Should we work together?

The client/designer relationship is highly personal. It's more than just hiring an employee; your designer will be like your stylist, housekeeper, financial advisor, and marriage counselor rolled into one! But don't panic - this list of things to consider will help…

How You Want to Feel About Your Potential Decorator:

• You like them!

• You understand their process, and it's precisely what you're looking for.

• You think their firm is well-run and organized.

• You love their work.

• You are excited to get started with them.

• They seem keen to get started with you.

• You are comfortable being on a waiting list to work with them.

• You trust them and can easily talk to and confide in them.

• You are comfortable with their fees and recommended project estimate investment.

• You are comfortable with the timeline they have recommended for your project.

Possible Red Flags for Clients to take note of: 

1. The potential designer looks like they are working for free or practically nothing. If it looks like they are working for free or practically nothing, then maybe the decorator is new & inexperienced and hoping to gain that experience with you (which is fine if they're upfront about it). Or the decorator's fees are not transparent enough, and they make money in a way you don't understand. It's always important to understand how your decorator is being paid. At our firm, we are paid by design & meeting fees and the profit on the sale of goods. This is all laid out in the information we send to potential clients because we know that decorators charge in many different ways. We want to ensure our clients understand and are comfortable with our business model.

2. You were not asked about your desired investment and quality level. A design firm needs to understand your expected investment to know from where to source your products. If they have not asked and you haven't answered, you don't know what you’ll be presented with.  

3. You don’t REALLY like your potential designer. You must enjoy being around this person so the process is fun and memorable. You can only do that if you like someone. They may be insanely talented, but it will only work well if their personality jive with yours.

4. You don’t 100% trust your potential designer. Even if they are a fantastic decorator and can create the home of your dreams for you, if you don't believe & trust in them 100%, it will not work. You have to believe in them so they can be genuinely creative and give you the best results. You must also believe they are honest and have your best interests at heart.

5. The potential designer has not clearly explained the design process. If you are looking for an organized approach, you should expect that your potential designer will be able to outline how everything will work for you. If they cannot do this, you should be concerned that the process might not run smoothly.  

6. You have asked or want to ask the potential designer for a discount on his fees. This means you're not entirely comfortable with what they will be billing you. If you’re not, you shouldn’t proceed. Getting into a relationship for a luxury service with someone who has reduced their fees for you isn't the best foot to start on. If you are dying to work with them because you love their style so much but cannot reasonably afford to hire them, it's best to wait until you can or lessen the scope of your project so that you can. Or, if you believe your designer's services are too expensive, then you do not think they are worth what they are asking, then they aren't for you.  

7. You have heard negative things about the potential designer. Of course, you can't always believe everything you hear, but things like negative reviews from past clients should be looked into. Find out why the review was negative and what happened. (Is it a "bitter party of 1" case or valid feedback?)

8. Your potential designer is charming to you but isn't as nice to your nanny or receptionist. Major red flag; enough said. (This goes for your family & pets too!! ;)  

9. You are unsure if your potential designer "gets" your style and what you're looking for. You may need to give them more information and talk more, and that's okay. But be aware that this is key to a successful outcome.  

10. Your potential designer talks badly about "other designers." The person you want to work with should be confident in themself and not feel the need to put others down.

11. Your potential designer says that you need your project completed sooner than they are comfortable with. If you are only satisfied by having a project completed by this date, you shouldn't proceed with someone who cannot do it by then. And if your date is very soon and your potential designer says "yes!" make sure you know what types of products you'll be receiving. (i.e., custom vs. non-custom / trade vs. retail vs. one-of-a-kind, etc.)

12. You have asked your potential designer to make an exception to how they usually work & their processes. It's always good to work with flexible people. Still, if you are asking a business to operate outside of its usual processes, you can expect that your project may not go as smoothly as those projects that follow the standard way of doing things.  

If any of these red flags have been raised, it doesn't necessarily mean the two parties won't be able to work together. Still, it does mean that the client might not be 100% comfortable with what is being provided by the designer or how it's being provided. Things may need to be further discussed and explained to get to that comfortable jumping-off point. I can't stress this enough, but if both parties aren't 100% comfortable proceeding, they shouldn't.