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FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

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If you've never worked with an interior designer or it's your first time working with our firm, we understand that you probably have several questions about the design process. We've answered many frequently asked questions for you here.

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If we have not answered your questions, or you are ready to move forward, please schedule a complimentary discovery call. We would love the opportunity to speak to you further about your project!

Why should I enlist the services of an interior designer?

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Creating a unique space that feels lived-in, beautiful, and cohesive can be a lot harder than it sounds for many. Some people know what they like but have no idea where to begin, others don't even know what they like (they just know it when they see it), some have zero eye for creativity, while others' styles and desired aesthetics continue to change and evolve. Our clients come to us for a variety of reasons, but what they are all hoping to gain is the insurance that we will do it right the first time while handling the hurdles that inevitably arise, we will create a realistic investment timeline for them, and they won't have to lose sleep over every decision. At the end of the day, they are investing in a space that they will truly love for years to come- and our job is to make that happen with as little stress as possible!

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What is the first step?

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The real first step is in making the decision to invest in your home. By enlisting our services you are increasing the value of your home while creating a space that is uniquely yours that you will absolutely love to live in. Once you feel ready, set up a Discovery Call with us so that we can hear about your project, talk you through our process, and see if we feel like a good fit for each other. 

If you are ready to move forward, we will schedule your Design Starter Appointment with us from there.

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Do you offer free consultations? 

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We do not offer free in-home visits, and honestly anyone worth their snuff in this industry won't either. Why? Remember that first step about investing in your home? Trust us when we say that you get what you pay for! This first appointment isn't a pop-in for 10-15 minutes where we give you a quick estimate like many contract laborers do. This is a working appointment where we offer value through our expertise, ideas, and time (between 1-1.5 hours) that we are spending with you. We do, however, offer a complimentary 15 minute Discovery Call to make sure that we feel like a good fit before making that first Design Starter Appointment

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How do I determine the INVESTMENT for my project?

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Investment planning in Design can sometimes be a bit eye-opening for prospective clients because many people just don't realize what quality finishes, furnishings, accessories, and even the designs or labor themselves cost. It's not to say that home owners are cheap or unwilling to pay for quality design, it's more a matter of just not having the knowledge of the cost of these items. It's easy to toss out a number that "seems good enough", but without knowing the full scope, then we're just aiming in the dark without a compass.

During your Design Starter appointment, we assess the scope of work to be performed. For furnishing projects, we create a "Budget on the Fly" to give you a realistic estimate of expected costs before the project begins. For more in-depth projects or those that require construction/are more labor intensive, we may need more time outside of our meeting to research and deliver a more accurate investment breakdown for you. We would much rather take the time to come up with a realistic plan before we begin than be mid-project and run into any financial surprises from poor initial investment estimation.

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How much will our project cost?

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The Product Investment (ie finishes, furnishing, accessories etc) will be determined based on what you are hoping to achieve (see above). In terms of our Design Fees, we are a flat fee Design Firm based on scope, so we take many factors into account when determining our fees. We use the Design Starter Appointment to get our eyes on the space and get a true determination of the scope of your job and can begin to quote our fees from there. 

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For more insight into investment planning for your project, click here.

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How long will our project take?

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All projects vary greatly depending on the scope, how quickly our clients are able to make decisions, edits that may need to be made in the design process, product lead times, and how labor intensive the job might be. As a general rule, however, most furnishing projects from our Programming Phase to Purchasing Phase (note: not installation) will take about 8-10 weeks with us (obviously construction jobs take much longer). With the supply chain issues we have been experiencing, or in cases of custom furnishings, there can be quite long lead times before your items will arrive, which of course is outside of our control. Once everything is ready, received and passed inspection, we will coordinate final installation and styling to completion. While we can't guarantee timelines, we do our absolute best to stay within a reasonable timeline for you and are always transparent about where we are in the process! 

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What does "Full Service Design" mean?

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From the moment you become our client, we aim to offer superior service and quality relationships that, for us, are that "special sauce" in creating more than just beautiful designs that anyone can replicate, but also capture the true essence of who you are and the unique story that your home tells about you. From concept to completion, we are your trusted team to manage the entire design project for you. From initial concepts, design phase, and labor coordination to product procurement, quality control and installation, the BD+Co team takes care of everything. As a client, you will also have access to trade-only products that are of the highest quality in the industry. 

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I don’t need a full room design but I’d like help selecting paint colors and furniture. Do you offer these smaller services?

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We offer Standard Design Advice Sessions and E-Design Advice Sessions for jobs that do not reach our project minimum for Full Service Designs. For these smaller projects, we cover paint consultations, furniture layout, and all the "what we would do's".

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  • Have a collection of floor samples that you need to choose from and feel stuck or unsure?

  • Have a slew of paint samples all over your walls and are going cross-eyed?

  • Blank walls staring at you?

  • Layout conundrums?

  • Lighting questions?

  • Does size matter?

  • No clue what goes where? 

  • Have a frustratingly non-functional space?

       Yep, yep, yep... we cover all of this and more!

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For more info on our services and to decide which is best for you, click here.

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I don’t know what style I like. Can you help?

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Absolutely! It is our job to find what style works well with the architecture of your home, your needs for function, and your personality. While BD+Co does have a certain design aesthetic, it's also our job to stretch ourselves and find the style that works best for you. That being said, if your desired aesthetic is drastically outside of our wheelhouse, or not one that we would like to add to our portfolio, we do reserve the right to turn down the job and try and connect you with someone who may be better suited to your style. Please understand that it's nothing personal, we just want to be sure to deliver the highest quality of service to all, and if we feel that we cannot bring our very best, then we will respectfully decline the opportunity.

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What companies do you work with for trade products and furniture?

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We have access to hundreds of the highest quality trade vendors for furniture, textiles, lighting and accessories and offer a wide range of resources to make your home feel uniquely special and customized to your needs and aesthetic.

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Can you integrate my favorite pieces of furniture or my antiques into my design?
 

We sure can! We are always working to create cohesion, marrying favorite pieces that are there to stay with new pieces we will be bringing in. Our goal is to create a space that makes you love those favorite pieces even more with the right design surrounding them while offering a "curated over time" aesthetic rather than a "purchased it all from the same showroom in one day" vibe.

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