The Process

Getting Started

First, send a note that you're interested in having us design your next project. You can use the Contact Us page or send an email, text, or call. We aren't picky.

We'll follow up with a call back to you as soon as possible. During this phone call, we'll want to get some high-level information about your project to get an idea of whether we're the best design team for your needs. We don't want to waste your time or money starting down this road together if it's clear that we're not going to be able to provide the type of service you're looking for, so this initial phone call will help us clarify that right away.

The First Meeting

Next, we'll schedule an in-home consultation.

This on-site meeting is a working meeting, not just a meet & greet, and there is a flat fee of $450 due at booking. We realized after 2 years of offering no-charge meet & greet style consultations, nearly every potential client hired us for their job. That's great! But then we needed to schedule a second time to meet in order to really dig into the issues and begin the work. (That's not as great.) This double first meeting arrangement delays projects and just isn't a good use of anyone's time: not yours or ours! So we decided to do away with the inefficient pre-meeting meeting and begin with a working consultation where we can finish that very first day having already made real progress on your project.

Some examples of things we can address (and answer!) during the consultation meeting are:

• Paint color selections or a generalized color scheme
• Design style advice, if that's needed (many clients already have a clear design style, but some don't)
• Floor plan recommendations
• Lighting evaluation and lighting plan
• Wall décor suggestions: placement, size, type, and style
• Window treatment guidance
• Measurements to help you find ideal sizes for things like rugs, dining tables, and TVs (as well as advice on optimal viewing distance for existing TVs)
• Closet design suggestions and sketches
• Ideas for challenging design issues you may have (that nook you don't know what to do with, or that awkward room with no good spot for the TV, for example)
• Shopping resources suggestions, if needed

During the consultation, we will also help you resolve budget and timeline questions:

• We can generate estimates for furnishings and décor using our proprietary calculating tool, which takes into account your preference for quality level
• We can also help with cost ranges for subcontracted labor, if we're familiar enough with the work you need done to be able to speak on that. For instance, our experience with flooring installation and simple electrical jobs (changing light fixtures, etc.) can help us guide you on what to expect for certain projects that you may be considering. We would not be able to provide estimates for subcontractor labor for more complex needs; however, we do have a process for providing you with those figures soon into the project if you decide to hire us for a full design project.
• We can give realistic guidance about the timeline for your project, depending on factors like whether you plan to have any custom work or remodeling done, or if it's more of an "off the rack" decorating project utilizing finished products that are in stock.

Our design consultation lasts up to 2 hours and we'll take plenty of notes throughout, which you'll keep at the end. That means that if you're planning a DIY project, but just want some help getting started, you'll be on the road to success with all of the details we discussed written down for reference. Alternatively, if you choose to hire us to continue work on your project, we already have a great start and clear idea of your wish list and priorities.

After the consultation, we'll put together a project agreement.

The design consultation will have given us both an opportunity to work together for a couple hours, and you'll be empowered to make a more knowledgeable decision about whether you want to continue working together. We will also have a specific wish list determined which will form the bones of our agreement for scope of work.

Our contract for services will include a section listing specifically what you need to have done for your project. We like to review the contract in together so you know exactly what HDC's responsibilities are and what processes are in place if anything unplanned comes up (like, for instance, changing a plan or returning products). This will give us a chance to make sure any questions you may have can be clarified in advance, which gives everyone peace of mind throughout the project.

Getting our Ducks in a Row

The next step is to organize the "to do" list and gather quotes.

At the time of the consultation, we'll generate a wish list, including all of the items (big and small) that you want help with. Naturally, there will be things that eventually come off the list for one reason or another, but one of the top factors deciding what stays or goes is the cost.

So, clarifying costs as early on as possible helps make your project more efficient and reduce disappointments. For example, we wouldn't want to create a design plan based around new built-in cabinets, but weeks later learn that the built-ins are well beyond the cost we expected.

We'll use our budget estimator tool to sketch out a rough budget for furnishings and décor during your consultation, but there are going to be pieces of your project that need to be assessed by specialists in their field.

In order to give you the most accurate budget plan possible, we will schedule a "Trade Day" at your home. This allows our team to take detailed measurements and photos of the project space and bring in any subcontractors (trades) that are needed for your project.

During Trade Day, we'll review your wish list and needs with each of the trades who will be involved and ask them to quote their portion of the work. With their feedback, we'll be able to generate a much more accurate budget, and a clearer understanding of any potential issues that impact our overall plan.

Trade Day will take place about 2-3 weeks after our consultation and usually requires 4-6 hours, depending on the extent of the work planned for your project.

Making a Plan

After trade day, we'll create your design plan, down to the specific items we'll use.

Depending on your project's scope of work, we'll need 6-8 weeks to create the design plan. This may seem like a long time, but we don't want to rush this stage of the process. Having several weeks to shop for products, and consider different solutions for your design challenges means you'll end up with something that really meets your needs well and wasn't just us settling for the first ideas and first products we found.

During this period, we will be collecting specific choices for materials, furnishings, and décor, as well as continuing to evaluate any floor plan revisions or subcontractor challenges that arose from Trade Day. During that time, we will be reaching out periodically to ask questions about your preferences and schedule a day to present the design plans and final budget, which will have been worked out with the specific products identified.

At your design presentation meeting, we'll sit with you and take the time to go through every detail of your design plan, from the layout and colors, to each of the product selections. We want to be able to show you the entire plan as a whole, making sure no detail was forgotten, and that you love the look and price of everything on the plan. If anything isn't exactly as you'd like, we'll present alternates and revisions, as necessary. We can also re-evaluate priorities and breaking your project into phases, if that helps with scheduling or budgeting. At this meeting, we'll finalize your design plan, pending any updates that are needed, and we'll collect a deposit for everything that needs to be purchased so that we can place orders right away and get the ball rolling.

After purchase orders have been placed for everything needed for your project, we'll develop an estimated calendar for installation. Of course delays happen, but the idea is to establish at this point if there are any known product delays or subcontractors that are unavailable for any reason.

Seeing it come together

We're nearly there! We've met, we've budgeted, we've planned, we've ordered, and now, we're ready for installation!

This is the best part! And also the most stressful. This final step is the payoff for months of planning and it is when we all get to see the design come to life!

During the procurement period, we'll work with you to schedule tradespeople and materials or product deliveries. Depending on your preferences, we can complete the prep work needed to get the space ready for your new design and then hold off on bringing in the furniture and décor until the end, or we can deliver those items in stages.

Whichever way you choose, we will likely need a few days for bringing in your new products, arranging them, and doing touchups and addressing any issues that might be lingering. It is great if you can plan to be away from the house for part or all of the installation and decorating, because then you get that amazing TV-worthy reveal, but of course it's up to you to make that call when the time comes.

Once your project is all set, a cleaning crew and photographer will be brought in.

Included in our services is a professional cleaning of the space, so you are left with a beautiful home that's ready to use. We also want to make sure we can capture the amazing transformation of your space with professional photographs. This step is so vital to our business, but often gets missed if it isn't scheduled right away after a room has been finished. So as we're nearing completion for your project, we'll want to get at least 3 days set on your schedule for the final installation and touchups, the cleaning, and the photography, ideally all within a single week so we can wrap up the project efficiently and leave you to enjoy your home without further interruptions.