Name: Sonya
City: Los Angeles
State: CA
Country: USA
Comment:

This comment was left by one of your blog readers, and I think it would make a very interesting blog topic.
as posted on:
#15 by becky on April 23, 2010 – 3:04 am
“I agree, great topic and discussion, Vicente.
Whether you select commission based, flat fee based or hourly, I am interested from Vicente, and all the designers reading this as to how much time on average it takes you to complete a room design from concept through installation? I am aware of the endless variables involved, but am curious how long it takes other designers to work on or complete an entire room like a living room or a bathroom?”

I too, have always been curious how my timing compares to other designers.

Love your blog, and your work,
Best regards.

Vicente Responds:

Hi Sonya (and Becky) – yes, that is a good question and I too would be interested in the answer from other designers. For me, to do a job from time of approval of design, it takes between sixteen and twenty weeks if there’s no major construction. The design process takes about a month to a month and a half. Sometimes less.

Please let us know how long it takes you!

Name: Matthew Andras
City: Braselton
State: Georgia
Country: USA
Comment:

I have loved and followed your work for many years now and have heard your talks several times. But one thing I was wondering if you could comment on; as a designer, do you design for what the client needs, or do you design for what the client thinks they need- Are you designing for what their actual lifestyle is and requires, or for what they aspire to?
Thanks, and I appreciate the time you take to communicate on your site.
-Matt

Vicente Responds:

Matt, I think that meeting with the clients and seeing how they live gives me a good insight into what their lifestyle is and what their needs are. I think one has to listen, but use your instinct to seperate the dream from the reality, which is something that comes with time. I find with my clients that their lifestyle is not about pretence and that most of them are really real and down to earth. But, that said, when a client says “I need a dining room to seat 26 for that once-a year family dinner”, I must understand that I have to provide a place where that amount can sit, but I’m not designing the dining room for that permanently. It’s about using ones common sense and expertise.

Name: Elizabeth S
City: Alexandria
State: VA
Country: USA

Comment:

Dear Mr. Wolf,
Been an admirer of yours for some years tho could never afford you. I spent an amazing night at the Lorien Hotel that you designed but we had a humerous/ could have been terrible incident with the industrial shower door on rollers – my living room is a combination of thai recovered teak bookcase and dining table, modern angular camel leather sofas , and marble topped mahogony antique drumtable, a number of things from my travels to china, indonesia, but all in a pretty ho hum colonial townhouse. it still doesn’t hang together and i would love some guidance. i’ve avoided putting too much in the room so it still looks like i really don’t live there. how can i keep the cool uncluttered look but make it feel lived in and warm? With thanks,
-Elizabeth

Vicente Responds:
One has to pay the price of publicity! Yes, it exposes you, but it makes people think you are unreachable and unaffordable. It’s a double-edged sword. Somehow appearing in magazines can intimidate people and make them feel like you’re out of their reach. The reality is that we do all sizes and budgets and we work from smaller to very large budgets. So what you say of being unaffordable really is not necessarily true.

About the shower door…I’d love to know more of what happened!

Regarding your living room, without having all the specifics, making it an elegant comfortable and inviting room is about balance, proportion and blending all these elements in a very cohesive way. It’s not simple and requires a strong design capability to balance all those elements together. Why don’t you get a professional in to help you find the right balance? If you dare, you may even call my office for a consultation!

Name: Mallery Roberts Morgan
State: CA
Country: USA
Comment:

Dear Vicente,
What in your opinion is the all time best fabric for upholstery for sofas for families with kids and pets? I’m asking a few designer friends and trying to get a consensus.
Would love to hear your thoughts.
Many thanks.
M. Morgan

Vicente Responds:

There’s some great industrial fibers being produced right now that have the look of luxury but the functionality of iron. I have a client that has large quantities of dogs that seem to always be lifting their legs on the wrong place. So we found fabrics that are dog-urine resistant yet still has a great look – good enough to have appeared in a magazine! Same goes for when you’re designing for high-traffic areas like restaurants and hotel lobbies. You just have to research what’s out there or have a designer do that for you. One of the finishes we’ve found is coated with Crypton (yes, you may think ‘Superman’) which really prevents damage. Check out www.cryptonfabric.com