Although the design and construction industries are still booming in Cranbrook, it’s spring and that always brings a renewed interest in home and design. You may be interested or considering a spring refresh for your home. If that sounds like you but you’re not sure where to start I’m breaking down my consultation process today.

Regardless of whether you only need a bit of advice or you want to embark on a full renovation or build, you’ll always begin with a consultation when we work together.

Are There Different Types of Consultations?

I offer 2 types of consultations in my business because some clients just need a helping hand while others need a good starting point to embark on a full-service project together.

The Stand-Alone Consultation

This is a 2-hour work session and they tend to be much more specific in nature. During this type of consultation I’m giving actionable advice without the plan of going back to your home. After the 2 hours you’ll have the answers you were looking for and you’ll be ready to proceed on your own.

Who Can Benefit from a 2-Hour Design Work Session?

You’re building a new home
You’re renovating your current home
You need help with furnishings
You need help with paint colours (interior and exterior)
You’re a DIY’er but need help creating a plan
You don’t know what you need but would love some professional advice

What We Can Accomplish During This 2-Hour Consultation?

I’ll answer your questions & offer you practical, professional advice & tips on anything from paint colours to fixed finish options, space planning, lighting ideas and window coverings. Have your notepad ready because this will be a jam packed design session with a lot of information coming your way.

If you aren’t confident or don't have the time to move forward on your own, you may then choose to have me come up with a design plan for you.

Tools I Bring to Help Us During the Consultation

Samples of fabrics, paint, tile, counter tops, window coverings etc. I’ll figure out what to bring based on the answers from your personalized questionnaire.

The First Step Consultation

The second option is a consultation which acts as a first step to a bigger project. These consultations are more general in nature because we’re just starting to explore the parameters of your project. It’s a way to explore the scope of work and start to prioritize what will be done over the course of the project.

Typically I have clients create a list of questions that they want to address in the first meeting. Usually at this early stage there are a lot of questions so I like to use this as an opportunity to answer those questions. The most common concerns during this stage is confusion around space layouts, the best materials for their space and addressing budget questions. We can also start a conversation around vendors we’ll be using on the project.

How Do We Begin?

I offer a complimentary 15-minute telephone consultation for everyone who is considering working with me. During this call, I ask questions that allow me to gather more information about the project. I’ll share with you how we could work together, what my work entails as well as my rates.

If this seems like a lot of information to pack into a 15-minute call, you’re right. I have the advantage of having done so many of these over the years that I’ve been able to create an efficient system and get all the information I need in this short time.

What Happens After the Discovery Call?

If you indicate that you’re interested in moving forward in working together after the discovery call, I’ll start by sending you a questionnaire. This is designed to have you answer questions about your lifestyle as well as your design preferences. Don’t worry, you don’t need to have a clear picture of what you want in your future home. I just want to understand your basic preferences when it comes to colour, fabrics, tiles, etc.

I’ll also send you a Welcome Package. This will outline in greater detail all the important facts you need to have about my business. I detail my rates, hours and give you a breakdown of how I work with my clients.

You can send me a few photos of your home so I have an idea before our consultation of the space. I also ask that you share some inspiration photos of spaces you like. These could be digital images from google or Pinterest or they can be clippings from magazines.

Now we’re ready for the consultation!

The Results Speak For Themselves

Every consultation will have a different outcome because every home and every client is unique. Having said that, there are results that I achieve consistently and these are always so satisfying for my clients. These are some of my favourite outcomes:

Being able to complete floor plans and include actual furniture dimensions. This allows my client to begin the shopping process with the utmost confidence that they’re buying the correct size and that each piece will look great in the assigned location.

Creating a renovation budget including breaking down the cost by category. Most often clients don’t have the information to be able to assess what their renovation will cost. I can go through each item and attach price tags to help you understand real life costs. This type of consultation can be very educational and will often be the deciding factor on whether to renovate now or later.

A thorough review of the materials my clients have chosen for their renovation. I’ve helped so many clients from making big mistakes in their finish selections. The most common culprit for this mistake is undertone clashes or pattern clashes.

If you want to learn more about undertones you can read my posts on undertones that are present in white, gray and beige.

How Do I Pay for a Consultation?

Once the consultation is booked, I follow up with an email that includes the Welcome Package, the appointment day and time and a link to the 2-hr Design Work Session package for purchase through Mydoma.

Payment is due no later than 24 hours prior to the consultation. If payment remains unpaid at that time, the consultation will be cancelled.

Can Consultations Be Done Via Zoom?

I have conducted many of my consultations via Zoom. One of the most common reasons is that a client lives outside of the Cranbrook area but has a project happening locally. Usually this would be a secondary home like a vacation home.

Others who are outside my local area may just want general advice for their project. They’re interested in gathering information on the best materials for their project, need assistance with space planning or require a review of their new build plans.

Regardless of why zoom is required, it works just as effectively as if I were in your home.

What Happens After a Consultation?

For stand alone decorating consultations, I leave some time at the end to write point form notes on what we have discussed. These notes are left with you for your reference.

If the consultation is for the purpose of picking my brain and you have a lot of general questions, I’ll ask you to take notes. This allows me to focus on answering your questions without getting held up in writing answers.

Finally, I’ll leave you with one of my eBooks to use as a reference. I also leave you with furniture dimensions for the space as well as vendors I recommend.

When the consultation is a first step to a bigger project these are the next steps for me.

Create a new profile for you in Mydoma. This is my project management software that both clients and I use throughout our work together.

I’ll prepare a Scope of Work for you to review.

I’ll create a Letter of Agreement that includes an estimate of my design fees for the project.

We’ll set up our next appointment. Depending on what the project is, I may need to visit your home again to take dimensions that are used to create renderings. If renderings aren't required we may arrange to meet at a retail space to choose materials for a renovating project. We can also work on creating mood boards for decorating projects.

I hope this information helps you to feel more clarity on how much we can accomplish during a consultation. If you have any questions, please feel free to contact me anytime. I’d love to hear from you!

Warm regards,

Adrienne

What We Can Achieve During a Design Consultation