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Behind The Design Process: The Initial Consultation

Updated: Jan 18, 2024

Do you have a new home or a home renovation on your mind for this year? If so, this next blog post series will be a great starting point in helping you understand the process of working with a full service interior design firm, like AMR Design.


Our process is the same for each project and this allows us to provide the same exceptional

service to each client who hires our firm. We believe that by creating a tried and true process, our clients will know what to expect throughout their design journey, our firm members effectively work through your project by following a system, and we increase the overall value in our industry.



If you are curious about whether we are the firm for you, we suggest filling out our INQUIRY form. By filling out our form we will gather some general information about your project expectations and what you are looking for in your design needs. Once we receive your form our Principal Designer, Brenda, will review it and get back to you within 48 business hours. During this discovery call Brenda can answer your questions about getting started. She will also provide a brief overview of our process and what to expect when you work with an Interior Designer and answer any questions you have about the process, budgeting, timelines, etc.


These questions help us learn more about our clients so that we can solve their needs effectively. The next piece of this discovery mission happens when our clients book an initial consultation, where we do a deep dive into our clients lifestyle and pain points. This meeting launches the project.



 

WHAT'S INCLUDED IN THE INITIAL CONSULTATION?


After the discovery call conversation, once we have determined that we are a good fit, the next step is the initial consultation. This appointment lasts up to two and a half hours. This is a working session where we provide you with valuable and expert guidance, ideas, and information to get you on the right track with your project.


Our Principal Designer and Project Lead will meet you in your home (or our studio if your home isn’t built yet) and we will get to work learning all about you and your design needs. We want to know about how your home functions now, and how you hope it will function in the future. We will go over our agreement with you and answer any questions you may have about the process, our fees, etc. so we can start our relationship off with transparency.


WHAT TO EXPECT DURING YOUR INITIAL CONSULTATION


STEP 1: GETTING TO KNOW YOU

When we first arrive, we will sit down together to get a general overview of your design needs. We take a deep dive into your life and lifestyle in your home to understand your challenges, requirements, needs and wants for your space. This is the time to tell us what works in your home and what doesn't. You can also ask any questions you may have about renovating, construction, or design. Feel free to make a list of questions ahead of time so you don’t forget to discuss your important talking points.




STEP 2: HOW CAN WE HELP


Depending on your design needs, we can provide recommendations on where to start the project. We find that we offer the best value when we can make an impact in a room or space from start to finish. Doing bits and pieces in several rooms may cost the same as finishing one room, however it doesn’t give the best value for the design investment, nor does it provide you with the fully finished space you have in mind. Once we understand your design needs, we can coach you on the phasing recommendations we have to align with your goals. We have several clients who have worked with us over a number of years to phase the renovation of their current home into one of their dreams.


STEP 3: HOME TOUR


After we have reviewed the goals for your home, we will take a house tour. Do not be surprised if we end up in areas that aren’t part of the initial project scope, as we like to see the whole home.


This helps us see different facets of your style, and starts conversations about what you like and dislike. Knowing your likes and dislikes are equally important when creating a design plan. Don’t feel the need to tidy up before our consultation! We can see through boxes, construction, and messy countertops. We promise that we won’t make judgements about your housekeeping. As a matter of fact, messy countertops or items out of place tell us that storage needs to be addressed. So don’t worry. Relax. We are here to help organize your life and tame the chaos.



STEP 4: UNDERSTANDING THE AGREEMENT


After we have had a chance to view your home and make our overall recommendations, we will

sit back down together to discuss our agreement. During this time, we will go over the agreement with you page by page and answer any questions you may have about our process, fees, retainer, etc. It is important that you are not distracted during this time as it is necessary to understand how we work and what you can expect from us. Our firm sends lots of practical information to our clients to keep them informed on their project, but in order for that information to be useful, our clients need to be intentional about reading and digesting the information. This is your investment and your project - it is important that you are involved.


WHY DO YOU CHARGE FOR AN INITIAL CONSULTATION?


Our services and experience are an investment and a part of that is gathering information, performing analysis, determining needs, and developing the criteria for a design project. We like to be as open as we can during an initial consultation and we offer specific, expert design advice as we see fit. We also spend time prior to your initial consultation on administrative duties to get your set up in our system so we are prepared to meet you.



 

NEXT STEP: CONCEPTUAL DESIGN


The next step in our process is where the dream starts to take shape: Conceptual Design. If you are interested in having a discovery call with our principal designer, please click here to complete our inquiry form





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