What happens in an initial consultation?

That’s a very good question! When we decide, after a phone chat, that we are a pretty good fit, we’ll set a time for one of our designers to come over for a two hour meeting, to see your home and outdoor space and help you come up with a list of priorities.

We’ll send you an invoice for $375 for the two hours, and once it’s paid we will confirm your chosen appointment time.

The Wish List Versus The Budget

Almost everyone has a wish list, a mile long. But the reality is that if you’re calling us, you’re on a budget — of both money and time. You have urgent needs, and some that can wait a bit.

We’ll talk about “staging” a project, which can be confusing, because this has nothing to do with preparing a house for sale. By “staging” I mean getting realistic about how far the budget will stretch. You may only be able to do the living room at the moment, and that’s fine with us. You might only want to do your bedroom, or buy a new dining room table and chairs. Oh, and a chandelier. You won’t get any pressure from us, because unlike most people in this biz, we understand what it’s like to try to improve a home while raising a family.

A Matter of Taste

You’re also probably a little nervous that we won’t understand what you’re after, or that we’ll push you in a direction that makes you uncomfortable.

Unlike some designers, we don’t have an agenda. We don’t expect you to toss everything you own and buy all new — unless that’s what you want to do. Our job is to work with what you love, help you choose what you need, and to really listen to where you’re trying to go. If you love traditional, we can do that. If you’re a modern farmhouse fan, we’re with you. If you’re Scandi to your bones, or in love with mid-century modern, or biomorphic furniture, we get it. If you recognize that you’re a little stuck on mom and dad’s style, circa 1987, and you’d like to move on, we can assist. If you have no idea what you want, and you’re a little embarrassed to admit it — don’t worry. We’ll work together until we figure it out.

Getting It All Together

It’s not all about furniture. Often, you’ll need repairs or installation or remodeling, and you may not know where to find a good electrician, carpenter, carpet cleaner, paper hanger, upholsterer, drapery installer, floor refinisher, plumber, hardscape builder or kitchen installer, etc. We know these things. It’s up to you to hire, but we can make the introductions.

What Happens After The First Meeting?

Those first two hours will fly by, but when they’re over, we’ll have a plan, and a list. You’ll have decided whether you’d like to buy 10 hours ($1750), to be used in a single month’s time, or 20 hours ($3500) to be used over three months. We work this way because it helps very busy people make decisions and get on with their lives. It’s too easy to spend six months clicking on links to a potential coffee table, and still have no place to put the appetizers on Thanksgiving. (But you already knew that.)

Once we’ve got our plan, we’ll get busy, sourcing things we think will work beautifully. We won’t order anything until we have decided on all the essential aspects of a room. You may have fallen prey to the “love, buy it” approach, but that can back you into a corner. It’s best to make all decisions and then pull out the credit cards. Because we have a trade discounts almost everywhere, we will often save you considerable money. (On the ten hour plan, you will often need to buy a couple more hours, at $150 per hour, for the time it takes for me to do the ordering.)

Abandonment Issues

Don’t worry that you’ll wind up with a pile of deliveries and no idea of what goes where or how to properly accessorize. We’ll stick with you as long as you need us — even if it means supervising the electrician who is hell-bent on hanging your new chandelier too high. We’ve been known to make a new bed, with new linens, or to hang the bathroom towels. We have supervised an entire kitchen installation when the owners went on summer vacation. You may not need that kind of help, but if you do, we’ll be there.

The Next Phase

Typically, after Stage I, it takes a while to replenish the bank account. That’s normal. When you’re ready, you’ll get in touch again, and we’ll be there, for whatever’s next — the bedroom, the playroom, new kitchen counters or that useless backyard patio.

Fun, Practical and Beautiful

Our time together should be fun. And it will be. The part of our work that we find most pleasurable is helping clients gain the confidence they need, so that they know what they like. You want a home that is beautiful and practical, and we are going to have a great time getting there.