¦ The Design Source Ltd. ¦

The Benefits of Working with a Designer

We provide personal service by listening to you. Your interior design wants, needs, and desires become our sole focus and enable us to create custom design solutions for you and your family.
Our attention to detail, follow-through and accountability is unmatched.
We have a strong, 22-year history of performance and in-depth personal client stories and testimonials to share.
Our master design plans take all the guesswork out of all of the aspects of your project. This comprehensive approach to your interior design project enables you to see, touch and visualize your design and décor while giving detailed investments for all aspects of each element. The Design Source then presents to you --- your Personal Portfolio®.
Our resources are based on long-term, personal relationships with firms that have the same philosophies that The Design Source does … "Deliver the highest quality products and services for your home within your timeframe and budget, and exceed your expectations."
We create design solutions for your unusual spaces that enhance the function and beauty of your home and living environment.
Our long-term vendor relationships give you access to an incredible variety of décor including accessories, wall coverings, area rugs, flooring, furnishings, original artwork, and oil paintings.
We employ some of the most talented and skilled "color experts" in the area.
Our "team approach" is unique in that it provides you an in-depth full-service resource of renovation contractors and professionals at your fingertips.
We deliver the complete customer service that you want and need and the personalized attention that you deserve throughout the entire interior design process of your project whether it is a custom/design build, residential interior design, color consultation, or interior decorating project.
We know how to "make things happen" and also make your project "fun".

Click and view our Columns in Home Improvement & Remodeling Magazine:

It's All About the Details . . . the Interior Designer as Project Manager

As I go through my daily activities, both professional and personal, I am constantly reminded of how much change occurs during this time of the year. We tend to think of spring as the time of year for change, but as the summer months approach, I realize just how many activities and transitions we undergo as the school year ends, and the summer break begins. Whether we are busy planning the family vacation or getting the kids' softball schedules together, we spend our energy coordinating schedules to make it all come together for everyone's benefit. And as I prepare for my son's upcoming high school graduation and proms (yes--three of them!), I realize the importance of communication and advance planning.

Just as the new season requires coordinating schedules and activities for my family and home, the installation phase of home remodeling mirrors the same need for advance planning and coordination among the team members (sub-contractors). After much discussion, many meetings, and anticipation, clients are anxious to move into the next phase of their project. The old cabinets are finally going to be replaced, the new flooring is going to be installed, and the build-out designs that they've seen only in renderings will create a new look and feel in the client's home, resulting in an entirely different room or rooms. This is the exciting part of the project-making the dream become reality!

However, as anxious and excited as clients are to have a completed project, they also tend to dread this part of the project the most. After all, installation can create an interim inconvenience for them, particularly if the project involves remodeling a kitchen or bathroom. Designers recognize the stress factor associated with this stage of the project and work with clients to make the transition as seamless as possible.

The variables can sometimes seem endless when preparing for the installation. When do the old cabinets come out? When is the electrician scheduled? When will the new flooring be installed? Scheduling the sub-contractors and sequencing them correctly is vital for a stress-free installation. Although communication between the designer and the general contractor is important throughout the project, this relationship is crucial during the construction phase.

In tandem, the designer and the general contractor coordinate the project together. Like any team, each person plays a key role, contributing to the project's overall success. Occasionally though, clients question the need for the designer's involvement during the construction installation phase. "If we already have a general contractor," they ask, "then why would I also need my designer's involvement? Aren't they both doing the same thing? Why not just work directly with the general contractor?"

These are important questions to address. Though the designer and contractor work together as a team, it's important to understand their different roles. As a coordinator for the construction phase of the project, the general contractor schedules many of the sub-contractors and oversees the implementation of their particular area of expertise. Whether he is working with the plumbing or electrical contractor, or the flooring professional, the general contractor is on the job site, directly managing the sub-contractors who are involved with the construction phase. However, he may not work as closely with some of the other sub-contractors, such as the wallpaper hanger or the window treatment installer. The general contractor cannot be responsible for the exact design interpretation that the designer is seeking to achieve. Subtle variation in interpretation can significantly alter the finished interior design project.

At this stage of the project, the designer serves as a project manager-- ensuring that from the design aspect, the overall design of the project is being honored, accurately interpreted, and correctly implemented. In short, as project manager, he or she is responsible for overseeing that the design elements are being accurately implemented by the appropriate sub-contractors. These might be the wallpaper hanger, the faux finish artist, the drapery installer, or the painting contractor.

However, responsibilities aren't always clear-cut. Sometimes the sub-contractor needs to work with both the project manager and the general contractor. Depending on the design, this could include kitchen cabinets, which are typically thought to be the general contractor's responsibility. The general contractor is involved in scheduling the installation, but the project manager ensures that the design elements have been honored. Essentially, sub-contractors who are involved in the interpretation and implementation of the project's design will work with the project manager but will also work with the general contractor.

An advocate for the client, the project manager represents the design aspect of the project, mediating between the general contractor and some of the sub-contractors who are more involved with the implementation of the design aspects of the job. For instance, if the project includes a hardwood floor with a marble inlay, the sequence of installation is important. The general contractor may not understand that aspect of the installation. The sub-contractor may not know enough about the overall design to understand it, so it is up to the project manager/designer to make sure that he or she is educating each team member with correct procedures for implementation of that designed floor.

In this phase, project managers are also responsible for scheduling the elements that they are procuring. Examples of this might be window coverings or decorative window treatments, area rugs, furnishings, wall or ceiling treatments, or murals. These elements are specific to the design aspect of the project, and the general contractor could be unaware of these details. Without a project manager, the project would end when the general contractor completes the construction phase of the project, and the client would then be left to finish the project on his or her own. But the details and finishing touches, such as the furnishings and accessories, are key elements serving to enhance and complete the project, bringing it all together just as it was designed.

The end result of successful project management by the design firm is a seamless interface among all of the team players, making the project look and feel effortless and stress-free for the client. This not only creates a beautiful project but a wonderful experience for the client as well. And that is what makes the difference.