Working with a Design Firm: Finding the Right Fit
Embarking on a new build or a home renovation is an exciting chapter – but it can quickly become overwhelming without the right team in place. Hiring a design firm is more than choosing furniture and paint colours – it’s choosing a partner to shape how you’ll in your space live every day. If you are considering your next build or renovation presently, or perhaps dreaming of the future, the team of Birchview Design has shared a few key onboarding discussions that they practice at their firm to ensure that you and your chosen designer will align – which is imperative for a well-run, low-stress project.
Understanding The Process
Every successful project starts with solidifying your scope and your vision. Before your designer draws a single floor plan or selects a finish, we need to understand how you live and what you value. Do you host big family gatherings? Need a space to work from home? Is your ideal home setting a busy hive or a calming retreat? Those early conversations, questions and meetings are foundational – they provide a jumping off point for diving deeper into style aesthetics, materials maintenance and personal preference and shape everything from the architectural drawings to the smallest decor details. When do these meetings take place? What are the phases in the process from concept to completion? Do they offer project management services? Any professional design firm will have developed tried-and-true processes and procedures that are essential to maintain to ensure their projects run smoothly. Trusting in these processes will be imperative to a good relationship and building that trust at the beginning with asking any process questions you are unsure of will be welcomed by your designer.
Financial Considerations
Good design is an investment. How you will qualify your peace of mind for a project will be an important consideration when partnering with the right designer. The industry is home to
a myriad of different business models and having an open and transparent discussion early on about the investment required for professional design services will ensure your designer is aware and aligned with your goals. Further to the overall investment, you will want to understand how the financial transactions will work for the duration of the project. Most professional design firms will require a retainer to solidify your place in their project queue – how much do you need to plan for? Is there a typical minimum level of investment required for the project work they specialize in? How and when will you receive the billing for the design services? What is the breakdown for procurement phase payments? Questions like these will be helpful when planning for this financial investment and ensuring you are comfortable with the process from day one.
Timelines
Designing and building a custom home takes time – and for good reason. The best outcomes require a thoughtful, strategic approach to planning. Timelines vary depending on the scope, but for large-scale projects every phase should be mapped out with care, from the early concept work to construction and final styling. Questions to ask may be: What is your availability for new projects? How long does a typical project take? What are your processes to keep me informed of the progress? What is the procedure for unexpected delays or required changes? (Yes, even on the best planned projects t hese do happen!). Having clear communication about the realities of a project timeline prevents uncertainty and miscommunication down the line and ensures that you and your designer are aligned in expectations.
The Right Fit
Not every firm is right for every client – and that’s the way it should be. What matters most is shared values. Perhaps your priority is a highly personalized experience, efficient timelines and precise budget planning. Perhaps it’s a faster turn-around time, and more economically focused. There are designers out there for every type of project and by reviewing these considerations, it will provide a jumping off point to understand if you are a right fit for one another.
Our best advice? Take the time to find a firm whose values match your own, whose process inspires trust, and whose work speaks for itself. That’s where the magic happens.
Birchview Design Inc. is an award-winning interior design team serving clientele in the Kawartha Lakes, GTA, and beyond. As a full-service studio, the firm offers an all-inclusive, simplified experience with elevated design expertise.
www.birchviewdesign.com / @birchviewdesign
