Here you will find the answers to some of our most asked questions.
If your project includes just the furnishings, light fixtures, and some accessories, then “decoration” is the appropriate service for your needs. Many trained designers also offer interior decorating services. If your scope of work includes new construction specifications, or you are working on a renovation of your existing home, meaning - an overall plan that takes into account a concept, a budget, and construction, you are looking for an interior designer who has received training. The decisions you make, whether with a decorator or designer lead to a comprehensive design concept and specifications, and it’s all in pursuit of one result: your stunning home.
We suggest hiring an interior designer before or around the time of hiring an architect, builder or general contractor. Knowledgeable designers are able to enhance the project and ensure that you receive the end result that is in your dreams. We’re here to guide you and be your advocate through the process.
Let’s look at what happens when you don’t bring in a designer first - it’s like making a movie without a director; there’s no one holding the full vision and no one sharing information with the team in a way they are used to processing the information. With a designer on board, you will have someone taking charge of all the decisions, someone who knows exactly how all of the pieces in your very large project puzzle impacts the next, and someone who can, and will, take all those pieces and create a home that is breathtaking in every way.
Our team is your unbiased expert resource - your advocate who is the liaison between all your various services: architect, contractor, and trades people. We communicate the information on the who, what, where and how of your home to the appropriate parties
We dig deep before we start because we want to get to know you on a deep and intimate level. To get there, we have this meeting with the intention of establishing direction through inspirational elements. In this meeting we ask lots of questions and listen hard to your answers – because your answers tell us who you are, and what you care about. Your answers tell us what you love, what’s sentimental to you, and what you want to express about yourself. After we get to know you, and through detailed consideration, we integrate images that communicate our ideas into a new vision for your home.
That’s generally not part of the equation when we work with clients. Our experience has shown us that the key idea of working with an interior designer is to have one person steering the ship. This lets the original design vision be executed seamlessly, effectively and in a way that is truly service oriented for the client.
Imagine baking a cake and having someone else trying to add ingredients at the last minute or frosting it in a style that isn’t in keeping with the original intent. The cake won’t be as the baker, or in this case, the interior designer intended. It’s tempting to do your own shopping to save money, but in the end, we find that it costs our clients in scale and quality mistakes which means that they end up buying items twice and experiencing frustration from the extra costs.
If you want to do your own purchasing, that is fine as long as we know that prior to beginning the project. We ask that you show us your selections before purchasing, and if we don’t believe the item fits, we’ll let you know. You are responsible for delivery, installation, freight damages and time spent coordinating all of the services.
Calling it “Reality TV” is really a bit of a misnomer, because it’s not “reality.” You’re seeing results, not a process, and the process is a big part of any design practice. Reality shows are based on months and months of pre-planning, which is probably the only place where the processes do overlap, but they can’t show that prep work in thirty minutes. So, what you see is the big, flashy and fabulous reveal. But it’s not real-time and it’s not real life. For your home to have the big wonderful reveal certainly is possible, and it certainly is our goal but based in real-time, which is often six months out, or more. Someone else is paying the salaries, design fees, and materials used in the project
The budget is where the realistic picture of your project begins, and we won’t start a project without one; budgets typically start at $120/sq ft for furnishings, accessories, and design fees. A budget is a map that shows us how we can do the best job for you. We will walk you through the process of budgeting based on our extensive experience with interior design. We find that our clients may know how much they want to invest, but may not know what is a reasonable budget for furnishings and fees for a project like yours. We guide you through this process. Here’s a link to a website that provides resources about interior design so that you can be more aware of typical budget guidelines. What you choose to invest in is your choice. Perhaps your comfort level is less than what Home Trust suggests. Our goal is to work within your investment range.
We’re happy to help you with a Master Plan for your project. Depending on the rooms size and other details, we can provide a proposal for you. Please note, we have a minimum of 3 rooms in scope of work to start a project.
If you’re ready to take the next step, please schedule a 30 min phone call so we can learn about your project and determine if we are a good fit. We look forward to working with you!
Sincerely,
Lisa and The Laliberte Interiors Team
