Made-to-Order Defined
Do you regularly flip through the pages of Architectural Digest, Elle Decor, and Veranda or follow well-known interior designers on Instagram? What do all of those images have in common (besides being skillfully and professionally photographed)? Almost everything you see in those images is made-to-order—for that particular client and in that particular space. When we speak of custom or bespoke interior design, that’s what we’re talking about – creating homes and rooms that are as individual as our clients’ thumbprints.
WISH LIST VS. REALITY
Everyone seeks a polished space, ready for a dramatic reveal. Our signature process is the same for every project: During the project’s initiation phase we extract our client’s design goals and create a scope of work from which to plan the design around. In other words, compose the wish list of goals to be achieved.
As the project develops, our team researches all of the items on our clients’ wish list. Then we procure a quote for every product and design concept. The majority of our designs call for custom, semi-custom, and to-the-trade furnishings. Our trusted professional partners - contractors, workrooms, and vendors - draft estimates and quotes to produce our design specifications. As clients have discovered, custom design elements and furnishings are luxury items and they are valued accordingly.
While people might understand the price of a home, luxury car, or yacht when it comes to interior design, clients might not understand how far their budget will go. The reality of what furnishings actually cost is often not in line with what clients think they will need to invest.
BUDGETING
While we discuss the preferred budget range upfront, we understand that a client’s wish list and the actual cost of those items might not add up to the budget they had in mind. Sometimes clients simply cannot accomplish everything on the wishlist within the budget set. This is a normal part of the process and a hard realization for some clients as they are educated about the actual costs associated with their grand plans.
Remember to take these elements into consideration:
Design & Consultation
Construction Management
Purchasing Management
Freight Management costs
Project Management
Installation
Punch List
This process is the same for every project: Procure estimates and put a number next to everything the client wants so the client knows what it will cost to accomplish the items on the wish list, then decide where to invest design dollars and what aspects of the wish list to cut. We understand the disappointment and frustrations that occur when clients need to lower their expectations.
We guide clients to ask themselves: What is most important to you? What do you forgo? Where do you invest your design dollars - in comfortable furniture created to your exact specifications with fabrics you love and finishes that feel cohesive with your existing/new space or changes to the architecture and floor plans? What areas of design will give you the greatest satisfaction? Which details offer the biggest bang for the investment? To which design details are you most drawn? What will best improve your overall comfort and well-being within the home? These are the deciding factors that need to be figured out.
Alternatively, clients may choose to:
Raise the budget to accommodate some or all of the additional items on their wish list beyond their anticipated budget.
Complete the project in phases as funds become available to accomplish all or most wish list items.
When a client has difficulty envisioning a design’s overall look and feel or trusting in the designer’s vision and expertise, a great tool we offer is the option to have a realistic photo rendering created for the room in question. The investment is usually around $1500 - $2000 per rendering, but it can help clarify the look if that is truly needed. Although it adds to the budget, renderings can be helpful for making decisions before anything is actually ordered.
The beauty of working with a designer is that no matter what items the clients choose to invest in, everything we’ve specified together will feel cohesive once it is installed, even if we choose not to implement every idea. We ask clients to trust that it’s okay to proceed with some design area, make a choice, say yes, and let the other details fall into place. Say yes to the things you know you love and that are important to you, and proceed from there.
SCHEDULING & CHANGE ORDERS
As we’ve explained, we collaborate with other industry professionals to schedule, deliver and install items necessary to complete a project. Our clients have a degree of control based on how quickly they make decisions. When clients continue to “shop” or waffle on their decisions, that affects the entire project - the overall design, schedule, and budget. Please remember that it always takes more time and costs more to change your mind and continue to be indecisive.
That’s why we take the time to develop the scope and design plans for each project mindfully. When you ask why something isn’t finished, most likely the answer is because a) it is a custom piece that takes time to craft, or b) a final decision has not been made or communicated to us, or c) our supplier is having difficulty acquiring materials to keep up with the demand, and lately that has been mainly due to disruptions caused by the pandemic.
Good design takes time. There is a saying in the design industry - you can have something fast and cheap, but it won’t be quality and won’t last. Or you can have something of lasting quality, but it won’t be cheap, and it won’t be fast.
There’s a reason that interior designers prefer to work with trade partners. We have built trusting relationships with the people with whom we place orders. Our clients benefit from those relationships. However, there are occasions when a retail piece will fit into a plan. And, we’re open to working with beloved pieces owned by our clients, whether repurposing them in another room or refurbishing them to give the items new life. Here’s what we want our clients to understand about trade versus retail.
TRADE VS. RETAIL
Retail items are available to the public at large through various brands and stores. Some products might be customizable with specific fabrics or sizes. As with every product on the market, there is a range of quality and availability.
Do you know the saying “you get what you pay for”? It applies to retail furnishings. Often, pieces are manufactured overseas and shipped in huge containers doused in formaldehyde to deter pests. While retailers like might keep a certain amount of inventory, choices are very limited.
“To the trade” items are reserved for interior design industry professionals. One benefit of working with a professional is access to the trade products that offer a much wider choice of styles, fabrics, and options. Our experience is that clients are usually unaware of the vast resources we have as professionals, from furnishings to accessories. For the most part, we unerringly believe in the quality of bespoke products. We collaborate with custom builders, contractors, craftspeople, and vendors to ensure the integrity of our design.
While custom-made items can be more expensive, sometimes one-of-a-kind floor samples become available from showrooms and can be a reasonable solution for a piece or two in a design scheme.
Although clients might be tempted to search the internet for furnishings, lighting, and accessories, we do not stand behind those items in the event they are damaged or don’t work. We can only guarantee to replace or repair damaged items ordered through our interior design firm, DADI.
FOLLOWING OUR PROCESS
Keep in mind: the process of design is a journey we embark on together. One decision builds on the next. Not every item will be decided from the start. With each decision, our path is made more clear. One of the reasons we have been successful stems from our dedicated system of defining, designing and, delivering sophisticated interior projects. We understand that not everyone who inquires is a good fit for DADI. Our best projects have been with clients driven by design solutions and results, cooperative with our dedicated process, and appreciative of the work that goes into delivering a well-executed, beautiful project. When everything aligns, our reputation has exceeded expectations and creates spaces that enhance our clients’ daily lives and well-being.