FAQs
- What should the customer know about your pricing (e.g., discounts, fees)?
My initial on-site visit is up to 2 hours for $250. For those “testing the waters,” I walk through the spaces in question, answer questions, and provide professional design insight and direction. I have a talent for thinking of ideas and solutions that the client hadn’t even considered. A detailed narrative and visual document is sent to the client afterward, so they have a tangible source of reference for their use. The same on-site visit model is used for full service design and renovation consulting. Dimensions are recorded, photos are taken, and clients receive an estimate for design service feed before moving forward.
- What is your typical process for working with a new customer?
I like to text/email/talk to a client before I meet them. It gives me a good sense of their personality and style, and allows them to gauge me and how I approach things. I take many notes; I want to be best-prepared for the initial consultation. During the 1.5 hour initial consultation, I ask questions, look at the space(s), measure, photograph, and take the time to understand the client's vision, needs, budget, aesthetic sensibilities, and "reality." I will give the client a design narrative within a few days which may include a floor plan or conceptual sketch that they are free to use and move forward. Beyond that, if my services are desired, the client and I discuss needs/expectations, and we agree on either fee-for-service terms or contract for a project fee. It's all very unique, depending on the client and each circumstance. I try to be as flexible as possible.
- What education and/or training do you have that relates to your work?
In my 20's, I took a course in Interior Decorating, which I ADORED! Later in my life, I enrolled in the Art Institute (online) affiliated with the University of Pittsburgh (this was so long ago, Philadelphia College of Art and Design didn't offer online courses yet). I accomplished 3 years of a 4-year Bachelor's Degree in Interior Design, then began working in the field (successfully), and never finished the formal degree. (The reality is: I have been designing - in one form or another - all my life. I didn't pursue a formal education to learn HOW to design; rather, I wanted to "justify my crazy" to mainstream society. I worked in retail and commercial interior design for a total of 20+ years. I "outgrew" those jobs, however, so I started consulting and working on my own a little over 2 years ago.