Quite a few years ago I met a client who wanted to decorate her new condo. She was very determined with the type of style and color palette desired. That’s usually a good thing and can sometimes be half the battle. Not this time. She spent countless hours watching various design shows looking for style, colors and even lead times and budgets.
She found one show that would use inspiration rooms you could replicate with a much lesser budget along with a smaller lead time. She assumed this was the norm regarding special order items and in general how the design process actually worked. Like most clients, she had a budget. And a generous one at that since we were working on a one bedroom condo.
During our initial meetings we went over the scope of work, her expectations and the budget along with the realistic expectations based from my years of experience. She was adamant we custom all the furniture. So I went to my vendor for fabrics and workrooms with my plans, sketches and pictures. Everything was easily doable, but at a premium price. However, her budget would only allow me to design the Living and Dining rooms of her space. I tried to take her shopping for pieces she could buy directly from the showroom and to take advantage of any sales or even floor samples. Right there, she would have saved a nice portion of her budget for other things. No budging? I was able to customize her dining table and chairs, sofa, chair and chaise in the living room and actually purchase a few items from a high end consignment store.
In the end, this client trusted my experience and know-how to create a special space based on what she really wanted.