Clients hire us to bring their vision to life! However, we need to effectively communicate the design that is in our heads and share that information in a clear and meaningful way to our clients (and contractors and tradespeople too…). We use a number of different communication tools in order to do this.
Whenever possible, we prefer to review these items in person with our clients instead of just sending them out for them to review on their own. We believe having a discussion while reviewing the below communication tools, we are able to tackle questions and hesitations quicker, leading to fewer delays in a project.
We also find that once clients hear our rationale behind our inspired design, they often agree with the choices we make (after all, this is our expertise and all design decisions are made with thought and reason behind them). If clients just see the drawings and don’t know the reason behind the design, they often have more questions than answers.
FLOOR PLANS
For anyone unfamiliar with what a floor plan is, it is a bird’s eye view of the whole space that we are looking to update or create. Items that are dotted lines or lighter lines tend to be items that will be at least 4’ above the floor (upper kitchen cabinets for instance), whereas anything with dark bold lines indicate items you would see below 4’ (such as lower kitchen cabinets). We always walk through the floorplan with each client so they can understand why we made the decisions we did and share any pertinent information regarding our design plan.
ELEVATIONS
Elevations are a great tool to share elements that may not be visible or clear on an overhead floorplan. Elevations are drawn as if you are standing head on and are looking straight at a building or interior surface. This is often the case in kitchens, bathrooms, fireplace features or built ins and tile plans.
REFLECTED CEILING PLAN (RCP)
We include lighting plans for all renovation or new build projects. Planning out lighting is a strategic process and we always go through the floorplan to determine the best placement for any general/overhead, task or ambient lighting based on the client’s needs.
3D RENDERINGS
We are very excited to offer 3D renderings in our studio. These drawings, while they take a little more time to create, can be very helpful to clients who are having trouble visualizing the overall feel/look of the design. We can utilize 3D drawings to share textures, colours, materials and provide an overview of what they can expect the space to look like after it is complete. It is important to remember however, that a drawing can never 100% replicate the end result and that these tools are used to share conceptual ideas.
FURNITURE INVESTMENT ESTIMATE
When our clients mention any furnishings they may need as part of their project, we add all that information to our furniture investment estimate. This document shows the entry, mid and high level options for furniture so clients can see what they can expect to spend on furniture for their home.
SAMPLES AND FLAT LAYS
Whenever possible, we aim to have samples in person for our clients to touch and feel. When sourcing items for a kitchen for example, we receive samples of cabinetry, countertops, backsplash tile etc. For furniture and decor, we like to show samples of fabrics for furnishings as well as wallpaper samples in person as this is always the best way to determine if these items will work for you.
FINAL THOUGHTS
We always strive to complete a thorough analysis of our client’s needs and wants so that when we do share the design with our clients, they are ready to move forward and feel excited about their new home coming to life. We aim to surprise and delight each client with our design plan and when we utilize all of these communication tools, our clients feel informed and ready to make decisions about their projects.
If you have a topic you would like to learn more about on our blog, email info@amrdesign.ca with your suggestion!
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