OUR PROCESS
If you’ve never hired a designer before, you’re not alone! Many of our clients are new to this and aren’t sure what to expect. On top of that, nearly every designer has their own way of approaching this work, so even if you HAVE worked with designers in the past, it is highly probable that HDC does things differently.
Admittedly, we didn’t always have great processes. The learning curve was rough until Brittany found an amazing mentor (who runs a successful interior design firm) who shared her processes, which she perfected over decades of experimenting. Now that we have the cheat codes, we follow a standard internal process for all of our projects, ensuring a great customer experience for everyone who works with us. Read on to learn what to expect when you hire HDC for your project.
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GETTING STARTED
First, let us know that you're interested in working with us on your next project. You can use the Contact Us page or send an email, text, or call. We aren't picky.
DISCOVERY CALL &
IN-HOME CONSULTATION
Before we can commit to your project, we need to know the top-level details, such as your expected timeline, budget (if you have one already), and what you want us to do for you. We’ll share a bit about how we work and what to expect, and if all of our respective needs align, we’ll schedule a visit to get started.
If your project location is not accessible (maybe it’s a new build and not finished, maybe it’s a vacation home in Colorado, maybe it’s a rental property that currently has tenants)— that’s okay. We can get a lot of the information we need from photos and we’re creative enough to work around these types of obstacles.
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PROJECT PROPOSAL & CONTRACT
Once we’ve discussed your project goals thoroughly, we’ll prepare a proposal outlining the scope of work and estimated design and implementation fees.
If everything looks good to you, we’ll each sign a Client Services Agreement (a contract). This document clarifies our respective responsibilities throughout the project and includes our pricing and the precise scope of work you’re hiring us to do. Our contract is thorough, ensuring everyone knows what to expect before we start. It makes the whole process so much smoother for everyone.
(Not all designers use contracts, but if you’re considering a major investment like this with someone who doesn’t have a thorough contract, you may want to proceed with caution… just saying.)
Once we’ve officially agreed to do business, we’ll get to work developing your design plans.
Depending on the size of your project, this usually takes up to 3 months to complete. It will feel like forever to you, but it’s a lot of work, so it takes a while. It’s also important not to rush this because the longer we have to noodle on your project, the more ideas we get, and sometimes the best solutions come only after weeks of thinking, researching, and dreaming about your project.
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We start with Trade Day when we measure the project space and invite several tradespeople and support businesses (like window treatment vendors, for example) to see your property and provide quotes for their portion of the work.
At this stage, we’ll create floor plans and source specific products for your design. We’ll order material samples and create mood boards to show you how everything works together.
If we’re creating photorealistic renderings for your project, we’ll also be working on them during this stage.
5 | DESIGN PRESENTATION & REVISIONS
Once we finish the plans, we’ll present everything to you, including the trade quotes we collected and product options. You’ll get a full price list of everything we’ve specified so you can decide if you want to make changes, knowing exactly what each part costs.
Our aim is to understand your priorities so well that our first draft of the design plan hits the mark just right, but we also know that there are bound to be things you’ll want to change to one degree or another. We want you to love your home, so this is when we’ll work with you on revising the plans until everything is just how you want it to be.
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Once you’ve approved the design plans, we’ll start booking trades and placing orders for your products.
Depending on the extent of your project and the type of products we’re using, the procurement phase may take 2-6 months. In some cases, we may have even longer lead times on products, but we will check with you early on to determine if you’re comfortable waiting on custom order items with long lead times.
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RENOVATION TIME
If your project involves renovations, now is the time. If your project is just furnishings & decor, you can skip right on to the next step!
FURNITURE & DECOR INSTALLATION
At this point, we highly recommend our clients stay away from the project areas so you can get the best experience possible: that classic TV surprise!
We’ll schedule furniture and decor delivery and get to work setting up your new spaces.
You will have already seen and approved purchases of large items like furniture and rugs, but the accessory items will be a surprise. We’ll use what you already have and then supplement it with new items, which you can choose to keep or not. This allows us to set up your home in a fully picture-perfect state without committing you to purchasing things you’ve never seen before.
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CLEANING & PHOTOS
It’s time to get our mess all cleaned up so you can come back home to a ready-to-use space.
This is also when we bring in a photographer for our “after” photos of your home. It’s much easier to snap these now than after you’ve settled back in.
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It’s time for the big reveal!!
Come back and ooh and ahh as much as you want! We love to see our clients’ reactions when they see their new living space!
11 | WALKTHROUGH & PUNCHLIST
As awesome as it would be to call our work done at this point, real life is that there will always be some little things that need to be revisited. After you’ve been back in your space for a few days, we’ll schedule a time to walk through the project areas with you and make a list of every single little thing that needs attention. Maybe we patched a hole but forgot to paint back over it, or perhaps the nightstand we ordered has a crack and needs to be replaced. Whatever it is, we aren’t walking away until we’ve resolved everything.
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PROJECT FINALIZING
After everything has been tended to, we’ll reconcile invoices and payments. We’ll also create a project summary file for you, including all relevant material specifications, contact information for the trades who worked on your project, and a financial summary.
AS YOU CAN SEE, THIS PROCESS ISN’T AS SIMPLE AS PICKING OUT A FEW THINGS TO DECORATE A ROOM
Design projects are a collaborative effort between the client and design team and require a lot of effective, reciprocal communication, planning, and scheduling. We all want your home to turn out the way you imagine it and be a place you can't wait to show off to friends and family (and a place WE can't wait to show off, too!), but this isn’t a quick process, so plan for this to take a handful of months from start to finish. It may seem like forever, but it's so worth it in the end!
