Behind the Scenes in an Interior Design Project/ Business

I think it’s definitely because it’s not an exciting part of the process and also because it can be a difficult part of the process, although project managment is waaaaay more than half of the project.  Everyone has their own way of doing things, but when I work with clients, this is how it basically goes:

We have an initial phone chat or meeting to discuss what the client is looking for and to chat about my company & how we work, our rates, processes, etc.  It’s at this point that we decide if we want to work together.  Once we’ve decided to work together, we have a meeting in which the house is surveyed, measured, photographed or blueprints are exchanged if it’s a new build.  We interview our clients about how they want to use their home & the spaces in it, their wants & needs, likes & dislikes, personal style, color & fabric preferences, etc.

From here we set about creating a design plan for clients based upon everything we’ve learned.  There is some back-and-forth about a few specifics as we create the plan.  I really like to include antique & vintage pieces in design plans, but it does make the process a little more challenging because you often have to snap up these pieces when you see them, sometimes before you’ve created the entire plan.   I typically leave “holes” in the plan for certain items that I know we want to find vintage or antique and then we’re on the hunt for these items as the project moves forward.

Once we’ve created the plan, we present it to our clients.  I present one plan.  There may be an option or two to for the clients to decide between, but for the most part, the entire plan is laid out, even down to pillows & certain art or accessories if they’re intrical to the design.  I do this because I feel that I know my clients well enough by this point that I know what the best option for them is.  {When I first started out, I used to sometimes create two plans, but I realized that  my clients always chose the plan I wanted them to choose and that the second plan was a waste of time.}  Just like there may be “holes” in the plan for antiques or one-of-a-kind items, there are holes in the plan for art & accessories.  I often present examples of art and/ or accessories I think we should use and once the project is moving forward, we both look for these items & are constantly on the hunt.

{Speaking of being on the hunt…  I am not one of those designers who can go out & be shopping for many clients all at once.  I can typically have 1-3 clients in mind when I am shopping but usually no more than that.  I have serious tunnel vision, I powerwalk, and know exactly what I’m looking for and so I can’t keep a catalog of 8-15 clients in my head when I’m out & about.  I go out specifically for certain clients and sometimes I’ll even walk around the same market multiple times with different clients in mind, each time noticing completely different things.  Sometimes I have consultation-based clients who say “If you’re ever out and about and you see this, buy it for me & I’ll pay you back…”  I used to think this was possible, but I’ve now realized that it doesn’t work that way for me.  I have to go out specifically on the hunt for something because when I am out on the hunt for a client, I am out specifically for them. …  and of course there are exceptions that just smack you in the face because they’re so perfect! 😉

Once the plan has been squared away, we move onto the implementation phase of the project.  (The nitty gritty part we don’t hear much about.)  I found a really great overview of the emotions connected to the different phase of the project on Jenny’s Design Build’s website:

If you’d like help creating a home you absolutely love, contact me about our design services.

ps- Don’t forget to enter the $250 Tracy Porter Giveaway!!  Click here to view it!