If you have ever worked with an interior designer before, you understand it’s a long-lasting, collaborative relationship requiring good communication, patience, and openness to new ideas.
Just as it is important for a homeowner to find an interior designer who is a good fit with their personality as well as their design aesthetic, interior designers also have a process for determining if a project will be a good fit for their company. As a small boutique firm, we take on a limited number of projects each year to allow us to fully support our clients and bring their vision to life and we often work with our clients for 8 months or longer. (Be sure to read our post on questions to ask your interior designer to find a good fit.) This is why it’s so important for us to make sure a project is a good fit from day one. By the time we’re revealing the finished product we’ve typically become very close with our clients, almost like family.
Here are a few things we considers before we take on a new design project for a client:
Project Type
Interior designers work on a wide range of home improvement projects, from new construction to room remodeling and kitchen and/or bath redesign to furnishings and material selections. At Forty Nine Interiors, our specialty is creating livable luxurious spaces that feel interesting yet not over-done. We have over 5 years in Alaska making these spaces come to life. Home renovations and furnishing projects are our sweet spot - we love making sure the renovated spaces and the furnishings work cohesively.
Design Style
Some homeowners prefer a traditional look in their home, while others like clean-lined contemporary furnishings. Some like a casual rustic vibe, while others relish the reemergence of the Mid-Century Modern aesthetic. There are antique lovers and others who don’t want old pieces in their home at all! In certain areas of the country, a coastal look echos the nearby shoreline and other areas play up the desert, the mountains, or the flavor of a city. Mixing varying pieces, colors, and styles in an eclectic manner is appealing to other homeowners (we love to call this look Collected or Bohemian - and there is a huge range in this category).
Forty Nine Interiors is known for our transitional eclectic design. Our signature look always includes comfy textures, interesting patterns, and simplicity. We love sourcing from a wide range of vendors, choosing items based on our client’s interest and background. Our clients are typically drawn to how we infuse a feeling into a room.
While we customize every design based on each client's style preferences, functional needs, and budget, we find that working with clients whose style aligns with ours makes for the most streamlined and enjoyable design process.
Appreciation For The Value Of Good Design
We live for helping our clients fall in love with their homes. Giving spaces new life with transformational redesigns is our specialty and we pride ourselves on making it all happen seamlessly for you. As creatives who are deeply passionate about our craft, we are committed to infusing energy and enthusiasm into every design, providing you with beautifully refined designs that not only complement your daily lifestyle but actually improve it.
We tend to work with clients who have an appreciation for thoughtful design choices. They understand there should be unity between the home’s architectural style and the contents within. They recognize a functional layout and purposeful furniture selections lend to a space that feels intentional and personal. Homeowners who relish good design realize how that translates into quality experiences and cherished time spent with family within the home. Savvy homeowners know that quality furniture pieces are a worthwhile investment because they hold up to tough day-to-day use while also providing a luxurious look and feel.
Trust
When you engage a professional to provide a service — whether it's a cleaning service to keep your home sparkling or a doctor to deliver specialized care — you likely have confidence the job will be accomplished in-line with your expectations. We always hope the clients we work with feel assured that we are devoting our expertise and knowledge toward creating an ideal space for them and their families. We want them to trust the process and know that — even if they don’t hear from us every day — we are working behind the scenes to execute their vision, which is at the forefront of every selection we make for their home When clients place their trust in us, we can perform our very best work and create the most beautiful, unique spaces.
Communication Style
The design process unfolds more seamlessly when communication between the interior designer and client is open, timely, and respectful. We want our clients to feel comfortable expressing their thoughts, ideas, and concerns with us, and it’s what we’ve built our entire design process around: proactive and well-planned communication. We have milestone meetings during the design phase and we send weekly email updates once project management is underway.
Efficient Decision Making
Executing a design project typically requires a lot of decisions. The faster and more confidently decisions can be finalized, the more efficiently the project can move forward. This means a homeowner should give thorough consideration to the scope of their project right at the onset or even before the project is launched.
When both the client and the interior designer have an aligned and clear vision for desired project outcomes, the project can progress more seamlessly. After 10 years of creating designs for clients, we’ve honed our design process so our clients aren’t involved in the million and one decisions required to bring their vision to life. We present to them only the most critical decisions and provide them with ALL the information they need to make the best decision for their home. Experience tells us that when our clients place their trust and confidence in our abilities and skills to execute a cohesive and thoughtful design, the design and implementation phases are much more enjoyable and efficient for everyone involved.
Photography Opportunities
You may have reached out to us because you were impressed with the photos you saw on our website. Those photos are of full-service projects we have completed for other clients. At the end of each full-service design project, when everything is installed and looks perfect, we bring in our professional photographer to photograph our projects so we can use these photos in our portfolio and marketing.
Professional photographs of completed homes are the very best way for us to showcase our work and our design skills, and posting photos of our completed full service projects is key to our business growth.
Professional Collaborations
Interior designers often collaborate with architects, contractors, carpenters, artisans, tradespeople, vendors and suppliers, and others. As a designer who has been doing full-service design in Alaska for 5 years, we have had the pleasure of working with many talented industry professionals. During our initial call, we'll talk through who you've already contracted and are happy to share recommendations once we’ve been hired for your project and have a full understanding of your needs.
We think about so much when we meet with potential clients to discuss their homes. We believe that the success of our projects (for both us and our clients) is directly tied to the time we spend making sure a project is a good fit.
We know you have choices when it comes to designing and furnishing your home, and we’d love to see if we’d be a good fit for your project. Learn more about working together by filling out our Project Inquiry Form.