Shame on me, where have I been?! Busy creating beautiful spaces of course! There are a few projects that I’ve been working on with clients that are coming to an end, others that are in mid-renovation phase and some that have just gotten underway. In this post I want to share with you Continue reading “Traditional Living on the Lakeshore”
See Your Room Design Before You Renovate
Have you ever wondered how great it would be to visualise your space before you actually go through with a costly renovation? This is exactly what I have been busy creating for many clients & let me tell you, they get really excited to see their dreams come to life before their eyes! Continue reading “See Your Room Design Before You Renovate”
How to Avoid Costly Mistakes When Choosing Finishes
Choosing finishes for a renovation or decorating project can be a daunting and overwhelming experience for many home owners. As with anything, frustration arises and costly mistakes are made when we are confused about where to start the process and feel pressured to make quick decisions. So where does one begin when faced with this dilemma? Continue reading “How to Avoid Costly Mistakes When Choosing Finishes”
My Birthday and Family Day Weekend
Happy Family Day!! I hope you are having a wonderful weekend with your family and spending some quality time with the ones you love. Continue reading “My Birthday and Family Day Weekend”
The Toronto Furniture Show – What’s New in Interior Design?
Wow, what a busy start to the new year! There is a lot going on this month with client projects and Design Trade shows that its going by so fast. How is your start to 2014?
On Monday of last week I attended TCHFM, The Canadian Home Furnishings Market and there was plenty to see. Continue reading “The Toronto Furniture Show – What’s New in Interior Design?”
Happy New Year from The Jeffords
I hope you had a great Holiday Season with those who are most important to you. We went to the cottage for Christmas, did plenty of tobogganing and way too much eating! But it was sooo nice to be with the family, play with the kids and witness the beauty of the Kawarthas. Continue reading “Happy New Year from The Jeffords”
Christmas Decorating Tips Not to be Missed!
We always seem so suprised when we turn our calendar to the month of December and then panic sets in when we realise Christmas is just around the corner. I guess it’s because our lives are non-stop crazy busy that when it arrives, we can’t understand how an entire year has nearly passed us by…again!
Continue reading “Christmas Decorating Tips Not to be Missed!”
Hiring a Decorator vs Working with an In- Store Designer
Recently I’ve had conversations with people inquiring about how my services differ from retailers or bath and kitchen galleries that offer ‘free’ in-house design services. This is a great question and I thought the topic was worthy of a blog post.
Here are some key points to consider
Meetings in Your Home
An in-store designer might come to your home once, but prior to this brief meeting you may need to agree to spend a minimum amount to ensure the ‘free’ design service will be beneficial to the retailer.
For me, it’s important that I get to know my clients so I can understand and assess their needs accurately prior to putting together a plan. There is no maximum allowance on the number of visits we have together and I always make the most of our time to ensure clients are receiving great value during each meeting.
Client Anne Marie’s living room before she hired me:
Living Room After:
My lovely client Anne Marie wrote this as part of her testimonial:
“Claire listened to our requests, she really gets to know her client and their final goal. We were extremely pleased with the end result and feel that our home has been transformed with a more modern look yet one that reflects our personal tastes. Claire, you not only fit the bill to work with but the rooms are perfect!”
Building long lasting relationships
Once we’ve worked together on one project, clients count on me and my trustworthy tradespeople for future projects. A key benefit for my clients is that I already understand their style and needs because of the relationship we have built with one another.
If we work together on a bathroom or kitchen design, I will still be there for you should you decide to redecorate your living room, create a sanctuary in your master bedroom or renovate your basement.
In this clients home (below) I was hired to help them with design work for their entire second floor. The project included a full bathroom renovation, a redesign of a spare room into a lounge closet and a custom bed/shelving design in their master bedroom.
The Personal Touch
When you work with me, I personally responds to your questions and resolve any issues that may arise so you will never be passed on to another staff member. I am invested in my clients and my company, so unless there is a major catastrophe I will always be here for you.
Giving you flexibility
When you work with an in-store designer they will try to get you to purchase everything through them. The ‘free’ service depends on the majority or all the items coming from their store.
For my clients even though I have preferred suppliers that I work with regularly, that’s not to say we can’t go elsewhere to purchase items as well. I can shop with you anywhere to give you that one of a kind look. If there is something you wish to repurpose or upcycle, I can offer you ideas for that too.
If something works, it works. If it doesn’t fit in, I’ll be honest and let you know.
After Care is Key
I follow up with each client whether they hire me for a full renovation or a two hour consultation. Their feedback allows me the opportunity to review my processes and make improvements if necessary. I like to keep in touch with my clients and do follow up calls periodically so we can catch up and to ensure they are still happy with the space we created for them.
When their living room makeover was complete, I sat down with clients Dorothy and Geoffrey who had this to say about working with Creating Contrast Designs:
“Several tradespeople were involved in this transformation and Claire took the responsibility of liaising with them and overseeing their workmanship which saved us numerous hours of searching for workmen and checking their credentials. Claire was very easy to work with, she always listened to our viewpoints and worked efficiently at all times.”
You can see more of what my clients have had to say here on my website or go to my profile page on houzz to check out my reviews there. I’m very happy with my consistent 5 star rating!
Final Thoughts
With retailers offering this ‘free service’ it makes my job and the role of other fabulous entrepreneurs in my field very difficult. Any way you slice it, the service is not free, nor should it be considered as such when you stop to think about how hard we work and that our passion for this industry and pleasing our clients knows no boundaries.
What you need to decide is which type of service will work better for you. Also, be sure to choose a design professional whose personality and aesthetic style suits you best.
If you have questions about hiring an Interior Decorator, check out my FAQ page or feel free to leave me a comment below, I’d love to hear your thoughts.
Think I might be the right fit to help you with your next renovation project? Let’s talk! You can e-mail me direct from here or call me at 905-581-0776.
Looking for the perfect Christmas Gift? Now Available – Gift Certificates for Design and Colour Consultations are now available from Creating Contrast Designs. Click here to learn more.
THREE STEPS TO SIMPLIFY YOUR NEXT RENOVATION PROJECT
Last month I attended a seminar on kitchen design where this shocking statistic was revealed:
Ten years ago a consumer looking to redesign their kitchen would go to three different locations, over a three month period and then decide on the best way to move forward with their renovation.
Today, however, statistics reveal that the average consumer goes to nine different locations over a nine month period and only sometimes make a decision to renovate. Why is this?
Information overload! With the overwhelming information available on the internet as well as the infinite number of images on google, houzz and pinterest, it’s no wonder there is mass confusion.
For example, I came across this article on houzz which I thought was well worth the read, but what totally annoyed me was the following caption:.
Seriously? Is it necessary to mention ‘2 million’ photos? The thought of having to browse even a hundred photographs with no filter frightens me and I’m a decorator.
With so much information at our fingertips, how can we possibly be expected to make decisions when there is no end to the resources of where we can search?
It’s not only in design, it’s in everything we do and I feel your pain.
Just last week I had a mini melt down because I worried I was not active enough on social media. I finally came to the conclusion that it’s impossible to keep up with all the on line sites, manage a business, be a mother and wife, as well as run a home. Unless of course I was to clone myself…
My point is that our world today is what it is, with constant and readily information everywhere. We carry cell phones, ipads and have lap tops and computers. This will not change, so we must change if we are to move forward and accomplish anything.
So how can you stay focused?
Here’s three tips to ease the frustration of your next renovation or decorating project.
1) Establish your budget and start date. Your investment amount will largely impact how you choose to carry out the project and where you source items. Setting a start date will help motivate you and focus your efforts.
2) Have a few inspirational pictures. When I say a few, I mean no more than six per project. Specify what you love about each space – flooring; backsplash; wall colour; etc. Refer to these when sourcing materials so you get the look you want, just make sure they all work together.
The houzz website is a great way to do this. Click here to see how I’ve created tons of Ideabooks with plenty of inspriation.
3) Limit where you source your products. Educate yourself on the pros and cons of the materials you wish to use and shop with retailers whom you trust. The budget that you established in Step 1 will influence whether you go custom, use big box stores, or a mix of both.
How will I handle my own stress? I need to focus too! Facebook and houzz are my target areas for social media. I am revamping my ideabooks on houzz and would love if you followed me there to see what great inspiration I am finding from great designers all over the world.
Facebook is my favourite way to stay connected both socially and professionally. Please like me on facebook here and you’ll receive regular great tidbits of money saving advice and of course, lots of pretty pictures.
If you haven’t done so already, be sure to sign up to my newsletters and posts (top right). The first article you will receive is called ‘How to choos the RIGHT paint colour the FIRST time’ – I break it down for you in just five easy steps! Don’t miss it.
If your place could use a little ‘pick me up’ or an entire overhaul, call me for a consultation. Let me turn your decorating experience into a positive one. Contact me here.
