point.
Do you want the perfect fabric that will survive your pets or children?
What do you want your home to say about you?
Do you know what your kitchen renovation will cost?
When contacting interior designers ask them their starting purchase prices are for a room.
This will help you to find the right designer for your project.
Many interior designers work on projects that are a good fit for their company and their clients have the right investment for their project.
Some will not work on a project if the purchasing budget is below $150,000.00 and will tell you that when you call them.
My ideal clients have budgets that work with my starting points for rooms, kitchens, and bathrooms.
I have a starting point of $15,000.00 (mid range pricing) for one unfinished room and I will not do a kitchen full remodel (gutting) under $50,000.00 because from all the years of renovating kitchens and bathrooms, my clients want semi custom to custom kitchens and bathrooms. My clients want bigger and better designed kitchens and bathrooms. (This includes removing a non load bearing wall.)
Unfinished basements should start at $50,000.00 if you want add a bathroom. Adding a home theater and a bar will make the investment closer to $100,000.00.
Your budget should fit your wishlist.
If your budget is a Leaf car but you wish for a Tesla, you need to figure out what is more important.
Then research interior designers that will fit your needs.
I suggest you do some budget homework prior to contacting me so that your investment equals your wish list.
Shop your room at a local furniture retail store and add up all the pieces needed for your room. That's your starting point.
Do you want the perfect fabric that will survive your pets or children?
What do you want your home to say about you?
Do you know what your kitchen renovation will cost?
When contacting interior designers ask them their starting purchase prices are for a room.
This will help you to find the right designer for your project.
Many interior designers work on projects that are a good fit for their company and their clients have the right investment for their project.
Some will not work on a project if the purchasing budget is below $150,000.00 and will tell you that when you call them.
My ideal clients have budgets that work with my starting points for rooms, kitchens, and bathrooms.
I have a starting point of $15,000.00 (mid range pricing) for one unfinished room and I will not do a kitchen full remodel (gutting) under $50,000.00 because from all the years of renovating kitchens and bathrooms, my clients want semi custom to custom kitchens and bathrooms. My clients want bigger and better designed kitchens and bathrooms. (This includes removing a non load bearing wall.)
Unfinished basements should start at $50,000.00 if you want add a bathroom. Adding a home theater and a bar will make the investment closer to $100,000.00.
Your budget should fit your wishlist.
If your budget is a Leaf car but you wish for a Tesla, you need to figure out what is more important.
Then research interior designers that will fit your needs.
Will i be able to make my own purchases or do you maKE THE purchases?
If you would like to make your own purchases then I would suggest my Design Consultation, Design and Specify, or Designer for a Day for you. Full Design/Turnkey Service is where I make all the purchases, track the orders, inspect, and install the purchases and materials. Full service is from concept to completion of a design project.
what is the DIFFERENCE between yourself and an in store decorator?
When you are working with an in store decorator, you are limited to that store. They may not be educated or experienced interior designers. Some are sales people with no knowledge of interior design. (Ask them for their qualifications if you are needing an experienced decorator. )
I have 16 years of knowledge, education, experience, and I have the entire interior design community at my fingertips.
I work with many manufacturers, vendors, tradespeople, and contractors to deliver exceptional results while saving you time and costly mistakes.
I have 16 years of knowledge, education, experience, and I have the entire interior design community at my fingertips.
I work with many manufacturers, vendors, tradespeople, and contractors to deliver exceptional results while saving you time and costly mistakes.
Do you have evening appointments? Weekend appointments?
I never take evening appointments because we all need to unwind at the end of the day. That time should be spent with your family, your furry child, significant other, or by yourself doing what you love to do at the end of the day. The last thing you need to be doing is looking at design boards or fabrics. That is why I take Saturday and Sunday appointments. I will schedule meetings on the weekends only if they don't interfere with my personal commitments.
I see you have hours 10-4. Can i contact you earlier than that?
I prefer to keep business hours but you can always text or email me during off hours. I may or may not answer your messages. It depends on it they're urgent.
We are a society of instant gratification and we need to structure our time better. My phone is always near me but that doesn't mean I need to answer it.
Interior design
I am not on call 24/7.
We are a society of instant gratification and we need to structure our time better. My phone is always near me but that doesn't mean I need to answer it.
Interior design
I am not on call 24/7.
Will we go shopping together for the items?
Typically we do not go store-to-store to shop for individual pieces. Shopping for furniture in person greatly reduces the number of pieces available to you, it takes much longer to travel between stores and many times, the piece you want may not be on the showroom floor anyways. To recreate the shopping experience at home, we try to gather as many photos, specifications and product samples as possible to help you make an informed decision. All of this information is presented in our design sheets.
If you are not comfortable ordering the bulk of your furniture from a printed catalog image and absolutely must see and touch most of furniture* before buying it, let us know at the initial consultation and we will be sure to budget more time in our estimates to allow for in-person shopping.
*If you need to go shopping with us, the Full Service Design will be based on an hourly fee not a flat fee option.
Some of our clients need to see it before they buy it, which we perfectly understand, but the hours can add up.
If you are not comfortable ordering the bulk of your furniture from a printed catalog image and absolutely must see and touch most of furniture* before buying it, let us know at the initial consultation and we will be sure to budget more time in our estimates to allow for in-person shopping.
*If you need to go shopping with us, the Full Service Design will be based on an hourly fee not a flat fee option.
Some of our clients need to see it before they buy it, which we perfectly understand, but the hours can add up.
why do you HAVE a design fee and a purchasing fee on a project?
For any type of design service I will charge a flat fee or hourly fee. I charge $150.00 an hour with a minimum of 2 hours. My hourly fee is a very competitive price with the top interior designers in Atlanta.
If you prefer the Flat Fee* for the full service design, we are not out shopping store to store.
I run a very efficient design company and minimize costs to my clients by doing most of the work from my office. I have a vast design library filled with fabrics, wall coverings,catalogs, lighting, flooring, manufacturers, showrooms, and keep the cost down by doing less meetings with my clients by sending electronic design boards with different selections on them.
The less time spent away from my office is why the flat fee works for my clients.
If I need to shop and drive my clients around for a project, this is will be done hourly. It's not an efficient way to use my time on a project, but it keeps my clients very happy. An example of an hourly project was a complete renovation of a modern loft in Buckhead. I did a flat fee based on my project time for this client, but was shopping, doing lots of meetings with the architect and contractors and thought it would take 100 hours ($15K) but it took another 16 hours. Total 116 hours. I didn't charge the overage to my client because I honored the contract. I stand by the letter of Agreement I have with my clients.
*Flat fees can be done for the entire scope of the project including shopping and taking lots of meetings with contractors, suppliers, fabricators, and architects, but this needs to be defined before the Letter of Agreement is drawn up.
The purchasing fee is based on the 2nd phase of my design process. In the flat fee, I do not charge for my time but I get compensated by the purchases you make with my trade sources. You also receive discounts on "To the Trade Only" purchases. No discounts on retail because many stores do not offer interior designer pricing.
If you prefer the Flat Fee* for the full service design, we are not out shopping store to store.
I run a very efficient design company and minimize costs to my clients by doing most of the work from my office. I have a vast design library filled with fabrics, wall coverings,catalogs, lighting, flooring, manufacturers, showrooms, and keep the cost down by doing less meetings with my clients by sending electronic design boards with different selections on them.
The less time spent away from my office is why the flat fee works for my clients.
If I need to shop and drive my clients around for a project, this is will be done hourly. It's not an efficient way to use my time on a project, but it keeps my clients very happy. An example of an hourly project was a complete renovation of a modern loft in Buckhead. I did a flat fee based on my project time for this client, but was shopping, doing lots of meetings with the architect and contractors and thought it would take 100 hours ($15K) but it took another 16 hours. Total 116 hours. I didn't charge the overage to my client because I honored the contract. I stand by the letter of Agreement I have with my clients.
*Flat fees can be done for the entire scope of the project including shopping and taking lots of meetings with contractors, suppliers, fabricators, and architects, but this needs to be defined before the Letter of Agreement is drawn up.
The purchasing fee is based on the 2nd phase of my design process. In the flat fee, I do not charge for my time but I get compensated by the purchases you make with my trade sources. You also receive discounts on "To the Trade Only" purchases. No discounts on retail because many stores do not offer interior designer pricing.
