Collaborating with an experienced professional can be instrumental in keeping your project on schedule and within budget. Designers guide you efficiently through the project, ensuring attention to detail and cohesive design style. They conduct research on products, selecting materials and finishes appropriate for your application. Our careful planning and design package prioritizes overall functionality and aesthetic appeal in your space. Designers seamlessly coordinate with trades and can recommend reputable professionals tailored to your specific needs.
An interior decorator focuses on the finishing elements in a home; paint colours, furniture, fabrics, drapery, and wall treatments. An interior designer requires a certain level of education and work experience. They deal with everything from reconfiguring floor and lighting plans, selecting finishes and fixtures, and designing custom millwork. Designers provide full specification, drawing and budget packages. With knowledge in construction, codes, and regulations for various municipalities, interior designers collaborate with other trades to ensure successful project completion.
When building a new home, adding an accessory building, renovating, adding an addition, installing a rental suite, altering the functionality of your home, designing a fireplace, creating millwork built-ins, or purchasing new furniture and accessories.
Although a designer should be able to help you at any phase of your project, ideally it is a good idea to work with a designer from the very beginning. Having a designer throughout the entire process of your project will ensure a cohesive plan where no detail is overlooked. If you are building a new home, a designer will be able to work with your architect, landscape designer, or engineer before a plan is set in stone.
Our designers will meet with you in your home or commercial space, allowing us to assess the area we will be working on. During this meeting, we will discuss your Design Programme (wish list/preferences), understand your objectives for the new design, and go over your budget and timeline. We kindly ask that you provide a few photos reflecting your personal style, color preferences, and ideas. In the case of designing a new house, we will conduct a site visit to the property.
Consideration is given to sun orientation, whether there is a view, sloped or flat lot, and any features of the property you want to enhance or detract from.
Our fees are based on the scope of work and vary depending on the nature of your project. By having a consultation, we can narrow down our scope of work and provide you a fee proposal with an estimated value based on our experience and your needs. Although we provide an estimate, we bill for actual hours as each client goes through the design and review process differently.
A basic design fee typically covers:
However, no two projects are the same, and a design package can be tailored to your specific needs.
Written specifications for interior finishes, lighting, and plumbing fixtures; furniture and accessories, including all the required information for quoting and ordering.
Design Drawings include demolition, construction, electrical, furniture, reflected ceiling plans and finish plans that coordinate with the written specifications. You will also receive elevation drawings and details for all cabinetry, millwork, and design features such as fireplaces or range hoods.
Yes, we recommend getting a permit. It is best to check with your city what their requirements are.
Usually it is your contractor or builder. We will be available to help you through the process and answer any questions that may arise from the city.
We specialize in full-service design. We will start from scratch designing plans for a custom home and guiding the project through all design phases to completion. Alternatively, we can start with an empty commercial space, creating a design that aligns with the functional needs of your business or office.
Once a proposal has been signed, we will work your project into our schedule to align with your timeline and deadlines. The initial phases of the design and planning will take a few weeks, and then we will present to you some options. There may be one or more reviews or tweaks as every client is different. You should expect the overall design process to take a few months. Drawings will then be submitted to the city for building permit. Once approved by the city construction can begin.
Booking a consultation is the first step to starting your design project. From the consultation we will provide you with a proposal. Once the proposal is signed we will begin space planning and sourcing finishes and fixtures for your review. When you have given approval for our designs and made selections of finishes and fixtures, we will finalize everything with documentation. You will be provided with a drawing package and specifications for finishes and fixtures to be given to your contractor for quoting and construction. Don't worry, after our design package is complete, we will still be available to answer all your questions and work out anything that comes up during construction.
The process can vary from project to project. It all depends on the size of the space, how much you want us to do and the level of detail required. Please review our processes under services for an in-depth description.
Your involvement in your project will vary depending on the stage of design we are at. In the beginning you will need to set aside a few hours a week to review drawings, finishes and fixture options. There will be meetings for us to present our ideas and go over details along the way. You may be asked to visit showrooms to view or try products.
Yes, we do. We will take on the headache of coordinating trades, ordering products and materials, keeping on schedule and on budget, and providing you with updates throughout the process.
We will work with the contractor of your choice. If you do not have one, we are happy to refer professionals whom we have worked well with in the past. The success of a project relies on a great team.
Usually your builder or contractor will purchase finishes and materials. If we are your project managers, we have trade accounts, can do the purchasing and will pass on our trade discounts where possible. Furniture and accessories can be purchased in retail stores by us or the client, some pieces will need to be purchased through us as our wholesalers require us to be the purchaser.
Initially we will ask you to provide us with some images showing your style, some design details or colours you like. Between our designers we all have different style preferences. We pride ourselves on understanding what look you are after and being able to facilitate you in making design and material choices to reflect that.
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