How our designers can assist with any design work for our clients out of state
By Linda Holman
Several years ago one of my clients asked me if I could help her with a new project in her home state of New Hampshire. How hard is it to create a design and have all the conceptual materials translate into the perfect outcome? It is a lot easier than you think!
Most designers can establish the groundwork for the design with the initial visit to the out of town location. Meeting with the “Design Team” of Architect, Builder and Designer, along with the clients, helps establish the conceptual phase of the design and creates a great dialogue for the success of the project. Communication is the key to any team effort and is especially important for translating information from different locations.
Being organized also helps create an easy translation of ideas and concepts. I spend a lot of time on a Project Manual that I pass out to all Team members. It contains all the interior drawings and specifications that the builder needs to assure that the project runs smoothly. All materials are specified and the subcontractors have a complete set of everything they will need to complete their work. This saves valuable time and expensive change orders.
The greatest tool we have at our fingertips is Modern Technology to go along with our design talents. Any questions or concerns on the job can be sent by I-phone or Email in an instant and quickly resolved! Any problems can be easily solved by sending a photo from the site for on-the-spot answers. I only had to make 2 more travel arrangements to complete my projects. One during construction and the last one to install everything.
Another necessity for any out-of-town job is the acquisition of a professional designer warehouse near the jobsite to receive, personally check, and deliver all goods to the installation. I have found that most cities have a designer warehouse within a reasonable distance that can be contracted to provide these services. Shipping direct to the warehouse is easily accomplished with the help of each supplier. I was also able to contract window treatment installers and local fabricators through my architect and the local design trade that met me at the job and assisted in all custom design work.
The photos included in my Blog show 2 homes that have been designed and installed in Boston,Massachusetts and Hampton Beach,New Hampshire. It was a lot of fun and my client was able to be comfortable using my services once again. So, if you have a project that is not in our area and want to use one of our Designers it’s no problem…we travel well!
