We are getting ready to present two new jobs, one in Manhattan and one in Long Island. I must say my heart is the most joyful when I am creating.
Designing is different than it was a few years ago; we are dealing with today’s budget limitations and people’s general nervousness. I think people are accustom to a level of luxury that is just not economical right now but they still want it. Working for clients with high expectations and low budgets is on one hand challenging and pushes my creativity but on the other very difficult. Another challenge of having lower budgets is the rising prices in the marketplace, fabrics that were $80 per yard are now $100 and custom sofas that were 8k are now 12k! As designers we are stuck between a rock and a hard place, we want to express our creativity but are limited by lower budgets and rising price tags.
I have started going to mass-market retailers such as Wisteria, Restoration Hardware and Design within Reach to complete jobs within budget. Not that there is anything wrong with that, in fact I think it brings a different dimension to the work. But years ago it would have never occurred to me to go that route…how are you all dealing with this in your own work?
#1 by Luciane on June 21, 2011 - 7:58 pm
Flea markets and antiques! It’s hard to see you doing that, but you can still find great things. Lots of garbage, I know, but some places will surprise you. Being creative is more necessary than ever and being open-minded walks with creativity.
Look further… it’s harder now, but that can also teach something new. That always excites me.
xo
Luciane at HomeBunch.com
#2 by themodernsybarite on June 21, 2011 - 9:27 pm
Vicente congrats on your 2 jobs!. Thank you for your candid views which are all too “real” .. you just hit it in the head … thank you …
#3 by Carl on June 22, 2011 - 12:39 am
My concern is with quality. I usually tell my clients that you get what you pay for so they understand why something is priced as it is. I tell them to think of the longevity. By my speaking to this issue my clients better understand and appreciate what we are doing. A solid budget cannot be moved. I am concerned with what happens when I leave and the project is finished. How will it all hold up ? Again, speaking to issues of the budget and all other decisions clears the air and allows creativity to take hold once you know the facts.
#4 by Casey Timm on June 22, 2011 - 3:46 pm
I try to get my clients to get the box right first. Those are things you won’t swap out as easily over time…built ins. moldings, lighting, wall treatments. Then I get them to embrace a few high end, high quality pieces of furniture that “make” the room. Then I use some more mass- market pieces from Mitchel Gold or similar but with more custom COM fabrics if possible, to fill it out. I really think you can maximize a budget and not skimp on style that way. Floor samples can also be great. I just got a $3900 end table for a client for $900, and they love it! But the cost of fabric is can be a real downer. The clients always fall in love with the most expensive options I show them.
#5 by Gary Nelling on June 22, 2011 - 4:10 pm
I think any quality resource that satisfies the designer as an artist and protector of the client’s purse, and also satisfies the client’s needs and desires is fair game. I would add Room & Board headquartered in Chicago to your list of quality retailers with a modern viewpoint. I like Design Within Reach but have found that you can sometimes buy their items directly from the manufacturer for a slightly better price like their Herman Miller pieces. – Gary
#6 by elissa grayer on June 22, 2011 - 4:35 pm
I can totally relate to this situation. Many of my clients are influenced by what they see on HGTV, and believe that so much can be accomplished for so little! I have found that working with North Carolina furniture manufacturers directly (like Hickory Chair), can sometimes save money, but the problem is that they don’t have a showroom where you can see all the pieces, and clients have to take your word for the comfort and look of the finished product. I then pass on the savings to the client. However, I still find myself cutting my mark up percentage on a regular basis to make the budget work.
#7 by Jenna on June 22, 2011 - 6:10 pm
Oh Vicente…you are so out of touch with the real world of design and lucky you. I only wish I could have clients that sought out wonderful fabrics and only wanted bespoke furniture items, or, at the very least, did not favor places like Joann’s and Home Goods. I deal with this by charging by the hour instead of markup and it seems to work for both myself and my clients. Should be interesting to see what 2012 holds…..looking forward to updates on your two new jobs.
#8 by dawn on June 22, 2011 - 6:57 pm
many of my clients save funds to purchase a design plan (as opposed to putting things on credit), but the wait time is considerably longer now. i typically offer alternatives for major elements of the scheme. this takes me more design time, which i charge hourly for, but gives the client an option from a price point of view.
i will explain (repeatedly) the virtues of quality over quantity, but there is also balance and clients either wait until they can get the more spendy items, or they choose the alternative. it is still a great choice, just different.
i typically do not go to mass market vendors as there is no way for me to make any ‘mark-up’ except time (which can get a bit sketchy). and i do have a design center near me, so i always try to use thier showrooms.
i agree that it is all getting more complex and seems to take more and more time to make less. i love what i do, but as we know, that does not pay the bills.
#9 by Irene Turner on June 22, 2011 - 7:40 pm
No kidding Vincente. And…I’m getting “what’s your price” as a first question with just about every project, which is tough! I’m offering a flat design fee where they get plans and then can execute themselves. I like this because I don’t have the hassle’s and get the fun of the creative. the other side is I don’t often see the results. But…it’s a new day, what can I say?
#10 by Scarlett Fiona Reed on June 22, 2011 - 8:37 pm
I think I’m extremely lucky because in this area my clients still have money. That being said, I like to be green and I love old things with soul, and this route does not have to cost more. I use a lot of antiques, I find the quality is better than something new and mass produced overseas, and much of the time it’s less money as well. I can’t go the restoration hardware route, I like to know the craftsman who makes the pieces I sell. I have a local upholsterer who can build any sofa from my designs for much less than 8k, and a local fine woodworker who can build tables and case goods that will last a lifetime for less than a designer piece that would have to be shipped across country. I still use DWR because you just can’t beat the style and quality for the price, and I love the history
#11 by Beryn Hammil on June 23, 2011 - 2:07 pm
I’m hearing that those designers who are working are doing it for less money, and working harder for what they are earning. If you’re feeling it at the level of your clients, imagine how hard it’s hitting the business at the level of designers who work with clients not as wealthy as yours. Welcome to the New Economy.
#12 by scone on June 23, 2011 - 3:00 pm
Architectural salvage, hands down, gives the best bang for the buck. Really large things go for a discount, because most people can’t figure out how to use them. Along with thrift shops, IKEA, and so on. I recycle, and I try to buy local when I can. For example, I save leftover paint and remix it in 5 gallon buckets– this gives surprisingly good neutralized colors.
There are some decent mid-range vendors that higher end designers rarely seem to use. Toto, for example, makes decent faucets. It’s not Waterworks, but it’s not priced like Waterworks, either. I also like the Starck fixtures from Duravit. They are reasonable, ordered on-line. And the Domsjo fireclay apron sink from IKEA is cheap and pretty cool.
I am lucky to have a huge basement workshop, plus a 26′ x 32′ garage for shipping and receiving. A reliable rental shop for tools and construction equipment is a must. And the Bagster system (for removing construction debris) is amazing. No more lifting bags of drywall over my head to heave into the dumpster!
If it sounds like hard, dirty work, it is. I’d love to hire some of this stuff out, but every time I get a quote from a sub I’m horrified at the price, and disappointed with the results. I absolutely have to “cut out the middleman” at every turn to make it work.
IMO that’s the way it’s going throughout the real estate, construction, landscaping, and interior design industries. We are not going back to the “good old days” when there were six layers of vendors between the OEM and the customer. Because the customer is going to do an end run and shop on line at a 40% discount. That’s just reality. I think you either accept that global capitalism and the internet have permanently changed the world, and adapt your business accordingly, or you eventually go bankrupt and have to start over again. Or you leave the business. I know designers who have taken “day jobs” and work on the side because they can’t face what’s going on. But they still want to charge $100 an hour!
In any case, the more I can do myself, the less risk I take when I sell. Sadly, if home prices keep dropping around here, the house I am currently working on– my own home– may be the last for some time. At least my back will get a rest!
#13 by katiedid on July 6, 2011 - 12:07 am
Wow….I understand things have changed and I am rolling with the punches. But I am surprised by scone’s comment about charging $100 per hour. Like Carl, I believe one gets what one pays for. There are plenty of designers that are well worth a $100/hour price tag or much more. Designers help clients avoid costly mistakes. If a designer has education and/or experience that provides a value that warrants $100, clients will gladly pay. I have clients with very tight budgets, and they are looking for guidance to help them stretch their dollars. Many pay for consulting by the hour, and others like a fixed fee if the scope of work is clear cut. The price tag is based on perceived value. If a client loves what a designer does, they will be happy to pay if they cannot, for whatever reason, accomplish thier design goals themselves.
#14 by EM on July 6, 2011 - 12:24 pm
Flea markets and salvage do not necessarily equate a lower overall price tag, because then the designer must spend hours and hours trolling through booths, arranging for transportation, and trying to deal with repairs. At the end of the day, it may well have been cheaper to place a custom order.
Also, what is a “low budget”?
#15 by Ofra Weiss on July 8, 2011 - 7:43 pm
My new favorite line from the New Woody Allen movie
Midnight in Paris. I believe Mimi Kennedy said it ” Cheap is Cheap.” I remind my clients that they must compromise in volume, not quality when working with a tight budget.At times I teach them that we could do the project in stages,i.e. the whole house,but only the basic items,or one room at a time.
After all Rome wasn’t built in a day.
I must say, my resource are not limited, I shop everywhere,auctions,mass marketing stores,flea markets,costome,anitques , the design centers and design stores around the world.Thank you Mr. Wolf for sharing.
#16 by Lynn Gerhard on July 15, 2011 - 3:45 am
I totaly agree that it is a “new day” and it has gotten so much harder to find clients who are not extremely budget concious. I have always explained to my clients that the process of designing their homes is a balancing act on many levels. I love what I do so the fact that I make less money now is definately an issue but I am grateful to still be able to do what I love. I offer clients 2 different options so we can both be comfortable -hourly with a lower commision if I need to be involved with the purchasing aspect or my normal retainer fee and commissions. This seems to make people feel like they have more control of their options and budget though somtimes it gives me less control over certain aspects. But I try to make it understood that there is a trade off with having a lesser degree of my involvemet. This is really not all about ego to me, it is about people being happy with the process and the outcome so when their next project comes along they understand that they can trust me to do a great job for them while being fair to both of us.
#17 by ravi on August 19, 2011 - 1:27 am
Wow, this is an interesting question. I am finding my clients are really looking for quality. They may not spend all the money right now but they are buying quality over quantity and it is encouraging. I also position it differently, economies go up and down but the curtains usually stay up for the long haul. Bad sofas have a way of wearing down right when you have no more money to go out, so you might as well buy a good one, you are going to be using it alot. Doesn’t always work, but hey! But I would rather not do a project on the low end, it always comes back to bite me. and it usually hurts.