From: Lisa Henderson
Subject: Mirror Advice

Hello Vicente

I am looking for some advice for my foyer.  I have a console table that is 52 inches wide and I’m looking to purchase a round mirror to hang above it.  My question is what size of mirror should I go with?  Is 36 inches too small?

Name: melissa lee
City: lamy
State: new mexico
Country: usa
Comment:

Dear Vincente,

Does it ever happen that after you are hired and in the clients space, you see a picture in you mind that is totally different than you first impressions and you have an emotional response that changes the direction of the job??????

xxoo
Melissa

Vicente Responds:

No. Because I don’t start visualizing what the job is going to be until I see the plan. We go to measure and look at the existing space before the design process start. You have to, if you don’t, how are you going to design it? You have to see the light and get a feel for the space. We always look at the job prior to desigining as one needs to see the light, how the space works and to measure it.

You have to know what you’re working with before you conceptualize it.

Name: Melissa Lee
City: Lamy
State: New Mexico
Country: USA
Comment:

Dear Vincente,
I am renting here and for the first time live in a mondern home. I find that there is not much to find here as far as furniture is concerned. I have always decorated my own homes and have an ability to do so, but find not much in this city? What would you recommend?

P.S there are wonderful rug merchants and reclaimed items for builders.

xxo
Melissa

Vicente Responds:

Melissa – why don’t you go shopping in LA and send it over? A lot of people do it and that will ensure you have the pieces you really want. If you don’t have a designer ID, the merchandise mart many times have designers who can go shopping with you that will allow you to go shopping for a small commission.

Are there any readers in New Mexico that have any great ‘hidden spots’ they’d like to share?

Name: Visual Vamp
City: New Orleans
State: LA
Country: USA
Comment:

Hi Mr. V, Miz V here!
What do you think of e-design, that is doing ID projects on the internet.
I recently see design board services offered by ID web sites. I like the idea.
What do you think a fair price is for a virtual design board?
Thanks!
xo xo

Vicente Responds:

Price is in the eye of the beholder…How much is it worth to you, considering the energy, time and creativity of the person doing it? I think it does lose that human connection, but in this day and age, with what is happening economically, I think we all have to try different things and not be caught in a one-track mentality.

Name: Sally Ureno
City: Upland
State: CA
Country: USA
Comment:

Vicente -
Why are people so afraid to place a bed in front of a window? I love the fact that the morning light bathes one in the morning.  Any thoughts?
Sally Ureno

Vicente Responds:

Sally – I think it goes to the 19^th Century when people were afraid of getting a draft and catching pneumonia. I think you have to create the right layering so it doesn’t look strange. If it’s a short window, maybe do school house shades from the floor up, try a screen behind the bed so it comes up to the bottom of the window. If it’s a big picture window, maybe do sheers behind it or curtains so when the windows are open you can just have the sheers. Don’t be afraid!

Name: Patricia Monroi

Country: Brazil

Hi, so i´m a Brazilian architect and am currently in a negotiation to design a franchise store, the first project is a flagship that requires my creation and the others that will come will be repetition of the first with adaptations. The client wants to pay like repetition project with a suggestion that there will be an additional 20 stores a year in the future… I think it is too risky for me. What do you suggest to say to persuade the client? Thanks for your input, Patricia

Vicente Responds:

I think you should get a conceptual fee for coming up with the original concept, preparing the drawings and supervising construction. The conceptual part of it is the most important, but with each store that he opens, it will have to change – it can’t all be the same. You’ll have to work on it to ensure it has the same personality within a different space. There should be a fee for that and you should come up with it according to the quantity of work you need to do. Figure out how many hours you feel it’s going to take to conceptualize, plan, do the elevations and then put a price to it, which you multiply by the hours. Add a little more to play it safe.

Most important, you should have it in your contact that the only way he can keep reproducing that concept is by using you to design the stores. If he doesn’t want to do that, you could get a flat fee as a royalty payment for coming up with the concept and then he can do it himself. But each store, whether you draw it up at a higher fee or he does it and you get a flat fee for it, (call it a flat fee) and then if he wants you to review the plans you can charge him per hour for reviewing the plans.

And in your contract it should say that whenever the store is published in a magazine, you need to be credited for design.

Name: Lana Weekley
City: Metairie
State: LA
Comment:

I like your use of the Parentesi fixture in rooms shown in your books. Is this fixture appropriate for reading? If so, your fixtures appear to have smaller bulbs that are more recessed in the socket compared to the bulb in the fixture advertized by companies offering this lamp. What size bulb do you use? Thank you for your blog and your next book. I appreciate your talent and now recognize your rooms before reading your name. If you think I can direct this light for reading, I will install the fixture next to a wing back chair where I read the Sunday paper. Thank you for your response.

Vicente Responds:

Yes, I think they make great reading lights. They have small plug lightbulbs and they can come up to, I think, 75 watts.  I suggest that you install a dimmer on the cord so you can control how bright you want it because you may not always want it that bright.