…or maybe they will. It depends on if they are truly doing the job for you or just to make money. That’s snarky, I know, but true. I look at our profession as being like a doctor… no, not that sense …but more along the lines of something is not quite right with your home and you’re looking to a professional to help you fix it. The majority of us designer/decorator types really, truly, sincerely want YOU to be happy and we take the best approach to meet your needs. Sometimes we’re magical mind readers, sometimes we make people cry (happy tears) then, sometimes, we have to be really, really, REALLY honest.
Here are some things clients should know about our perspective of our profession:
1. Yes, we charge consultation fees on our first visit. When a person goes to the doctors’ office or calls a plumber to come visit, more than likely, that person is going to ask their opinion, pick their brain and get their professional advice for whatever needs to be fixed or adjusted. We are the same way. We love helping people, even if it’s as simple as picking a paint palette for their home. We’ve gone to school, done our training, and taken time to get to know the client and their home. So when we’ve spent an hour or two in someone’s home, the last thing we want to hear is “I can’t find my checkbook or wallet.”
2. If we meet with a client to discuss their (and their spouse’s) vision for the home then we are going to create a design or formulate a plan based on THEIR home and THEIR desires. If the mom/friend/aunt has an opinion after we’ve spent hours and hours doing work and research and the client changes her mind with every opinion the mom/friend/aunt gives, then PLEASE, hire the mom/friend/aunt to do the house. If the client wants a real design board, they have to pay extra for it. It costs us money to pull materials and the client is receiving ideas which can be used with someone else to execute.
3. TRUST US!!! We can make the space beautiful. If the we or the client does not feel a certain level of security or understanding, then it’s not going to work out, and that’s okay. If we don’t understand what a client wants for their home, it’s better for everyone if we tell them we’re not the right team for them. More importantly, it boils down to trust. First, trust that we DO want the best results for the client and will always do our best research and work. Secondly, we have to feel safe in the client’s home; likewise, the client has to feel safe with us in their home. Especially since we generally prefer no one but us in the home while we’re working. One of the reasons we like working alone, and it’s so simple, is some people (like me) like to talk …and talk…and talk, and it takes away from getting the job done. Other than conversing the day away, there’s the mess factor…
4. We always have to create a mess before we can make things beautiful. Therefore, we like to send EVERYONE out of the house for the duration of the project. (Even the friendly “spies” just coming in to walk the dog which happens to be outside in the kennel) That way, no one but us gals (or guys, depending on the project) sees the Styrofoam “boogies” sticking on our bodies when we unpack items and artwork, or the boxes - my goodness, the boxes - sometimes there are many boxes full of goodies. Finally, one of the most important factors is that we want the entire experience to be enjoyable for the client. Messiness is stressful. Having a bunch of ladies hoisting furniture up and down stairs and letting out an occasional “DANG IT” when we hit our finger on a corner is not the impression we’d like to leave you with. We are professional, but do tend to joke around while working.
5. Speaking of “dang its…” What they show on television is 30 minutes to an hour of the “highlights” and the best of the design process, and they do it, well, because it’s a show! What happens in reality is much slower – it takes a lot of time to paint, sew, drill, put together, pull together, and push around furniture 
6. No, we do NOT snoop through undies. We may joke about it, but we really don’t. Yes, we do look in closets and kitchen cabinets. We can do wonders with things a client already owns, even if they think they don’t have any “treasures” in the basement, closets or garage, we probably can find some!!! But it does takes a certain amount of money to get that huge “wow” factor, depending on what the client already owns. This is where we go shopping specifically for you and your home.
7. Sometimes we shop at Michael Thomas/Miles Talbott, other times we shop at Marshalls (and everything in between). It’s all about finding the right item for the client’s home and within the budget they give us 
8. If you call us, leave a message and we’ll call you back. Most days are spent in meetings, driving, shopping, working, and a myriad of errands which do not lend themselves to giving you the full attention and time you deserve on the phone. Additionally, I have learned that emails are the BEST way to keep up with changes, send ideas, and communicate. We want the best for the client – and what we’ve found to be the best way to keep notes in order and not lose important information is through email or written proposals.
9. Greenery, whether silk or real, does wonders. Cheese, on the other hand, is not meant to be a decorative accessory. Pam has a talent for finding dried cheese in the oddest of places. It’s okay, we’re used to finding oddities. That’s what vacuum cleaners and brooms are for.
10. If you think your spouse will react negatively to our presence, please include him in the planning process, especially before you leave town.
I hope you read all this tongue in cheek. The majority of our clients are absolutely wonderful, this top ten is based on the learning experiences we’ve encountered over the last few years. The bottom line, it is your home. It’s not a magazine prop, a television show or a museum. You live there. Your kids and pets and friends contribute to the joy and the mess of it. We get it. We live it. But, it is YOUR home. Not ours. You will benefit from our knowledge of form and function, sense of style and different perspective, but more importantly, we will not turn your home into something that is not a beautiful, well organized reflection of you and your family’s personality.
