DECORATING PROCESS OVERVIEW

When you are starting to design an interior space in your home, there are many important things to consider, think through and understand. The process is so much more than just selecting a sofa and some throw pillows. Below, we have broken it down into four phases:

• Get Organized. We live and die by our Project Worksheet. It should include every item that you will purchase and put into your home. Start the list by identifying the components of each piece of your project. For example, for window treatments, it would be labor for the panels, fabric for the panels, and hardware and install costs. For each of these, you will include a description of the item; the vendor; the estimated shipping date and the status (back ordered, shipped, or in storage). This list will keep you organized, so that you know what you need to order, when you need to order it, what you need to track and where it is. You can even keep links to the product specifications in case you need to share them with an electrician or contractor.

• Know your actual costs.

  • For major selections, get all of the hard numbers (actual pricing) in your budget before you start placing orders. To speed up the process utilize the Steps Room Lists (coming soon) which will provide you with a list of the basics for each room in your home. These are the items you need to source and get rough estimates for to identify actual costs. Need a little more?

  • Tip: Include freight, delivery, storage fees and sales tax. These numbers can add up, creating spending stresses. Think through every cost that you could face and include that in your budget. Personally we like to err on the side of caution and therefore prefer to overestimate rather than underestimate.

• Set a timeline and ordering schedule with your contractor/designer/trades person. Find out when they will need items in hand and where items should ship to.

  • Tip: It is important that you immediately inspect all orders for damage when they arrive. If not, this can be problematic for your schedule and budget. Most vendors have a small window for notifying them of damaged articles. More below on recieving

    
    

2. DESIGN DEVELOPMENT & SELECTION

• Now that you have a good idea of the cost of your project it is time to make your actual selections. We will offer two helpful ways you can do this. You can go by our Overall Process tool for an entire project or see our room-by-room guides (being updated soon) under the “Decorate” section. Here you will image boards to stoke the creative juices, but also tried-and-true ideas as they relate to individual rooms in your home -> Entry & Hallways, Living Rooms, Dining Rooms, Family Rooms, Bathrooms, Bedrooms & Kitchens. These guides will you help you decide on:

  • Layout

  • Hard materials (flooring, tile)

  • Millwork and built ins (paneling, bookcases, cabinetry)

  • Lighting plan and fixtures

  • Paint and wallpaper

  • Furniture

  • Rugs

  • Window treatments

  • Wall decor (art and mirrors)

  • Accessories and accents

3. PROCUREMENT

ORDERING

• After you have created your full Project Worksheet, plan out what needs to be ordered and when. Consult our Guides to make sure you have thought through all your considerations when ordering each item.

• If possible, and if the project warrants it, consider hiring a receiver to centralize and store all items being purchased safely. More importantly, a receiver will inspect all items on arrival for damage and coordinate returns if necessary. Many retailers only have a short window to return damaged items, and I think you be surprised by the percentage of items that arrive damaged.

  • Tip: When ordering, PLEASE make sure that all furniture can actually fit into your home. You must consider the sizes of: front door openings, specific interior door openings, hallways, bends in hallways, and staircases.

TRACKING

• Save your invoice and update the budget with the final true costs. Make sure that it is inline with what you had planned for.

• Update the ‘Open’ items list in your Project Worksheet as you track your items with their estimated shipping dates

• Never feel guilty about calling your vendors every three weeks or so to track an item. As you get closer to the ship date, call more often if you feel like you need to apply pressure. Always confirm the shipping address. Review the order acknowledgement. You will be surprised how often articles can be mixed up. Always try to be one step ahead and plan for the worst—you will not regret it. We always say the design industry is just as much about creativity as it is problem solving and managing people. If your shipping date changes, notify your team, as delays may hold up the project and you will have to decide if you need to select another item or make schedule adjustments.

• When a piece ships and is not going directly to you, notify the recipients and confirm they have received it. Keep notes. It is best not to leave any room for chance or error.

RECEIVING

• Open and inspect all items

  • Most vendors have short periods of time that they will except returns of damaged goods, often within 24 hours or even upon delivery.

  • Take pictures of damaged items and send emails immediately with order number. Order replacements and have them shipped ASAP.

  • Refuse delivery if possible

• Log onto your Project Worksheet when items have been received and where they are located.

4. INSTALL

There is a science to an install—and practice makes perfect. Every contractor, design and trades person has their own process and way of doing things. Depending on the scale of your project, here is what we have found as the typical phases of an installation

• New construction and renovation installation

• Interior decoration install