Our Process: How We Support Clients During Construction
Throughout the design process and as we move into construction there are always going to be things pop up along the way that were not apparent upon initial conversation. This is the nature of the job and our top priority is to come up with comprehensible solutions for our clients. Solutions that get them to their desired end result no matter what speed bumps we hit along the way.
While speed bumps are inevitable we always take them on as a team and that is one of the benefits of hiring a designer. We are going to advocate for your needs and collaborate to achieve the best possible outcome. After extensive exploration within our team, we may come to the conclusion that one of your design goals is unable to be implemented in the manner you initially hoped. This can happen for a number of reasons. Below we will break down some of the experiences we have walked through with clients. The specific examples used will highlight the fact that living through a renovation of your own is nothing like watching one unfold on HGTV and that is okay! We are here to ensure the process is as seamless as possible.
THE STRUCTURE OF THE HOME DICTATES WHAT WALLS CAN BE REMOVED
In theory we love to knock down walls and open up your space to new possibilities but sometimes when we explore this option with a trusted contractor, we find that we are unable to for a variety of reasons. The wall is load bearing or the wall has the main plumbing stack running through it are some examples. When this happens we gather all the information we can and come up with attainable solutions. After we have the information compiled we schedule a meeting and review every detail with you or send it over in an email. It is important to us that we explore your solutions and attach cost implications to them so you have all the information you need to decide how you want to move forward, rather than just bringing you problems. Part of the reason you hired a designer is so that someone you trust (and we hope that’s us!) is always in communication with what is happening onsite so that you don’t have to worry.
TWO DESIRED DESIGN AMENITIES CONTRADICT EACH OTHER
This can happen on a large scale or a small scale. Sometimes while we are designing your home and working through your list of wants and needs we stumble upon two that cannot be implemented together. Usually one inhibits the other from being functional or plausible. For example, this could happen if the desire for a client’s kitchen is to have lots of storage, but another note on their list is no upper cabinets because they love open shelving. This is absolutely something we would explore and depending on the layout of your kitchen we may find a solution. Alternatively, another part of our job is to help find a compromise that doesn’t feel like compromise. By taking those two elements you would love to see and working in a twist we often propose something that you might not be expecting as well. Now you are able to weigh which of the two desired design features are more important to your lifestyle OR explore that alternate option that will push your design to the next level without sacrificing function.
Our initial approach is always to get everything on your wish list into your space and sometimes this is achievable. But other times we are required to dig a little deeper and decide what elements are more important than others. No project or client relationship is the same and that is part of the reason why we love what we do because it pushes us to be continually creative. Every problem we solve together is a problem we have never solved before!
Sign up for our seasonal newsletter here!