Communication is vital when it comes to the design process, so at Bella Designs, we ensure that you understand upfront what you should expect as we move forward. We maintain frequent contact during all phases of your project; we are available to answer any questions that might come up and provide guidance on-demand as required. There are three important elements to our communication.
As we begin our relationship, it’s very important that you have a clear understanding of what to expect from us. There are two equally important components: financial and operational.
From a financial perspective, once we have determined the project scope, we will provide you with a contract that includes broken-out costs for our services and any required materials. Your approval of that contract will signal the official start of the project. We always want you to be clear about your financial obligations, so we will immediately contact you in the event that something changes with respect to material purchases. We will not alter your charge for our services unless the scope of the project changes from its inception. We work very hard to provide economical services, since we understand that for most people, interior design is an “extra” rather than a budget staple.
At the onset of your project, we will clearly outline what you should expect during the process and at its conclusion. The last thing we want is for you to have unrealistic expectations; this is especially important if you have never worked with an interior designer before. Since we work in a consultative manner, you will be making all decisions with respect to your project. Our role is to serve as your consultant; we will provide you with advice and recommendations, but in the end we’ll be carrying out your instructions.
Regardless of the nature of your project, there are a number of steps that must be completed to ensure your satisfaction. We will be in constant communication as we move through these steps, to make sure we remain on the same page.
This just might be the most important step of all, as it’s when we will listen to you to determine what your desires are for your project. In addition to learning about your personal tastes in areas like color and style, we’ll also want to become familiar with how you will be using the space we’re designing. The more information we have upfront, the better job we can do zeroing in on options that will delight you.
During this step, we take all the information we’ve learned from you and research the various possibilities. This may include getting fabric samples or paint chips, providing catalogs, working on schematics, and any other legwork that’s necessary to prepare you to make choices about the direction of the project.
Once you’ve made your choices, we get going to make everything happen. This includes ordering products, providing direction to a seamstress or other vendor, scheduling and overseeing installations, and basically doing what’s necessary to see your project through to completion. Depending on the complexity of your project, this may be a lengthy process—or it could happen even quicker than you imagine.
This is the time for us to review the finished product. We’ll make sure you’re happy and answer any questions you may have. Your complete satisfaction is our only goal; during this step, we want to ensure that was accomplished.
Your role in the design process is a critical one, as we will be taking our direction from you. Since you have requested our assistance, we do request that you respect our opinions and rely on our expertise. That doesn’t mean you have to agree with everything we suggest, but we’d like you to remember that our recommendations are based on our training, our understanding of your needs and taste, and what is realistically possible.
