FAQs
- What should the customer know about your pricing (e.g., discounts, fees)?
Usually I charge a $100 fee for the initial consult. This first meeting typically lasts 1 1/2 hours to 2 hours, where I obtain the wants and needs of the client for their space, this includes taking before photos and measurements of the space. After that I charge $50.00 per hour.
- What is your typical process for working with a new customer?
First we'd start with a short phone call to find out more about what the customer is looking for. I'll ask preliminary questions about the project to make sure that I would be a good fit for them. Then we schedule an initial consulting meeting in the space that they are looking for help with. At that time, we'll go into great detail about how the space is working for them and how it is not, talk about their "wish" list for improving the area and what their design style is. We'll also discuss budget and timeline for the completion of the project. If the customer decides that they would like to hire me for their project, I would end the meeting by taking measurements and photos of their space. After gathering the information from the initial meeting, I would return to my studio to draft a design for the project. Once I've completed the design I would present the design to the client for their approval. Once the design is agreed upon, I would begin to implement the design. Every project is different and the needs of every client is different; because of this, the design process from start to finish will vary from client to client. That's part of the fun and why I love interior design!
- What education and/or training do you have that relates to your work?
I've have had an interest in design all of my life. At times the focus has been on interiors and at other times it's been in fashion. My mother was a fabulous seamstress and taught me sewing basics, when I was young, however, I continued to learn exciting new sewing techniques through the years. I became a National Sewing Educator for Singer Sewing Company and traveled all over the U.S. teaching others about new sewing and embroidery techniques, sewing machine software and new machines and equipment. Being affluent with sewing provides an excellent understanding for working with color and textiles in interior spaces. I have countless years of informal training from just doing it. I love to create and enjoy doing many things withing the design field, it wouldn't be uncommon for me to hang a tiled back splash or even mud and tape drywall seams. Working with tile is kind of like putting together a quilt, the materials are just different. This type of do-it-yourself mentality has served me well as I have an understanding of how interior design spaces are created. It's important to know the different phases of bringing an interior together, a lot has to happen before the pretty stuff gets implemented. Many members of my family are involved with some aspect of home building or renovating. I have built my own home and assisted folks in count less renovations. I have had the pleasure of working with folks who have lower budgets to those who have higher budgets. My formal training in interiors comes from the Online Interior Design Institute in San Francisco.