Mediterranean Comes To Life

When Design Comes Alive- Quand le design prend vie!

Cuisine avec salle à manger adjacente qui avait besoin d'amour.
Kitchen with adjacent dining room that was in need of love.

‪#‎phancydesign‬ ‪#‎interiordesign‬ ‪#‎renovationservices‬ ‪#‎makingoldnewagain‬‪#‎consultations‬ ‪#‎dreamboards‬ ‪#‎designscomealive‬

Your Designer Search - ABC's and 123's

Leaving your home in the hands of someone else can be a daunting task. If you are considering hiring an outside source to design/decorate/renovate your home, you have no doubt reached the level where you need change, crave new surroundings or are simply overwhelmed by the styles and choices out there. Sensory.Overload. It can happen to anyone.

My number one rule is to never, ever leave my clients to their own devices.  My greatest examples are the tile and paint stores. Where can you walk in and see SO MANY choices? It quickly gets overwhelming and sends your senses into overdrive.  Just too much to look at in one afternoon! So, I do that for you.

Whenever I can, I encourage my clients to know their ABC's and 123's.  This simple formula can help ensure a smooth process and most importantly, GREAT results.

A - Apparent: clearly visible or understood; obvious.

This is such an important part of the client relationship.  Be apparent, be open, be honest and forthright. 

Prior to picking up that phone or sending out that e-mail;

- Know what you like: Are you a traditionalist who likes warm, earthy colours and a lot of wood? Let us know.

- Know what you dislike: Do you hate the colour green and grandma's shabby chic influence on your home? Let us know.

- Know your budget: Do you have a fixed budget? Let us know.  

We don't ask about your budget so we can spend it all.  We ask about your budget so we know what we can accomplish with it.  We may ask you to consider a $1200.00 vanity, based on your tastes but if you only have $ 500 budgeted for the vanity, then we certainly have to re-evaluate that plan. Let us know.

- Know your needs: Do you need guidance only? Do you want us to "get at it" and reveal your home to you when it's completed? Do you want to be involved in every single detail or just the general terms? Let us know.

The more details we have at the start, the easier it will be to service you.

B- Bare: open to view, unconcealed, undisguised

The more open you are, the more we can accomplish together. Design is always a work in progress.  I am not there to tell you what to do. I am there to guide you and open your mind to options you may not have thought of.  You know what you like but just can't get there on your own.  THAT is ok.  I am not living in your home so can give you an impartial look at how things can be done in line with your tastes and budget. I can also tell you what will be feasible and what will be not. I can also ensure that when the time comes, the changes positively affect the value of your home.

C- Confidence: the feeling or belief that one can rely on someone or something; firm trust.

Go forward with confidence.  While entrusting your home to an outsider can be scary for some, rest assured that it is not in our best interest to displease you.  We WANT, more than anything, for you to LOVE your home. You must trust and move forward knowing that we have your best interests at heart. Lean on us, rely on us and share with us. We want you to have the home we can ALL be proud of.

1. Build a relationship

This will come, in time.  And it all comes back to how open you are.  While I would love to be a mind reader (maybe), I rely on your feedback.  We have been blessed with clients with whom we have developed real, outside of work relationships with and others we've just simply had a lot of fun working with.  I want to hear your ideas. I want to know if I am on the right track and I want to know if I've missed the boat.  It's the conversations that will keep us in motion.

2. Have patience

Good design, like good relationships, take time. I was contacted by a potential client recently who wanted her kitchen gutted and completely redesigned.  Dream project, really.  But, she called me with only a week's notice and needed it done immediately.  When I regretfully informed her that I could not meet her deadlines, the response was, "You can't take an hour to draw me up a kitchen!?"

Design drawings take time. LOTS of it. (just so you know, for next time)

While I am inspired on a daily basis, making it all come together, takes time too.

We travel. A LOT. Tile stores, paint stores, hardware stores, manufacturers, plumbing stores, lighting stores, online stores...you name it. We are out there. If you don't hear back from us immediately, don't worry. We are on it.

3. Trust

All comes back to the "C" in ABC. Go forward with confidence. While it may take time (or happen lickety-split), trust in the results.  You may not be able to envision the future space but we can and can ensure that it will all come together for you.

We will not hesitate to tell you, "No, that won't work" or "No, that's not feasible with your budget" but we will offer you alternatives to achieve what you want.

"Know what you absolutely love and what you dislike. Don't worry about how it will all fit together or if it will work. Those are challenges we are more than happy to take on for you." - Tracy Biggs, Phancy Design, Inc.

Are You A Good Client/Customer?

I wrote this back in 2012 and it is still relevant today.  Are you a good customer?

By Tracy Biggs on Saturday, July 28, 2012 at 4:43pm

Finding good craftsmen and contractors is hard work.  There are many facets to consider when hiring someone.

Reliability, quality work, prices, deadlines, just to name a few.  You want to also have a good “fit” when hiring someone.  The easiest way to ensure you get exactly what you want is to meet your contractor half way.  Be a good customer!  Here is a list of items we always appreciate;

1) If you are inviting multiple companies to quote on the work to carry out;

            A)    Be sure of what you want.  Feel free to write down everything little thing you want carried out during the course of the project.  There is no such thing as too many details! 

            B)     Ensure you are comparing apples to apples when you receive your quotes back.  Did you change your expectations between contractor A and contractor B?  Remember that your contractor is bidding on what you told him during your meeting. If anything has changed, let them know! They will be more than happy to change their quote accordingly.

            C)     It is YOUR responsibility to advise all the contractors that you had in that they did not get the job.  Your contractor has booked a spot for you in anticipation of working with you.  They cannot hold your spot forever and need to know whether you are proceeding or not.

            D)    If you have awarded a job to someone, let them know immediately.  Small companies rely on steady work to feed their families. If you wait too long, your space may be given to someone else.

2) Give them time to quote.  If you expect a competitive quote, then give them time to work on it.  "Ballpark" quoting can work against you, and your contractor.  Allow us to see the space, investigate what you need and the proper time to quote you.  This will work in your favour when there are no surprises, down the line.

3) Value your contractor's time.  They are, in most cases, providing a free quotation.  But, their time is valuable.  While it may only take them an hour to assess your property, there will be multiple hours spent on your quote, from sourcing materials to verifying pricing to admin work.  Calling in multiple contractors (3-4 is ample for comparison purposes) is wasting time that can be better spent elsewhere,

4) You MUST tell your contractor exactly what you expect from them.  A good contractor will welcome your comments and input.

5) Never choose a contractor based solely on their price and do not hesitate to ask them to justify their pricing.  If contractor A bids $ 5000 and contractor B bids $ 8500, ask them why!  They may offer superior quality, a cleaner working environment, superior materials or a more aggressive schedule.  Just ask!

6) If you are unhappy with the contractor – tell him!  Give them a chance to rectify the situation.  If they refuse to make the necessary corrections, then you have the right to complain.  If you don’t speak up, you don’t.  You have spent a lot of money and deserve to have it done right.  A concerned, proud contractor will make it right but they can’t if you don’t tell them.

7) Play fair.  Changing the scope of work part way through the project?  The price, the schedule and the accessibility of your space maybe impacted. Be prepared.

Establish a solid, working relationship with your contractor.  Communicate and don’t be afraid to ask questions, we welcome them.

8) Sign a contract.  Can't stress this enough.  Protects both your family and the contractor.  Word of mouth is wonderful until something goes wrong. Please sign a contract.

9) Enjoy the process! They want to respond to your needs. They want you to be happy.  They want to please you. Relax and enjoy the process.