When we present a job to clients, we present the full thing – with renderings, floorplans and all the fabrics, carpet samples, etc to show the design concept in full. With it we give the client estimate sheets with the presentation so they know what to expect cost-wise – there are very few surprises when the client walks into the installed project.
I’ve often been asked for advice on how to best do a presentation and thought I’d share these with you. This shows you how close the final installation was to what we presented.
#1 by Faith Sheridan on July 30, 2009 - 5:46 pm
From your experience, how important to the final selections is the rendering itself?
Thanks, Faith Sheridan, ASID
#2 by Ivan Meade on July 30, 2009 - 7:45 pm
Excellent example of the process – The final room is even better than the rendering.
#3 by Anita Berlanga on July 30, 2009 - 10:15 pm
Excellent transition! I love that you run your creative business as a business – too many people think one obviates the need for the other. From the tips you provide on your blog, I would say that you’ve learned to mesh them seamlessly.
xo
#4 by Brillante on July 31, 2009 - 9:53 pm
Thank you for sharing how you work. It is always a great inspiration to read your blog.
#5 by Bev Rivkind on August 1, 2009 - 12:26 pm
Thanks for sharing this. Wondering where you get the fabric and carpet samples to cut up for your presentation. Do you send for/buy your own mfg samples, or take samples from the showrooms?
#6 by DIANE DORRANS SAEKS on August 1, 2009 - 3:04 pm
DEAR VICENTE-
This information and insight into presentations are so valuable.
To see the sketch (beautiful and detailed and useful as a selling tool, I imagine)–and the final photo of the room tells so much about you and the process.
It shows, first of all, that your original plan/scheme/floor plan for the room, shown in the sketch, was superbly thought-out and conceived. In other words–you got it right the first time, and clearly it was not ruined by the clients or second-guessed by you.This suggests a that you understood the client–and that there was a certain calmness and focus to make it happen.
It’s a very elegant, timeless room, and a quick glance around shows how well it works. I love your tea-height table on the window side of the room. It’s so elegant to enjoy drinks or a tea and to be able to sit elegantly and with chic posture–than to have to lean over to a cluttered and low coffee table.
Your brilliance shows in this seemingly simple room–in both the scheme itself, the tonality, the texture, and the apparent practicality and functionality of this living room.
Bravo to you and cheers, http://www.thestylessaloniste.com
#7 by Susan Cohan, APLD on August 3, 2009 - 2:03 pm
All designers in every discipline can learn from this great example. All to often there are too many surprises and this approach minimizes those possibilities. Often clients need more help than we expect to visualize the final outcome. Thank you for sharing this.
#8 by S Interior Design on August 3, 2009 - 5:56 pm
Do you do your renderings in-house? If so, how (or do) you charge for putting the presentation together. I imagine it takes a good deal of time, especially the rendering portion.
#9 by Vicente on August 4, 2009 - 4:33 pm
Suzanne – renderings are charged at $2,500 per room and we do it in-house – I used to outsource it, but because of the time and effort it takes, have found it better to have someone in our studio who can do it.
#10 by Vicente on August 4, 2009 - 4:33 pm
Thank you for the compliments!
#11 by Vicente on August 4, 2009 - 4:39 pm
Hey Bev – I ask the suppliers to mail me samples.
#12 by Vicente on August 4, 2009 - 4:41 pm
Faith – the renderings are important in selling the job. As a designer, you know what it’s supposed to look like, but the client has no idea. I use these as a selling tool, not a design tool.
#13 by Andrea Veron Interiors on August 5, 2009 - 1:57 am
Thank you for being so open, Vicente. Often, I am perplexed over what to charge my clients for renderings as I do up a nice watercolor of the room for the presentation. I have charged by the hour, which I find is an unfair approach for both parties involved, but have not found an easy transition for the billing aspect until now. I have to say, your guy absolutely nailed it, and the perspective is impeccable. The final room looks calm and restful, yet opulent and sophisticated all at the same time. Great work, and I am completely obsessed with the blog, not to mention so excited over how down to earth you are. Oh, how I wish everyone in our industry were the same way!
Andrea Veron
#14 by Ryannan Bryer de Hickman on August 5, 2009 - 10:35 am
Your work is just gorgeous. I’ve been a fan for years – love everything you do.
Cheers!
Ry
#15 by scone on August 6, 2009 - 1:35 pm
The differences between the sketch and photograph show how accessories can be varied, which is one of the strengths of Mr. Wolf’s work.
#16 by Harshada on August 10, 2009 - 5:50 pm
Are the in-house rendering done by hand or technical tools such as autocad, photoshop etc?
#17 by joni webb on August 17, 2009 - 10:10 pm
Mr. W: excuse Me!!!!!!!! The miniature chair is not in the right place! What a terrible thing! hahahah. I am just kidding you of course – this presentation is so flawless, it’s awe inspiring. I wish I could have a rendering like this for clients. unreal. you are the best !!!!!! of course many of my budgets are the price of your rendering. uggh. I need clients with more money!
#18 by Jacqueline Rosadiuk on December 3, 2009 - 5:28 pm
Hello Vincente and thank you so much for taking the time to create such an amazing zone to share all or our expertise in a single forum. Yours is invaluable, especially.
I strongly believe in the power of renderings as a selling tool. I am curious about color…do you always do them in black and white and let the materials do the talking for the color application?
I must say though that I can very rarely get a client to agree on paying for them. They will forego them rather than pay…trusting me to give them what the 2D floor plan shows.
Do you have that experience for some or any clients? How do you actually convince them to pay for them? When are they mentioned in the entire process since you must know they will accept to pay for it before the presentation will be prepared?
Also, if they are done in-house, roughly how many hours does a single room view take to do? May I ask what you pay that person to do it vs. total cost to client? As a business owner I am curious about what it is fair to expect a rendering to cost me to produce in house and the hours it should reasonably take someone to do it. I am shopping for such an artist at the moment and could use something to compare with.
Also, for many projects, especially commercial, my first phase is the development of the design concept and a portion of the total project flat fee is paid when this is presented. Once approved, I will hunt for actual materials, accessories, etc. and will also move on to the technical drawings. I will not do the work of actually going out and looking for final specific materials and accessories and furniture until a general concept is approved and paid for. But from the look of this rendering, it seems that the majority of the elements were chosen and then included in the rendering. Could you please clarify how this process works for you in both residential and commercial projects? Does your method or process change?
Also curious as to the minimum size of project (a.k.a. budget) you will accept to work on. Do you ever do small consultations for just color or placement or a simple floor plan?? That is currently a large part of my business as people cut back. Anyone else have that experience?
Thank you so much.
#19 by Mona Ives on March 23, 2010 - 7:08 pm
Vincent,
Thanks so much for this blog! I agree renderings are an excellent tool to help clients understand the vision. However, I, like others who commented, wonder what other techniques might work for clients who simply can’t pay that much for a drawing. In a room with a $10K budget for materials and design fees (in this economy we’re beginning to think those are great projects!) $2,500 for a drawing is not in the cards. Are there some less expensive tips or tools you can recommend for best expressing the design vision to the client?
Thanks,
Mona
#20 by dallasDECORUM on March 24, 2010 - 1:22 pm
I also use elevations of the focal walls and then the floorplan with the fabric boards….this can help free up some time then going all out and doing a perspective drawing if time or costs are a huge factor…and nowadays, aren’t they always?
#21 by Vicente on April 1, 2010 - 11:30 am
Mona – Try some design schools to get some students to help you with your renderings. That is a cost-effective way of getting some potentially good renderings, while also giving students the chance to work on ‘real’ projects.
#22 by Sketch42 on April 2, 2010 - 10:34 pm
I find that many of the smaller designers in NYC don’t really offer them. Many try the lets do it as we go approach. That’s where it can get ugly!