More Design Business Stuff...

WARNING: Design Business Post.  Run away family!!

Last week was a great first week back for us in the office!  I'm feeling so ready to rock and am so excited about how things are going...  we're continuing to work on some amazing projects with our existing clients and we have some really exciting new projects too.  As you probably remember (from my super-long post from about a week or so ago)  we're really trying to focus on being the best we can be and making our clients as happy as possible, and to do that, we're starting out by focusing on streamlining our processes.

{The work table in the office at our old house.. photo by Helen Norman}

For those of you that aren't in the design business (and who are still reading...  Mom, I know you checked out at the warning ;) ;) it might help to give you a quick outline of how our design process generally works:

1. Client Inquiry -typically through our website or by phone
2. Client Phone Consultation with me to mutually decide if we want to work together
3. Client Meeting/Project Survey- we go meet our clients and check out their home
4. Create the plan for the home over time
5. Design Presentation- I present the plans to our clients
6. Edits/Tweaks to Design Plan- we make changes and come up with new things where needed
7. Design Approved- Clients give us the go ahead
8. Goods ordered & work is Scheduled... Shopping for accessories & art & one-of-a-kinds
9. Manage goods/ contractors
10. Installation of Goods :)
11. Project is complete

{the office at our old house...  The new office contains pretty much all of the same stuff}

(BTW...  Does anyone notice how little "designing" is actually involved in this entire process??  You hear all the time that it's 80% business/ 20% designing and I've never actually wanted to know the true breakdown but you can definitely get an idea from this.)

{The "fun" part of a design business}

Currently, so much of what we do is done manually.  We use a combination of Quickbooks, Word docs and excel spreadsheets to create design projects and manage them from start to finish.  We spend an incredible amount of time doing this.  (My husband came on full-time recently to do this and his entire job focuses on implementing design plans & managing projects. )  Even with him now (3 of us in total) there still don't seem to be enough hours in the week to get everything done!!

So when I was browsing around on the Molloy Management Blog last week & started reading Julia Molloy's posts (some of them referring to Studiowebware) I finally decided to make the switch over from Quickbooks to Studiowebware.  Studio webware is an online program where you can create, edit and implement a project from start to finish without having to enter all of your information in a million places.   (Right now we must write information for a product down at least 5 times.  (not exaggerating- I write it in my plans, then the budget, then for quote requests, then for purchasing, and then again to track...  with studiowebware, it's in there once and you can do whatever you need to with it- share with clients, get quote requests, place POs, etc.)

{Studiowebware Example}

 ...And to my understanding, that's just the beginning of what the program does.  eeeeeeeek!!  I can't wait to get our projects into Studiowebware and salivating at the thought of having more time in the day.(!!)

So after my post went up, I got a call from Julia Molloy, owner of Molloy Management Group, thanking me for the blog mention.  Julia has worked/works with some of the country's top interior designers like Michael Smith and Jeffrey Allen Marks.  (I was so excited to talk to Julia because after reading her blog, I'm definitely drinking her Kool-Aid!)

Julia was super-sweet and offered me a complimentary one-hour consultation.  I was so excited!!  Before our chat, she had me get to work on a few things and do a little branding soul-searching.

{Photo by Maya Hoffman for Piccola Mag}

This past Friday we had a "Go To Meeting" (where you can see one person's (Julia's) computer screen and also see each other - should have realized I'd be on video and have done something with my hair ;) ;)   and talking to Julia was one of the most worthwhile hours I've ever spent.  I could tell right away that she's such a genuinely kind and caring person, which when you're sharing such personal information, is really important to me.  She's so savvy & with it and is also gorgeous & charismatic.  (Jealous yet? ;) ;).

The hour flew by and my head was swimming with ideas- both from Julia and from what the conversation had spurred.  At the end of our conversation, Julia offered to let me take her Business Blueprint Course -which should whip us into serious shape- and so I'm starting this Thursday!! (To read all about it & what is it, click here.)   I also signed us up for her Studiowebware introduction (I'm not sure there's any way we'd figure out the program without help... I'm not tech-savvy & although Dave & Meghan are, we don't have the time to learn the program on our own.)  and purchased more of her one-on-one time.

I want to be really clear that I've never hired anyone to help me with my business before and I seriously believe the benefits will crush the expense.  (or I wouldn't have made this decision.)  Every time we make a financial move in our company or in our lives my husband and I both weigh the potential benefits against the expense and only make the move if we're fairly certain the expense is worth it and will help us get to where we want to go.

{Like our new house}

In exchange for the Business Blueprint, I'll be posting a bit about my experience with it.  Just to keep it real, Julia wanted me to be sure to post only when I feel like it & am truly excited about something (like today.)  Right there, that shows how "with it" she is because, as most bloggers know, there's nothing worse than feeling like you have to post on something you don't have any interest in and there's nothing worse for readers than to feel like they're being sold to  (BTW- This is why I never do product reviews or book reviews unless I'm so crazy over something that I have to mention it.)  SO, because I know a lot of you are designers/decorators/whatever you want to call us, I'll be sure to share how the process is going.

In the last business post I wrote, there were so many great comments about this topic and there was also a lot of interest (both in comments & emails) on some sort of design business round table...  I have to be completely honest that I'm unfortunately not up for any type of organization that it might require time-wise on my part (I'm up to my eyeballs in commitments I can barely make) but that I love the idea of it.  I would love to be able to bounce ideas off one another & share in our processes.  I've always wanted to go to one of the Business of Design Conferences but timing hasn't ever seemed to work out for me.  I'm sure there are lots of these types of discussions there.  I think Julia has also done and does webinars on various design business topics so that might be something to look into too.

Anyway, I'm off (to a presentation) but will be sure to share my experiences with the Business Blueprint!!

 ps- Thank you so much for the sweet words about the luxe magazine feature!!

If you'd like help creating a home you absolutely love, contact me about our design services.

2013 Goal: Running like a well-oiled Machine

WARNING:  all-business post!!
---------------------------------------------------

I'm not normally a big one for New Year's resolutions...  I find I make little resolutions all year long & either do or don't do them but I've never really felt that a certain date had any more importance to start something than any other...  But a friend & colleague of mine sent me an email saying she felt inspired by some amazing business advice for the new year she'd seen online.  I've been feeling pretty uninspired about going back to work after vacation (holding my tiny one so much was a-mazing!!) so I followed her link and started checking out some others and making notes.

I ended up finding the blog for Malloy Management Group and if you haven't been there already and you're a designer, you need to take some time to explore it.  I haven't been to any of the Business of Design conferences or anything like that, so I'm guessing this is just a tiny taste of what you might get there, but Julia's words have me thinking and have helped spur a major 'to do' list for our company.  I've got a ton on the new "goals" list but today I'm thinking about making the design process -from start to finish- run more smoothly.

{photo by Myra Hoffman for Piccola Magazine:  my old system for client projects}

As you might remember, my husband -Dave- came on to work for our company at the end of the Summer which was right around when we unexpectedly moved.  He's hit the ground running  (am so lucky he picks things up quickly!!) but now that he's really got a handle on the process and our goals, we're ready to start improving.

We're always striving to better our business.  To make the process more special for clients & to streamline the process for them.  To be better ourselves.  In every project, there are new challenges so each person & job teaches you more, and if you want to be better, you need to constantly evaluate & assess and be hard on yourself and know that you can always be better.

Now that we've had this little break over the holidays, I've mentally smacked myself around some, and we've got some new goals, I'm feeling pretty ready to rock.

When I think about my very first job ever, I cringe at the design process I'd implemented for my client.  This is when I was first thinking about doing staging and part-time decorating (I was 23) and I literally would talk with my client about what he needed generally and then go out and buy stuff to bring over to his house to see if he liked it.  (I was very lucky that he was so laid back and liked everything but if he'd been any normal client, I would have spent most of my time making returns.) I'd put all of the items in the house and then tell him how many hours I'd spent shopping (not much planning here, just shopping ;) and he'd pay me for my time and for the goods with no mark-up.  At the time, I had no idea what my career path would one day be...  I just thought it was something fun to do for a little extra on the side. 

{My first client's daughter's bedroom...  when I did a blog post on the old project a while back, the Washington Post picked it for the blog of the week because we did the room makeover for a total of $500!}

I ended up really liking it and enrolled in a distance-learning program (Sheffield School of Interior Design) and learned more about the presentation process and the basics of design...  but it's taken years for me to get day to day operations and the entire design process from first meeting to installation running smoothly.  Even with it as it is now, I'm still learning and I'm always thinking about ways to improve it. (To those clients who've been with me from the beginning- and you know who you are-  I am more thankful than you can ever imagine for you for bearing with me on my learning curve!! ;)

{A very early project where I selected only the furnishings but not the lighting/art...   I didn't make a profit on any of the goods and didn't oversee the installation of the furnishings. This pic was taken before window treatments but you can see what a difference completing a project from start to finish makes...  This was a very early project of mine where I didn't have a strong enough handle on the implementation process (or even how to make a profit and stay in business! ;) ;) and I wasn't ready for the clients' strong personalities .  I know if I worked with them today, they'd receive a very different experience.}

I've found that projects that run the smoothest are the projects in which our company remains in control...  (And I'm not talking about creative control here, I'm talking about control of the process itself.)  We do so many projects a year and most of our projects run like clockwork, so I've been trying to re-evaluate those that haven't.  I've found that the smoothest projects are the ones in which we remain in complete control of the timing, the contractors and the goods, and of course, the projects in which the clients are willing to make decisions.    Things run best when you are doing things according to design process you've carefully created.

So here are the variables I've been thinking about taking better control of from now on:
1)Project Timing
2) Contractor Work
3) Goods
4) Decision-making

Issues & problems can (and usually do!!) arrive in any one of these areas which can throw you off of your game.  I thought'd I'd share the thoughts I've been having about how to ensure that everything runs as smoothly as possible. 


1)TIMING:

{Photo by Tim L. Walker here}

The most difficult projects for me are the ones in which a client has a holiday or party deadline that has already been scheduled (too close) to our first meeting about the project.  Nothing makes me happier (or more relieved! ;) than getting the project done for a client's event, but shaving off a couple of weeks from the normal timeline of the project for an event can really make things crazy on our end.   You're asking the entire team of people you normally work with- from the workrooms to the manufacturers to the contractors to do things faster than normal and it places more pressure on everyone.  The stress is heightened.  It's easier to make mistakes when you're rushed and there are usually some items- typically custom- that just cannot be rushed and you run the risk of them not arriving in time when you have a pushed-up installation date. 

And here's where the "crazy" comes in:  When things are rushed, I lay awake at night thinking of all of the balls up in the air and worrying that one will drop.  My fear of disappointing clients who are rushing a project lliterallly makes me feel sick because I feel like it's out of my control but will be my fault anyway.  This is when my work negatively affects my personal life.

Why stress you ask?  What happens of only a few things aren't there in time?

Timing is everything in the implementation a project and if just one item doesn't arrive as planned on time, it will need a separate delivery on its own, which takes more time that hasn't been planned for(taking valuable time away from something else important which costs your company money in hourly fees and opportunity costs) and it also costs more money to be delivered because its being delivered on its own instead of with the rest of the goods.  (That one item being late can cost an additional $150-$250 in delivery  plus your employee's hourly fee and opportunity costs just because it arrived late.  If you add in a few separate deliveries, it can cost in the thousands!!)  And who pays that?  I don't want my clients to have to spend more and not get as good of a value but it doesn't make sense for us to pay it either.  It's money that no one likes to spend.

In our company, we move as quickly as possible to ensure that our clients will have their home finished as soon as possible, but finished properly & so that the process is done correctly and smoothly. Our typical lead time from when we receive a client's deposit to when his or her furnishings are installed is around 12 weeks, but is more or less depending upon who makes their goods and what construction is going on in the home.  (For example, a custom hand block-printed fabric takes a lot longer than a ready made curtain.)  We have put so many plans into action and while we always try to beat our mark and get homes ready ahead of schedule, we know that we have an average 12 week lead time for an installed project.

I know it can be difficult to have patience when waiting for something to arrive, and even though I'm one of the most impatient people I know, I've developed hardcore patience for a well-designed home...  Over the years I've really learned that the waiting is just part of the process and that doing things carefully and properly yields the best results.  Yes, there are a ton of things you can get ASAP and you could create a "room in a day" but the results wouldn't be the best ones.  (These are some of the thoughts that kept me going in my under-construction-boy-and-baby-filled house for months.)

..However...  I love pleasing my clients and I love it when they're excited to have family or friends enjoy their home too and so I always want to say yes to my clients when they have short deadlines.  It's so satisfying to make them so happy...

...But- for better service and processes and for the sanity of everyone who works on a project-  it is my goal this year to remain in as much control as possible of the timing of design projects.  I've been trying harder to temper my clients' expectations who have events or parties and to be as realistic as possible.  (And to any clients who might be reading this whose holiday or party we rushed for -you're in good company- I'm glad we could do it for you & make you happy!! your happiness is really what keeps me loving this business and so no regrets!!  Just new goals for me. ;)

2)CONTRACTOR WORK

This is one I struggle with and haven't quite figured out yet.  On some projects we refer our clients to our contractors for work, but on other projects, our clients are already working with a contractor. 

Often they decide to manage a certain aspect of the project themselves  to save money (we give clients the option of handling certain contractors on their own or of working with the contractors for them and charging a project management fee for work we oversee so that we're compensated for our time.  When the clients are working with our contractors, because we know how to work with them and do it all the time, not as much time is required of us and we often forgo this fee, but when we're working with someone we've never worked with before, things take much longer and we spend a lot more time managing.)  In the case where clients want to manage work and use their own contractors, we hand the plans to the client and contractor, and the client is in contact with the contractor himself or herself, which is really great most of the time, but sometimes things can go wrong.

  If something goes wrong in this
part of the project that we haven't been involved in, I still feel resposible for it and spend time working to fix it for no compensation.  I'm learning that even if I and the clients think something doesn't need any involvement from me once the plans are handed over, I might be more needed than we think.  Questions we could never anticipate often arise and sometimes issues pop up that can change plans.  I'm not sure what my plans are for smoothing over this part of my business is yet but I know it's a place where we need some work.  Currently we give clients control all the time in this aspect of the project.  Is this a good or a bad thing?

(Btw... the picture is not of our contractors...  Just more of a 'Happy Friday' picture to lighten up my ramblign post!! ;) ;)

I know many designers handle all subcontracting and when they present contractor prices to clients, their fee for handling the project is included (some contractors will do a kick-back or designers may add on a percentage.) but I haven't really found out what will work best for us and our clients yet.  I want my clients to get the best prices possible for work they're having done but I also want the jobs to look right in the end.  We can't afford to properly oversee work if we're not being compensated for it, but I want everything to be perfect.

Any thoughts?  What do you do?

3) GOODS

{The Boys' Bedroom at my Dad's lake cottage}

We provide the goods & furnishings for our clients and when we order through companies, we need to make sure they're companies who make quality products and who stand by their products.  Our clients are buying their items from us and ultimately, we are the customer service for our clients.  We have to trust the companies we're buying for because we want our clients to love their things & to be taken care of and our own reputation and quality of service is on the line. 

There are times when clients may pick an item because it's less expensive than another item.  I myself do this all the time but I've learned (with new items) that you get what you pay for.  We do a pretty good job in our company of preparing clients for quality levels when they make decisions on products.  It's really important that they know what they're getting for what they're paying.  We always present things that are a good value for what they are and from there, clients can decide what level of quality they're comfortable with for any given item. 

There are other times when a client decides to "shop around" us.  In decorator-speak, this is when a client buys something you've shown them on their own or takes your plans and starts trying to find items that are similar to the ones you presented, but maybe cost less.  The client starts to run the process.  (Let me be clear here that I have MANY clients who search for things on their own & who introduce me to cool new products all the time, and clients who have found amazing things for themselves and this isn't what I'm talking about...   I'm talking about when the the client begins to say, "look at this, look at that" and the overall vision for the project starts to dissolve and go A.D.D.)  I don't blame the client for this, I blame myself.  It means I haven't communicated the vision for the project well enough and given my client enough confidence in my and my ability to create something for them.   It means I need to do a better job of showing them why what I've put together for them is right for them and when we need to make changes, I need to show them why the new selections are exactly what they were asking for.  When they buy things on their own, I can't help them when things go wrong and I don't feel as comfortable being critical of the item they way I am when it's something they've purchased through us because I don't want to hurt their feelings.  In the end, the results might not be as good.

There are some personality types that naturally have  trouble hiring designers and letting go a little bit and trusting.  My goal is do do better with these personality types in making them feel comfortable with me and in helping them let go the way they wanted to when they first called.


4) DECISION-MAKING

{This guy makes all the decisions at our house}

The way a client makes decisions (or doesn't) completely affects the speed and smoothness of a design project.  There are key points in a design project when clients are required to make decisions in order for the job to move forward.  It's my job to help my clients make decisions when they need to.  I have clients who know right away when they love or hate something and I have others who need to sit and think and simmer a while.  Both types are great and can yield amazing results, but naturally, the clients who decide things more quickly will have a finished project much sooner than the clients who take forever to decide.  One's not better than the other, just right or wrong for certain clients. 

I can't change my clients' personalities, but I can make them more aware of how their personalities and decision-making styles are affecting their project and its timeline. 

Every now and then, here are times when clients can reach an impasse and seem to really have trouble moving forward with a plan.  Some are afraid to "pull the trigger" on the project and write a check to get it going (It's SCARY to spend money, I don't blame them!!! ;) and others go in circles and seem to make decisions and then change their minds over and over. 

My goal from now on is to make my clients aware if this is going on and to present things are clearly and as specifically as possible.  If it's baby steps my client needs, then baby steps I'm taking.  But I want to figure out what it is that might be keeping my client from moving forward and to help them overcome it.  I want to make them more aware of what point in the process they're at and show them what their paralysis is doing to their overall project and timeline.
-----------------------------------------------------------------

So...  from now on, I'm really going to try to focus on remaining in control of the timing, contractors, goods and decision-making in all of  our design projects because I think the results will yield a better experience for my clients.  I want them to feel more taken care of, more loved, and more special to us than ever & I think working like clockwork is one more step on the way there.

{Wahoo to 2013!!}

Sorry for the long in-depth business post (on a Friday no less!!)

Have a great weekend & I'd love to hear some of your business and personal goals!!

(a client's kitchen...  will share details next week :)

 

If you'd like help creating a home you absolutely love, contact me about our design services.

Designer Showhouses- Do or Don't?

One of my favorite things to do is working on textile designs. I always have a list of designs in my head that I want to do, but sitting down & finding the time to sit down & draw them is another story. Sometimes it just takes some good motivation. The DC Design House has started up again this year & so I've been busy drawing. I've seen the new house - along with all of the other interested designers in the DC area- and have been working on a design to submit for a space. (First everyone sees the house & then we have a couple of weeks to create a design, which is then submitted for review by the Design Committee. )

I've gotten a few emails & phone calls lately from designers asking if I thought it was "worth it" to do the Design House last year. And the answer is, I'm submitting a design again, so YES definitely :)

{My room from last year.. And just to warn you, something is wrong with blgoger and it won't let me upload any other pics so this is a pictureless post from here on out. sorry!!}

I have to say though... it's really up to each individual designer to decide if it's "worth it" for herself or himself.

First of all, Children's Hospital is an amazing cause & each year, I try to do something special to help people through our design work, so I think that's an important "pro" for doing any charity design showhouse.
Being involved in the Showhouse makes you feel like you're part of this big team & it's a ton of fun. I can't say it in any other way other than it just makes you feel special. (It kind of reminds me of doing plays in gradeschool :) People are generally really supportive of one another and in our showhouse, we had a great PR person (Sherry Moeller) who sent so much press everyone's way, so that was amazing. You get to work alongside amazing designers and see all these beautiful spaces happen up-close. It's really nice & exciting to be around so many people in the industry.
One thing that has to be taken into consideration is the cost of doing a room in a showhouse. Both time/ opprtunity costs & money. A showhouse is different from other projects in that you are working around a lot of other people and there are certain times when you have to get things done. The schedule is very compressed & there's a lot of pressure to get things finished much quicker than you would in an ordinary project. (For example, if you're doing COM upholstery, a typical lead time for a sofa could be 8-10 weeks or even more depending upon your fabrics & availability. Well, with the compressed showhouse timeline, you might only have 7 or so weeks to get everything in. Last year I was on pins & needles waiting for all pf my pieces to come in on time.)

As far as money goes- things start adding up. I tried to get as many donations & loans as I could. (I am forever grateful to companies like Peter Dunham Textiles & Michael Smith, and Stark Carpets and lots of others who donated their goods to make our room happen. And The team of people I work with was also right there for me, donating labor & time, which I never could have afforded on my own.) But expenses still add up & there lots of things you just have to purchase (sometimes custom ones for example) and you do end up spending quite a bit of money.

But I think being in a Showhouse really gives you the chance to show others that you're there. It puts you in a place to get noticed & to help make a name for yourself, and as anyone in our business knows, that's what keeps your business going.

Another question I get a lot is- "Did you get clients from the Showhouse?" ... My answer is a hazy one. We had lots of inquiries into our services, but not many that panned out into full projects.

We received lots of inquiries for consultations but unfortunately, due to our workload & staffing, we're only able to take on full-service projects. The one project we did take on that was related to the Design House was with a client whom a previous client had already referred to us & who was already considering working with us before the Showhouse. I think seeing the space we created in person convinced her & her husband that we were "right" for them. I would say if you're doing a showhouse because you expect to directly get clients from it, then you might be disappointed. Go into it thinking you won't get any clients & if you do, that's a great perk, but don't count on it for your finances.

Other people have asked about getting Showhouse rooms published in shelter magazines. It's another thing I would say to not go in expecting. Typically, certain magazines will shoot a showhouse for an upcoming issue. Home & Design Magazine (our local Design Magazine) used photos of every room of the Showhouse (I think) last year & so that was great for everyone. And Traditional Home also typically shoots the DC Design House, so of course everyone is dying for their room to get chosen. It seems like the more public/ larger spaces are typically shot for this like the living rooms, master, etc. but you never know- it coule be you! Last year, we were lucky enough to have our room photographed for an up-coming Better Homes & Gardens Magazine issue (coming out in April!! :) and I'm so excited about the article because it really focuses on the design decisions made & how to go about creating a room with that type of feeling.

And another thing I would think anyone submitting a design for a showhouse agonizes over (I know I do) is which room to pick to submit a design for.  When big, talented & established designers do showhouses, I would think they pretty much get the spaces they want to do.  When you're new to the industry & haven't yet quite made a name for yourself, deciding on a room can be really worrisome.  Last year I chose a smaller bedroom space upstairs for my design.  I didn't get the bedroom I submitted a design for & was moved right next door to a very similar bedroom so I could keep my general design.  I felt sooooo lucky.  I loved my space and was happy with my decision to start small.  ...  Now what do you do if you decide you want a more prominent space?  (Spaces on the first floor of showhouses are really desirable and I think they are generally harder to get.)  I honestly don't have a good answer here, as this is the big question going through my head right now.  Part of me says, "play it safe.  If you're newer or have never been involved with a showhouse before, just choose a space you think you might actually have a shot at and play it safe."  The other part of me says, "Go for it.  What do you have to lose? Be true to yourself and if you think you can create an amazing design for a space, then do it, regardless of who you are."   No guts, no glory, right?  (But that's not exactly true in a showhouse ;) ;)  If you aim too high, you could just miss it altogether or you could be rewarded.  You never know.   

Anyway, those are my thoughts. I'm sure other people have other ones though, so if you've participated in a Showhouse before & have any advice, I think everyone (me included!) would love to hear it.

One last thing-  Never let fear of rejection keep you from making the Showhouse decision.  Don't even let it weigh in.  Rejection is scary and kind of makes me sick, but I think it's something we all experience & know we (eventually ;)  get over.  I was sooooo nervous last year & I'm surprised to see I'm even more nervous submitting a design this year, and that rejection fear is very real for me, but I'm fighting it because the risk is worth it. 




If you'd like help creating a home you absolutely love, contact me about our design services.

Interior Design Business- Tips for Getting Productive & Reducing the drudgery

Thanks so much to everyone who commented & sent emails about the last post & the "glamour" of interior design. 

Something that came up was different programs designers can use for accounting, project management, etc.  In our office we use Quickbooks.  There is NO WAY in the world we could function without a program like this (& our accountant!!)  There are lots of options out there but Quickbooks works really well for us.  It's great for making estimates for clients, then turning those into invoices, and also for placing purchase orders, writing checks, viewing profit & loss statement, etc.  While Quickbooks works for my interior design business, it isn't perfectly tailored for the type of interior design software we're looking for.  I'd like to find something that assists more in creating design plans and also in the implementation of them.

{A system we tried a while back of having every client's To Dos on the blackboard...  We started getting lazy and not filling in the sheets on the board & just doing ones in our client binders instead.  We may go back to this... I'm not sure.}

As many of you know, when you get into a design project, there is a lot of work of course involved in coming up with the design, but a HUGE amount of the work is actually in implementing & managing the project & keeping it going when there are hiccups & product delays.  (And there always are.)  There is a timeline you need to work from and every little thing needs to fall into place at the right time.  SO much effort & time goes into this process, and you really need to have it nailed down in order to run things smoothly for your clients.  I find this to be the most challenging part of this business because you can have everything in place and then something doesn't come through for you & it's your responsibility to make it right.  Right now we do all of this manually, which is extremely time-consuming. 

Here are some tips we received from readers, along with some of my thoughts on them:  (and no more pictures, sorry!! )

-A few people wrote in about strictly defined hours.  I couldn't agree with this more.  We work 9-5 and if you own your own business, I think you need to impose rules on yourself.  Now, if you do own your own business, you clearly know that you don't work a 9-5, but I think at least trying to enforce the rule makes it better than not doing it at all.  When you work from home (the way I do) it can be really difficult to shut your office down at the end of the day & on weekends.  I have been really good about the weekend rule lately & it makes my familly much happier.  I think most successful business owners probably have workaholic tendencies but -especially if you have a family- to lead balanced & happy lives, I think we need to fight those tendancies a little.    I used to meet clients at night & on the weekends & realized not only was it hard on me, but that it was hard on my family.

-Delegate!--- This has worked out really well for me.   At first, delegating & handing over responsibility can be like teeth-pulling (from yourself!) but once you can learn to let go & give some resposibility to others and learn what jobs you should & shouldn't be doing, you will be waaaaaay more productive & you can handle more projects & clients.  I would never be able to go back to life without my assistant (Meghan) and finding people you trust is key.  Think of everything in your business that requires you and only you, and attempt to delegate the rest.  From a strictly business point of view, you should try to delegate almost everything that isn't directly bringing money in the door.   Spend your hours doing billable things that include important decisions like designing and meeting with clients and finding the perfect piece for a room.  (not that I do this at all, but it is my goal...  It's very easy to get sidetracked and start doing things that you should be handing over :)

-Accounting-  We have an accountant and my husband does the bookkeeping.  Again, there's no way we'd be able to take the workload we do without this help.  (this sort of goes back to delegating)

-Virtual Assistants-- has anyone had any experience with this?  My friend Amy Meier loves the company she uses, Designer Advantage, and they do A LOT.  It looks awesome.

-Outsourcing Floorplans--  I think this is great.  One of the first things I hired my assistant for originally, was to do floorplans.  You can still decide where everything will go, but have an assistant draw them out for you by hand or in some type of CAD program.  This saves everyone time & benefits your clients because it takes less of your time/ costs less.

-Filing & doing paperwork every day VS Letting it Pile up-  There seemed to be two categories of people here.  It seems that some people actually like having it pile up and doing it all at once while others like to do it a little at a time.  In our office, we try to do a little every day, but of course that doesn't always happen and it can pile up.  I really never like for it to pile up over a weekend though because I hate being greeted by a mess on Monday mornings. 

--Katherine wrote in "Before you shut the door each day, make a list of what you need to achieve the following day & definitely tidy up / put everything back in it’s place so you feel refreshed when you return in the morning."-- I think this is a GREAT idea,  I try to do this but it doesn't happen every day.  I feel much better on the days when I walk into an office that's ready to work than one that's littered with our mess from the day before.   I like having a To Do list for the next day ready & waiting for me.

-After reading my last post, my dad wrote my a {super-long} email about his "spiral notebook" of To Do lists & notes.  I'm a bit old school like that too, like I mentioned, I always have a clipboard with my current To Do list on top of it with important info behind it.  It keeps me on track.  I even write To Do Lists for my assistant (which I'm sure she loves;) to help me clear my own mind. 

-Eileen @ A Creative day wrote in that in her office they normally try to block out at least one day a week from client meetings to stay in the office and get paperwork done, so they can stay on top of it and not get buried! --- I think this is SO important.  At our office, I feel like we need a good 2 days in the office (at least) to get everything handled properly.  Your meeting & shopping days are your busiest with running around, but I find that we really get everything handled & do the majority of our work on office days.  (the work sweats days...  ;)  They are the most productive.

-Scheduling is one of those things that can end up taking a lot of time.  Sometimes there's a lot of back-and-forth when trying to coordinate dates with contractors or clients so we've been working on me doing less of that in our office so I can be freed up to do other things. 

-Sarah from Sarah's Fab Day wrote that "One thing that always worked for me and kept me on track was keeping on top of those crummy "easy" jobs (you know the ones that aren't so easy when you let them pile up?). I would always dedicate a time block to those jobs in the morning and then my afternoons would be free to tackle the jobs that would take a good amount of time."  --- We do this in our office every day.  The real design work typically never happens until after 12 or so (on a good day) because I like to get all of the little thigns & loose ends out of the way so I can concentrate on the big stuff.  (A while back, I realized I really needed help & better systems when I wasn't getting into the real work until around 4 or so... Then I'd end up working all night & it just wasn't fair to my family.)

-Katherine also wrote in that she believes the most essential thing to a successful business is making your workspace .. well .. “you” .. surround yourself with things you love & you will feel like you belong in the space = you will be sure to succeed.   --- I think this is to true too.  Most of us are in this business because we believe that our surroundings have a huge effect on us.  I'm much happier working (or doing anything really) when I like my surroundings.  I feel more productive when everything is organized & has a place to go to.  Also, if you do work in an office with other people, everythign being in its place is key to staying on track because everyone needs to know where everthing is.
-One reader (Allumer Decor) recommends buying & reading THE BUSINESS OF DESIGN by, Keith Granet and she loves it.--  I definitely want to check it out.  I have a few business of design-type books but can't think of the titles right now.

List of software/programs that can help:
-Quickbooks
-STUDIO IT
-Studio Webware
-Design Manager
-Specify-- This is the one I'm trying out right now.  Has anyone used it?  When I figure it all out, I'[ll be sure to post.  It has a monthly fee vs. a one-time fee.
-A few people wrote about Google calendar. They can add others to their calendars so they're all on track ----- Oooh I'm definitely going to try this!!

ps- when I mentioned my office looked "lovely,"  what I meant was that it never looks that good :)  On any given week day, there's stuff EVERYWHERE.  It was made to look "pretty" for the photoshoot.  (I do put it all alway on the weekends though.)

The paint color is Midwest Spring by FreshAire Choice, the No VOC paint brand @ Home Depot. 

..As far as all of the design software programs go, I would love to do a roundup post one day with people's thoughts on the different programs.  This week is crazy but I will try to do that soon.

**UPDATE-  Just one more thing to add-  If you're a newer business and you're not using Quickbooks or some type of accounting software or service, switch over to one ASAP.  Your business will start to grow quicker than you can imagine and you will need that system in place for when you're really busy!!  (It's much easier to learn & convert over when you're a smaller business than when you have lots of different projects going on.)  And, even if you plan on taking things smaller, it will free up a lot of your time.  :)



If you'd like help creating a home you absolutely love, contact me about our design services.

The Glamour of Interior Design

I think it's sort of a common stereotype that the job of a decorator or interior designer is a glamorous one:  Meeting with clients in beautiful homes, looking at pretty fabrics & swatches & tiles in a perfectly organized office, Shopping all the time, presenting beautiful design plans, networking at parties, doing magazine shoots, creating inspiration boards, showhouses...  all of that.

{Doesn't my office just look lovely?!...  This is the office made to look pretty for our Piccola Magazine photoshoot.  Photo by Maya Wechsler}

Well, yes, these things do happen, but they are done between the many days & hours spent doing paperwork, billing, emails, FILING, driving from showroom to showroom in search of a parking place, running out the door like a crazy person, meeting deadlines, backordered items, talking on the phone to try to get damaged items repaired or making returns, coordinating shipping & delivery, chasing down & coordinating contractors, creating quotes and preparing budgets, trying to fit waaaay too much stuff in your car, making timelines, scheduling meetings & jobs, and generally just always needing to do more than you could possibly do in one day.

{The carting tons of stuff around part}

Lots of days, I wear my "work sweats."  (This is my fancy term for sweats... I always say that in a Nacho Libre voice:  "I need some sweats!")  I've told my assistant that she too can wear work sweats, but she rarely takes me up on it.  (So I'm guessing maybe this is not as normal as I wish it was...  A client stopped by a couple of weeks ago unannounced & I definitely regretted my choice of work sweats & no makeup that day.) 

{Nacho/ me on the work-from-home days}

I always feel a bit like I'm the only one who has it this unglamorous, but in talking to friends in the business, I don't think I am.  (I do think I take the glamour down a few notches more with the work sweats though ;) 

I'm always analyzing my business & how we can get things to run more smoothly, make the experience better for our clients and for us, and to make the most of our time.  I'd love to find more ways for my assistant & I to spend more time doing the fun stuff and less time doing the business side of it, but the unglam stuff is typically even more important than the fun, creative part in this business and only having the one side of it just isn't reality. 

I recently just found some new interior design project management software & I think it's going to cut out a lot of our "business" time. I'm so excited but want to wait to share with you until I can be sure. (I'm doing a free trial right now & will keep you posted.)


So I'd love to know- If you have your own business (any business)- How do you maximize the creative part of the process and reduce the drudgery?  Got any tips?  Programs? Systems?  Schedules?  Would love to know!  If we get enough comments, I'll be sure to compile them all together in a post later on in the week.  Thanks!! 




If you'd like help creating a home you absolutely love, contact me about our design services.

Price Points & Fabrics

Well, it's been 2 days since we launched the online fabric store and I just wanted to say thank you so much to all of you for your kind words, comments & all the fabric orders!!!  I'm really blown away by all of the support and appreciate you all so much!!

I received a comment about the "sticker shock" one reader got when she headed over to the Pure Style Home Shop to view fabrics & she asked me what I thought about the price point & using it in my own home and in clients' homes.  I have to say that I really appreciate this commenter's honesty and of course, with a price point of $120/ yard for our fabrics, I knew this would be an issue and have mentioned it serveral times before on the blog, but I thought now that the fabric line has actually launched, it would be a good time to talk about price points & what all goes into it. 

First question- Do I have fabrics that cost this much in my own home?  Yes. 

Do I use them in client's homes?  Yes, in pretty much every single project....  BUT, my client's budgets determine where the fabric will go.  For example, right now in a tight budgeted living room we're working on with a client, we are using a $275/ yard Ralph Lauren fabric in the room but it's going on a pillow so we need only 1 yard. 

{Some Schumacher Fabrics mixed in with my Live Paisley in a client's living room}

Statement fabrics play such an important role in creating a vibe & a mood in a room and showing a family's personality, that for me they're really one of those "splurges" that we typically recommend making in a room.  We may use pieces from Ikea or Target in a room but the little shot of the perfect fabric in there (whether it be $25 or $250/ yard ) is what brings the room up and makes it personal & right.  We often use the most expensive fabrics on the pillows to keep the budget down, while still getting that perfect fabric in our rooms.

Do I love it when amazing fabric can go on the curtains?  Yes!!  But is it always practical for the budget? Nope. 

{my house}

In my own house I have off-the-rack cheapie curtains from Ikea along with curtains I made myself out of inexpensive white linen, but I have awesome pillows ;)  Some of my favorite pillows in my house are $200+/ yard and some of the others were $10 thrift store fabric finds...  The cost isn't the determining factor for me because if it's pillows, you only need a yard.  

It's all a matter of what's important to you & what you value and where you decide to put your money in a room.  And beautiful rooms can be created at virtually any price point.  No one needs decorative pillows to survive, but most of us have them anyway. 

The next question that I've just learned the answer to myself through this crazy process of creating a line of textiles is: Why do fabrics cost what they do?  I often wondered why I could buy a Duralee print for $30/ yard and then buy a Schumacher for $120/ yard?  Was it because the Schumacher people were just making waaaaaaaay more money?  But there's so much more that goes into it than that.

I've learned about mills & jobbers and open textile designs and exclusive textiles designs and the difference in mass-produced and smaller companies...   I'm still learning and it's kind of confusing but this is what I've gotten out of it all so far:   There are companies out there who make "open" prints.  They mass-produce fabrics and sell them to as  many textile companies as they can.  Kravet, Duralee, Fabricut, Calico Corners and others can all buy the same prints and sell them under their own names.  The prints cost less because the print is "open" and anyone can buy it.  It's basically up for grabs.  This is why you might see Kravet and Fabricut carrying the same fabric.

There are other mass-produced designs that the big textile companies buy that are "exclusives."  They buy the design (maybe for just a period of time in some cases) and they are the only ones selling it.  This is good for them because they don't have competitors selling the same product.  Lots of times these exclusive designs are by certain designers and they also have rights to use the designer's name on the fabric collection.  This of course, adds to the cost because the designer has to get paid royalties too. 

...Keep in mind that all of these instances deal with fabrics that are massed-produced in huge quantities.  These big fabric companies are carried all across the US in showrooms and retail stores and are very popular.  Because they are producing & selling so many yards of fabric, the production and materials cost per yard is very low so that it's still low by the time it gets to the general public.

For boutique and smaller companies (like me!) the production costs are much higher.  If you are producing in smaller runs and have a smaller market, it just costs more to produce per yard.  Add high quality linen & printing procedures and you have a more expensive end product.  I could never have afforded to do a mass-produced line.  It's been a while since I got the information, but if I remember tallying up what it would cost to set up 1 design in 1 colorway and print a certain number of thousands of yards, it was something like $20,000- $30,000!!  (Ending up with a fabric collection that would have cost me a cool 1.5 +/- million in investments.  ouch!  But just not possible.  We've invested a lot to create our fabric line, but nowhere close to 1.5 ;) 

If you are buying mass-produced items, you get the price benefit of everyone else's dollars combined with yours to make a less expensive item.  If you're buying items from smaller companies, with smaller markets, you don't have that benefit, but you are receiving something that not as many people have, so it's a bit more unique.  Pros & cons to both.   It's a bit like Home Depot vs. your local hardware store or Superwalmart groceries vs. your local grocery store groceries.  Walmart's stuff is cheaper because there are Walmarts everywhere.  The local grocery stores selling items at higher prices aren't making more, they're just paying more so they have to sell their goods at higher prices.  It's up to you which way you decide to go where you spend your money.  I don't think either is right or wrong, but some people have very strong opinions one way or the other.

{image from here}

Another thing I've learned is that fabric (or any product really) passes through many hands before it reaches the end consumer.  When we buy things from a retailer, they are marking it up.  They have to.  It's how they stay in business. 

There are lots of different ways that fabrics are sold & the internet is often making a direct connection between fabric companies & the end user, but in general, this is what I've noticed the exchange of goods normally looks like:

Production Cost --> Fabric Company --> Fabric Showroom --> Decorator -->End user

Production Cost--> Fabric Company--> Retailer--> End User

{The Washington Design Center is filled with fabric showrooms; image from dcbydesign.blogspot.com }

There are retail prices marked on many items & typically, you can find things at just below retail on the internet, in effect, creating a new, slightly lower retail price.  But basically, the real retail or the lowered retail price is the price that most end users pay for fabrics whether they buy through a retailer or a decorator selling at those prices.  (Decorators all charge differently & have different contracts so this isn't always the case.)

So when the final retail price for a fabric is determined, it's based upon:
first, giving the showroom a price
next, creating a trade-only price
and finally, determining the final retail price

or just going from retailer to final retail price.  (If you think about it, retailers are getting a very good price from companies, but retailers typically have more overhead than showrooms and designers because retail rents are usually fairly high, so they need to mark up more to stay in business, ending up with that same retail price everyone else is selling at. ALTHOUGH..  A lot of online stores are putting retailers out of business now because they don't have that overhead but are still getting those prices from wholesalers...  world's a changing!)

{image from here}

As I just mentioned, the internet has provided a direct link from companies to the end users, but in order for companies to remain loyal to the people selling their product and not, "cut them out," companies need to be sure not to undercut their distributors (ie showrooms, decorators and retailers.)  It would be very easy to cut out all the "middle men" from the equation, but in the end , then they would have no one but themselves selling their products & depending upon their business model, it could be difficult to stay in business. 

I thought long and hard before deciding how I wanted to sell my fabrics.  I thought about just selling online retail myself.  I thought about taking my designs to a large company & selling them, virtually having no fabric company but getting paid for my designs and trying to keep my name attached and being able to retail my fabrics online at lower prices along with anyone else who wanted to retail them.  And I thought about selling through showrooms and select retail stores... 

{I thought about what was best for all of us}

It took me a while to make the decision, but for now I have decided that I want to keep control of my line &
my designs and I think the company itself.  In the end, because of this decision not to go mass-produced, my fabrics will not be as affordable as I wish they could be and not everyone will be able to buy them.  It's a fact I wish I could change and I would looove for everyone to be able to afford yards & yards of them.  I truly do.  But it's not reality.

It's also important to me to support & protect those companies & people selling my products because they are the ones really getting it done.  As a decorator myself, I appreciate companies that offer trade pricing and I wanted to be able to do the same for decorators who want to use our products.

And I know there are those out there who are not in the interior design trade who think that they should get wholesale & trade pricing on everything they buy, but I don't think that's very fair.  Designers buy thousands & thousands of products per year and build relationships with the companies they work with to get the trade pricing they have access to.  It's how they make their living.   I think it's unfair for someone in an unrelated field to expect that they should be able to get the same price that a distributor of a product gets.  (Don't hate me if you're one of those people please!! :)

I want a deal as much as the next person, but when I buy my clothes from say Macy's or Nordstrom, I don't get employee discounts because I don't work at either of those places.   And I don't expect one either.  It's the same thing when buying goods for the home.  When a decorator buys something from a company for a client or a showroom purchases something, they are selling a product for that company and they get that discount / they get paid for selling the product. 
And the fact is that almost everything you buy passes through multiple hands before it reaches yours.  (Most companies just don't lay it out the way I just did because it can scare people away...  I hope I didn't scare you away though!!)

Anyway, I'm still learning and it's all very new to me.  But this is what I've gotten out of it all so far.  I hope this explains how we've determined our price & I hope it makes sense to you.  It's so important for me that anyone who buys our fabrics feels that they are worth what they are paying for and that they're happy with their decision.

Anyway, I'm off for the day but don't forget to enter the LL Textiles giveaway if you haven't already!  It ends Friday & click here to enter. 



If you'd like help creating a home you absolutely love, contact me about our design services.

"Mommy" Decorators

This morning we planned to have our kids start back up at daycare & a new school.  As you might remember from last year, it's kind of a tough time.  Our boys are 4 years old and 20 months old and finding the right kind of care that's best for us all has been tough, both emotionally and on the wallet.  This morning I went to drop Justin off (our 20 month old) at his old daycare and after I left the room I watched as he stood there and wailed for 5-10 minutes.  The caregiver had set him down the second I left the room and as I waited to fill out forms in the main office I could hear my baby crying his lungs out.  I peeked in and still no one was holding him...  I watched as a woman picked him up for a minute or so and then I came back again and he was standing there, balling alone.  They were crazy busy and I could see that there was so much going on, but still, it just felt wrong in my gut.  I told the director as much and left.  They tried to be nice but it just didn't feel right. 

...SO now I'm at home with Justin and no childcare, the day off, and a search for Mary Poppins. 

{Oh Mary...  we need you!!}

Being a working parent & having your own business has its own set of challenges.  I've actually heard people (without kids) talk down about working-designing-moms as if their businesses are somewhat of a joke.  I'm sure you're familiar with the terms "mommy decorators" or "mommy bloggers."  Does being a parent truly take away some sort of credibility in the design world?  Or does also being a blogger in addition to being a decorator mean that you don't deserve to be where you are?  (Clearly I don't think so, but sadly I've heard about people making this implication in general...  )

It's at times like this though- when I'm dealing with childcare issues and sit typing with a toddler on my lap- that I honestly start to wonder if these people are right???  I feel lucky to have gotten a shower in & to be dressed in normal clothes.  It's sometimes hard not to lose all confidence and wonder what in the world I'm doing or trying to do.  Am I just a "mommy" decorator faking it in the real world of suited interior designers? 

I'm clearly in a low spot right now to be even going on this rant, but I wish anyone thinking this way knew & understood all of the effort it takes to be where they are at 9 AM.  They might show up fresh & ready to rock, whereas the parent has been up for hours, having fed, bathed & dressed her kids for school and dropped them off and that's if everything went smoothly.  What exactly am I asking for? No it's not sympathy, but maybe a little understanding.  Because anyone who has to have someone else look after his or her children so he or she can go to work, is very serious about his or her career.  I think it's easy to quick-judge people and put them in a box.    (it's CLEAR that  I am ranting.. running from one working parent issue to the next.  please forgive me...  But I have to say, it is making me feel better ;)

Anyway, I'm off to go pick up Christian from his new school.  Fingers crossed all went well.   Sorry about the sort of down & out post. 
I'd love to hear your thoughts though as bloggers & readers on the "mommy blogger" / "mommy decorator issue."  Has anyone experienced what I'm talking about?



If you'd like help creating a home you absolutely love, contact me about our design services.

Implementing a Project

I'm off to another client installation today.  We're doing a living room & a dining room.  My clients will be gone for the day & they'll come home to the completed spaces.  Here's what the house looked like before: (My clients didn't buy anything new when they moved in.)

Over the years, I've changed how my processes work.  (I may be forever changing, as the more I learn, the more things change.)  One of the things that we do now that I feel is really important is doing our installations all at once.  We have almost everything that needs to go into our clients' homes shipped to a receiving warehouse where the goods are inspected and stored until installation day.  (We used to have items individually shipped to clients which can be inconvenient for them and can also result in clients being nervous about the items because they only see one part of the plan and they worry it won't be right.)  With the single installation, clients get to come home to the house exactly as it should be and don't need to use their imagination to envison the final result.  (Plus, it's a bit like Christmas after all of that waiting!!)

Anyway, after the previous post, I got a few questions about how long projects typically take from start to finish so I thought I'd share a bit of the process with you.  From the point where we "survey" a client's home, it takes about one month for us to create a plan for them.  (Obviously this can be done in a much shorter amount of time, but I really prefer to let the room sink in with me.  It takes this time to source interesting pieces & to shop around and rework floorplans.  The final presentation itself takes a few days to put together and this includes, budgeting, final floorplans, design boards, etc., but I really like to mull a project over & get immersed in it.  Also, in our projects I often leave "holes" for items we plan to find along the way if we know it needs to be a one-of-a-kind piece and we haven't come accross it yet.)   Once the clients approve everything presented (this can take anywhere from 1 day to a few weeks) we begin actually implementing the design:  scheduling contractors, ordering products and shopping for one-of-a-kinds and artwork. 

{Some of the fabrics used in today's design}

Like I mentioned, this "waiting period" typically lasts 2-4 months (with the norm being 3) when we're using custom goods, which we pretty much always do.  As anyone in the industry can tell you though, there are often backorders which can delay projects & rearrange your plans completely. 

At the onset of our projects, when we place all of the orders (this can include anything from custom upholstery to casegoods to antiques) we typically have to wait anywhere from two- four months for everything to be made.  (And some items can also be much longer...  A custom rug can take almost a year just to give you an idea.)  It takes patience, but is always totally worth it in the end. 

As the months tick down, I begin collecting and purchasing unique accessories & items that I think will be perfect for my clients.  The night before installation, my van is FILLED with them.

(me, on installation day ;)

image from here

On installation day, everything is delivered & placed in the home.  We hang artwork & window treatments and the electrician installs lighting.  Unless it's a very high area, I prefer to install artwork myself.  I make sure everything is just right.

I start "playing" with the accessories, which is how I prefer it.  I typically use about 75- 80% of the items I've brought to try out.   Sometimes I know exactly where an items will go when I find it and other times I just know it will work in the room but I'm not sure where yet.  When my clients come home, these items are a total surprise.  They receive a price list of all of the items and can buy whichever ones they like.  (Since most of the items are vintage items & one-of-a-kinds, I can't return them unless I took them out on approval, but that's okay because I only buy items I truly love.)  It might sound risky, but for now, it's the way that's really been working for me.  (And most clients want everything.)

Anyway, time for me to run, but have a great day & I'll be sure to share after photos soon!!
  



If you'd like help creating a home you absolutely love, contact me about our design services.