Trust, Respect, Communication
Building a healthy relationship with your interior designer
by Marla J. Ottenstein

   Working with an interior designer is parallel to flying. A designer, just like a pilot, is a highly trained and knowledgeable professional with a level of expertise in their chosen field. Trust and respect your designer and let them fly with the project.
   Why hire a designer? An interior designer has the uncanny ability to visualize the finished product and to articulate that vision to their clients. They act as a guide through the process, “This is what I envision and this is how we’re going to get there.”
   “A good designer’s personal preferences and style should not play into the picture,” says Pam DiTomaso, owner of RyanAlexander Group. “A designer should be able to design anything for anyone. It’s a matter of understanding the client’s needs and applying balance, scale and proportion. That’s where the real design skills apply.”
   Designers are trained to methodically create appealing and functional environments to suit their clients’ lifestyles and needs. Some design services may include: consultation, creating drawings, documents and specifications for permitting and project implementation, space allocation, project management and installation, selection, specification and purchasing of fixtures, furnishings, lighting and materials, designing and monitoring fabrication of custom furnishings and built-ins, and selecting the appropriate architectural elements, to name a few.
   The client/designer relationship starts from the first telephone call.The initial meeting is a fact-finding mission for both parties to see if this is the right talent, style and personality fit for the project. For the client, the big question is: “Will my goals be achieved by working with this designer?” For the designer, the question is: “Will I be able to make this client happy?” If the chemistry works from the start, the entire project usually goes smoothly.
   The client should be prepared for this meeting with a list of questions and expectations, specific likes and dislikes, color preferences and a sense of what design style they favor. Photos and measurements of existing furniture that need to be incorporated into the design need to be provided.
   The designer should be prepared with a portfolio of recently completed projects, a list of references, copies of their business license and resume, answers to the anticipated frequently asked questions and a succinct explanation of how the design process works.
   Initially, the designer should help the client focus on their needs and establish the parameters for the project. Questions might include: Is this a first or second home? Children? How many? Pets? How often will the guest suite be used? Do they entertain a lot? Do they cook? What is their lifestyle? Are there any present or future physical health circumstances to be taken into consideration? Security? High-tech lighting? Audio-visual priori-ties? Custom built-ins?
   Designers and clients alike agree that a healthy working relationship, with open lines of communication, is an essential ingredient for success. It’s better to know what a client likes or doesn’t like up front, rather than finding out after the fabric has been cut. A designer is a professional, not a mind reader. Don’t assume that he or she knows what you’re thinking.
   Don’t be shy! Be sure to discuss the various fee structures, whether a flat fee, hourly or percentage of purchases, and to review procurement mark-ups and billing and payment schedules. Ask for an explanation of any applicable “extra” charges for change orders, cut charges and restocking, CADD drawings, color renderings, proposals and presentations, as well as charges for postage, travel, shopping trips, etc., how unanticipated vendor price adjustments are handled and who is responsible, project duration and any other potential situations that might arise. The client needs to voice any concerns they may have, and if the fees are to be negotiated, do it now, not after the contract has been drawn-up and signed.
   In the end, it’s not the designer’s ability or performance that might be questioned, but rather a friction caused by a business misunderstanding that should have been discussed in the beginning.
   The dialogue about budgets can no longer be avoided. A good designer should be able to estimate the budget based on the proposed scope of the project, explain to the client what they get in return for their investment and how long the project should reasonably take to complete. The client needs to be realistic in their expectations. Working with an impossible budget affects the integrity of the designer’s work, as well as their creativity. If the client’s goals aren’t feasible with the money allocated, the designer needs to say so. Remember, a $250,000 budget is not $250,000 in merchandise.
   “Clients are afraid to give a designer the ‘real’ number that they are willing to spend on the project because they’re afraid the designer will spend it,” says DiTomaso. “Well, that’s exactly why we’re are asking for a budget. We want to know what we can spend to achieve their goals and make our clients happy. There’s no such thing as someone who says ‘money’s not important.’ No matter how wealthy the client, everyone has a budget in mind. If the number is unrealistic, it’s important that the designer be up front and say so.”
   Put everything in writing! Once the decision to work together is made, both parties should sign a written agreement that specifically outlines all of the arrangements, services and expectations, fees and payment requirements. Everything should be addressed in the contract. Don’t leave it up to a “verbal agreement.” All future purchases and change orders should also be approved in writing.
   Presentations are usually made after the contract is signed and a retainer has been received. A design presentation is the culmination of hours of research, planning and designing based on a mutual and predetermined understanding of the design concept and ultimate goal. A good designer is open-minded and listens to their client, but at the same time, the designer should keep the client focused and able to make decisions in a timely manner.
   A thorough presentation should include fabric and material swatches, photos of proposed furniture, fixtures and art pieces and a loose drawing of the floor plan. The designer’s goal is to get the client to accept the presentation, with as few changes as possible, and for the project to move to the next stage of placing the orders, confirming materials, upholstery instructions, availability and projected delivery dates. Clients need to be reminded that indecision costs time and money.
   The order stage is a period of anticipation for the client. The designer needs to be sensitive to this and keep the lines of communication open. The simple act of returning calls and E-mails in a timely manner goes a long way.
   The designer should continue to communicate throughout the project to ensure that the clients’ goals and objectives are being met. Situations beyond anyone’s control will occur – clients will change their minds and vendors might stop making a sofa – but it’s important that both parties approach these glitches in a positive, proactive manner.
   “It’s my firm belief that the most important part of the job is the follow-up, says Sally Trout, owner of Sally A. Trout Interior Design and the new Current accessories and furniture shop in Sarasota, “I tell my staff that every single detail, no matter how small it may seem, is to be handled to completion and that the client must be completely satisfied and pleased with our performance.”
   Clients can choose to what degree they want to be involved. But whatever that decision, the client and designer must communicate. The client needs to be patient and not rush the design process by going shopping on his or her own. The biggest “trust buster” is second-guessing the professional! Remember, the process of accessorizing is calculated and planned to fit the entire design process.
   Trout, a native of Sarasota who is a graduate of the Ringling School of Art and Design, sums it up: “The initial chemistry between the client and designer grows and develops into a wonderfully intimate relationship. The relationship should be comfortable and enjoyable. Life is too short not to have a good rapport with the person you’re working with.”
   Trust. Communication. Respect. These three words sum up the foundation for a successful client/designer relationship.