FAQ.
I’VE NEVER WORKED WITH A DESIGNER — HOW DOES THIS PROCESS WORK AND WHY DO I NEED TO HIRE YOU?
We follow a concise system of steps and procedures to easily manage each and every one of our projects. Through this, the designer provides knowledge, expertise and guidance that help alleviate costly mistakes. We help you define your style and translate it into a pleasing and productive space to live and work. We know how to work with hired, skilled tradespeople and to ensure quality handiwork bringing your project to completion on schedule and on budget. With a full service installation of furniture, art and decor we are able to offer a true turn-key experience with no headache or time lost on your behalf.
WHAT DOES YOUR DESIGN FEE COVER?
Our design services are billed out at $155 per hour and are invoiced to the client each month. An hourly fee ensures that only time required for your project is charged to you. The hourly fee covers duties such as:
+ Space planning, furniture layout, rendering, working drawings and concepts
+ Research, sourcing and selection of furnishings, accents, materials and products
+ Preparation of estimates, purchasing, tracking, handling claims and inevitable deficiencies
+ Coordination with contractors and specialty trades
+ Subsequent consultations with the client and suppliers
*Administrative tasks are billed out at a lower rate than design tasks
Learn more about our design process HERE.
HOW DO I DETERMINE A REALISTIC BUDGET FOR MY PROJECT?
This can vary greatly based on scope of work. To create a budget, think of the stores you like to shop for furniture and how much items would cost there. Also think about how much you’re willing to spend per piece. This can help set the tone for the quality of furniture you want to invest in for your home.
We spend time during our consultations creating a budget for your project based on the needs of the space and the quality you desire. We also provide an estimate of design hours we anticipate for your specific project before beginning work.
HOW INVOLVED AM I IN THE PROCESS?
As involved as you want to be! As the client, you have the option to be as involved or hands off as you choose. Many of our clients have busy schedules which require lots of travel. The goal is for you to be able to step back and trust our design process to bring your vision to life without lifting a finger. No research, no ordering, no tracking, no hiring movers, no cleaning up after the installation and no missing work or life waiting around for deliveries. This is the true benefit of hiring a full service designer - just approve selections, and the rest will be done for you.
WHAT DOES “TO THE TRADE” MEAN?
Design Centers, Showrooms, Manufacturers and some Retail vendors offer merchandise to designers at discounted rates. These rates can vary anywhere from 5% to 60% and are awarded to designers as we are frequent, volume customers. Brass Bones Design chooses to share our discounts with our clients which helps you benefit from purchases below retail. These savings can also help to greatly offset design fees - win/win.
WHAT IS THE “BRASS BONES” DESIGN STYLE?
We coin our style Contemporary Eclectic - with emphasis on contemporary, clean lines, neutral colors and modern materials with character mixed in different ways - from texture, to patterns and materials, historical art, antique finds, or pops of bright colors. Our expertise in many design styles allows us to really tap in to our client’s unique and personal design sense and bring their space up-to-date while staying true to who they are and what they are drawn to.
HOW IS HIRING YOU DIFFERENT FROM AN IN-STORE DECORATOR FROM A RETAILER?
Great question. While many talented individuals will help you make beautiful selections at those retailers, a large part of their job is sales-based which means a background or education in design will likely come second to sales skills. There, you will be provided options from their stores only, which can result in a “big-box store” feeling. When you work with a professional designer, we are able to achieve an aesthetic to properly express the way you live - or work - in your space that appears organically collected over time. We have access to thousands of trade vendors in order to make this happen (and we also share our trade pricing with you which is a bonus)!
IS DECORATING MY HOME WORTH THE INVESTMENT?
Your home is one of the greatest investments you will make. A well decorated home not only enhances that investment, but the quality of life spent in your home. If at some point you decide to sell your home, statistics show that a well decorated home will sell faster and command a higher sale price. The value you place on the interiors of your home, how you want to live in that space and how it effects your bottom line is a personal decision that only the homeowner can make.
WHY SHOULD I CONSIDER INTERIOR DESIGN FOR MY BUSINESS?
Interiors are imperative to your brand. The environment you create for your business is an extension of your mission statement as a company - who you are, what you do, and what you aim to provide. The best way for any business to stand out is to be different. A qualified designer will understand your target market, your employee, your brand and translate that into a space that tells your story and sells itself. If you are a business owner, you know very well how important branding is to your business success. The interiors of your office, showroom, retail storefront or restaurant cannot be left out of your brand strategy.
I LIKE TO DIY — CAN I JUST DO A CONSULTATION WITH YOU?
Absolutely. The consultation is a short, working agreement between us, the designer, and you the client. This is the time to ask all the questions you’ve been collecting in your mind and get all possible information and ideas from a design professional. Need paint colors? Having furniture layout issues? Not sure where the best place would be to have recessed lighting installed? The consultation is the time to hash out all of the above with no commitment to a full design project. While a design project cannot be completed in just two hours, this tends to be more than enough time to hash out troubling questions, define a scope of work and give you direction for your project. We promptly follow up with a Consultation Summary detailing every point covered at the consultation. You can use this to move forward on your own, or hire us to implement if you decide it's more than you’re willing to take on and manage yourself.