I have had friends grab me by the arm and say; “Oh, Brad, I just met your Next Client!!  They are super-rich!!!” and I’m always perplexed by this. The truth is, that money has very little to do with the idea of hiring a designer.  One must CARE about Design, and CARE to create beauty in their lives.  Keep in mind that home furnishings come in many price levels.

But, for the most part, my Clients and I must share a love for design.  That has to come first, before all things.

• Involve me early. If you have hired an architect, then you should also have a designer involved. The teamwork and synergy with these two people will effect; style, themes, spacial relationships, views and many more things, that will deeply impact how you move about, function, and indeed live in your space. Do not bring in your designer at the end when “It’s all finished”, and expect our talents to shine.

• Know that, while fine decorating is what we end with, and do well, it’s always best when we have laid foundational work in the design phase, such as; Interior Architecture, Proxemics, Holistic design elements, Transitional spaces, Sight lines, Integration of systems, Lighting, HVAC and indeed plumbing are systems we prefer to be involved in, allowing more seamless placement of things at the end. (should we place floor outlets where we are floating furniture items?)

• There is a balance of sharing ideas, (such as showing me images of things you like) but my talent is to envision your spaces in a way that you probably have not thought of yet - as I start to imagine the spaces for you.   

• Because I can see a world you can’t yet – It’s helpful to let me percolate and think about your life, your priorities and many, many elements that shape your life and how you live, as this will later affect the design in profound ways.  

• You will be able to give me feedback on the individual items that make up the design of your spaces, and on pricing, and colour, and details and everything, It is always based around your approvals. However, this is not a transactional process - rather, it’s a personal and involved method to bring about a high level of value and satisfaction. I don’t perform very well if all we are looking for is the basic furniture purchase.

• The part you will not need to give me feedback about is the quality of the design itself. It’s my job to do all the design work, so that the stress is not on you. Our approach does include your deep involvement at the foundation, and sequentially builds upon your approvals to create a signature look unique to you, and your values.

• Be honest during these early meetings, and all meetings. If at our meetings, I ask for direction - and you wish to have an English Pub, and upon presentation refine your thoughts to change the design to Urban Lounge, this causes the design work and fees to start all over again, and leaves several of us unhappy. I will offer you several versions of an “English Pub”, but usually a few versions that are your type of pub, and avoid literal interpretations if I can.

• If at the beginning, you are unsure of what style or look you would like, I am well trained to bring out “your style”, and we can easily work together to determine your style and preferences. 

  • If you are looking for someone to just validate your ideas on the design you have in your mind, I would not be the right person for this.  I am the one who will come up with the way you will engage with your new space, how you will function, live, and feel once you are in the space.  

  • If you are seeking a design that you can later go out and shop for, then please be up front about this.  Realising at the culmination of the presentation that the items are specific, sourced just for you, and hard to find, it derails the project if then, you to say you suddenly do not like the look. Let me know on the front end what you desire, I can almost always accommodate.  

  • Be honest with me about your budget. Sometimes I have Clients express (a valid) concern of; “I’m afraid you won’t respect my budget…” My response is always the same; “I will be as respectful of your budget, as you are to share it.” The truth is that many people are just not sure what things cost, or what things “should” cost, and therefore have trepidation about sharing what funding to think about. In the end, it does not matter- in the sense that if you share with me that you have $800,000 to use for the project, and then as we start, change that to $100,000, then so be it. The budget is the budget. It does not need to reflect how much money you have.

  Somewhat tongue-in-cheek, but an interesting concept of a creative person’s fees; say, my hourly fee for designing your living room;

  • $200 - I do the design, and source items, and show you the final product.

  • $400 - I do the design, and you want to watch.

  • $500 - While I am working on the design of the project, you wish to help.

  • $700 - You wish to do the design work, and want my help.

  • $950 - You wish to do the design work, and want my approval on your work.

  • You get the idea!

• At the end of the day, as your designer, I will know many things about you, your home, your family, your lifestyle. It becomes a rather personal relationship, and because there is never any judgement, you will become more comfortable to share things that may transcend “decorating”, but really help me understand how you live, and more importantly, how to improve how you live, and most importantly, to bring more beauty to your world. Beauty is a personal thing, and the more I understand what beauty means to you, the better I can bring this to the table.