Our Design Consultation is what we like to refer to as the “Discovery Meeting”. During our first meeting we cover:
This will include all the rooms involved in the project, how you intend to use each room, and your ideas and goals for each space.
I’ll ask lots of questions and we may look at pictures to focus in on your tastes.
It’s best to work out your finances and set an overall budget before you begin the project. If you are unsure about where to begin, we will work with you to determine your goals and set a realistic budget for your space. Design fees are calculated sep
shortly after the initial consultation Site visit is scheduled. We will take detailed measurements and photographs of all the spaces involved in your project. Where appropriate, we will also arrange to have the trades people who will be working on your project come in and take their own measurements for estimating purposes. Over the course of the project we will bring in any additional trades as necessary.
Carefully considered space planning is crucial to a well-designed space. After all the measurements have been taken, we will develop floor plans for each room. Floor plans allow us to determine what can fit in a space, how it is arranged, and the scale of each piece. The amount of time this takes will vary depending on the scale of your project. We will schedule a meeting during which we’ll review each floor plan and discuss the benefits of each. It is helpful to have all decision-makers at this meeting.
This is where it all comes together and every detail is considered. Throughout this step there will be a fair amount of communication and intermediate meetings to discuss different elements of the design.
Once we have decided on a floor plan, the next step is to create the detailed design concept. This starts with developing a colour scheme and sourcing fabrics, furniture, fixtures and materials. Custom furniture and built-ins are designed and finishes chosen. Materials for flooring, counters and cabinetry are selected. Wall and floor coverings are considered. Window treatments are designed and fabrics, trims and hardware are chosen. A lighting plan is developed. Drawings, samples and pictures are gathered. Quotes and pricing are researched and cataloged. You’ll provide feedback and we’ll narrow down the options to the best one for each element. If there are items that need to be re-sourced, we’ll discuss the steps involved with that. At the end, you will be presented with carefully edited selections that represent the best choices for your space. Creating the design scheme is a time-consuming process and may require several weeks, depending on the scope of your project.
Once the design scheme is ready a presentation meeting will be scheduled. We strongly suggest that all decision-makers attend this meeting. We will go through the design in detail and you will be presented with fabrics, drawings, photos and samples for each element in the design. By this stage, we should have a complete design scheme that meets your approval. You will also be given a budget outlining the cost of each item, and work orders to sign off on where appropriate.
Timely approval of the design scheme is crucial for maintaining accurate pricing and ensuring the availability of some design elements (fabrics or antiques, for example). If the design is not approved in a timely manner there may be additional costs associated with replacing items that are no longer available. Once the design has been approved and all elements are finalized, we can begin executing the design.
This is where the vision becomes reality. All work by trades has been completed. Now the furniture is delivered, window treatments are installed, rugs laid, accessories placed and art hung. IF it can be arranged, we have it all done on the same day so you get that “wow” effect when you come home. Accessorized: We’ll bring in and install all the accessories including all of those that have special meaning to you. You can choose which of the accessories you would like to keep. Payment for all the accessories and deliver is due one week after the install date.
