AbbeyK — On Interior Design

What's New at AbbeyK

I am so sorry for not posting in a while. Things have been NUTS around here. 

A new staff member, Carey started about 2 months ago, full-time. Please join me in welcoming Carey. He's been a huge help, a great addition, but training and getting used to each other takes some time.

My work load is up to better than before the economy tanked. Thank goodness.

• I have a whole house project in Cambridge. I wrote a bit about that. I'll try to include more on the blog. We're making good headway and he's picked some wonderful pieces so far. Mix of antique and new.
• I am finishing up another whole house project. That one we are doing in stages and are about ready for stage 2. End tables, window treatments, master bedroom. Fun! 
• A new project, a referral, in Newton starts today. I had interviewed a year ago, so I am delighted to have gotten the job. Smallish, but a really nice client.
• Another new project with a repeat client starts as soon as I can get the contractors in to give a bid. It's another small one, but I am always happy to help an old client if I have the time. These folks live abroad and they need some repairs done and some re-decorating to the living room. We can fit this in among the others, no problem.
• Working with a young couple in Boston, whom I also interviewed a year ago. We are doing really fun and happy colors. They are quick decision makers, so we should be ready to order soon.
• Two Interviews this week. One on Monday and another Friday. One was a referral from the young couple with the happy colors, another from the web.

Phone's been ringing. Looks like we are gearing up for a busy spring and summer. Projects seem well paced as I write this, with room still for a big project or two, in case you are wondering.

Life of a Decorator-- out of control

My blackberry died on Friday. (Insert a quiet prayer of your choosing.) Sunday I switched providers, and got a new phone. The problem was the port of the old one, so I cannot mine the data. No email. No phone numbers. My client data base exists elsewhere, so that's all retrievable, if I could just figure out how to download that. Oy.

The new carrier, T Mobile, actually rings in the office. Belmont Center is a Verizon dead zone (I know, I know 10 mos in a dead zone is a long time!)

More new things for a Monday: Installation of 20 new Hunter Douglas blinds -- Duettes that are top down-bottom up, including for the office. That is a nice feature when you want privacy, light control yet a fair amount of light in the daytime. Clean and fresh, not too expensive. Good for energy consumption and privacy in rockin' Belmont Center. Now there's a pile of old blinds in the center of my living room floor. I'll do a "curb alert" for free items on Craig'slist soon.

On top of the new Blackberry and blinds, new computers were installed today. I am going high power. After 5 years, the lap top is so slow. The desktop I wanted to replace before it went South as I have a been known to blow a hard drive. (Here's a secret-- I have blown every hard drive I have ever used.) Hello to a lot of Megs and Gigs and super power. Windows 7 here we come!

While my IT guy is coming back tomorrow to finish the set up, I figure some data won't get transferred or something won't quite work right, so he may have to come back for a third time. It's good to manage your expectations -- that way if he has to come back a third day, I won't be upset.

It's feeling a little chaotic.

There will be some getting used to the new operating system. 

I don't know how to operate my blinds.

I can't get the phone to work right yet. I stayed with a Blackberry so I didn't have to learn a new phone. But it's a bit different than the old one and I need a setting change to get incoming email...and I cannot seem to find it. Tomorrow. I will try that tomorrow.

One thing I know for sure: Things get worse before they get better....and the feeling of chaos will end.

Was life easier for you when the phones all attached to the walls and we used pencils?

Great Reasons to Hire Licensed Contractors

At a New Year's Party, a friend told me that he was working with someone to renovate his Victorian. She wasn't a professional, just did it as a hobby...had a crew she worked with. The prices were good. I had a feeling he wasn't planning on pulling permits and that the workers were either undocumented or un-insured. I guessed right and then kind of lost my mind over it.

(Here's a picture from the renovations in progress at This Old House.)

He's looking at a 100K + renovation for his kitchen and bath. Probably more like 150K if he decides to do 2 baths. Victorians are tricky. There's horsehair plaster, old old wiring and plumbing, and bringing it up to code is expensive. The only way to do it right is to pull permits, not to mention that it's the law in MA that past a certain percentage of changes, permits must be pulled. It protects the homeowner, and offers recourse against damage.

Un-insured labor?

• What if someone falls down the stairs and gets (God forbid) a head injury. In the absence of a workman's comp policy -- which is also the law in MA -- that contractor sues the homeowner to cover medical expenses. Home owners insurance won't cover that since it's labor w/o a permit. That's a 1M suit, easy.
• What if a neighbor or someone sees work being done without a permit in the window?  Not sure you can hide a dumpster in an urban neighborhood. Neighbors will see it, not to mention anyone else who happens to be on the street. If you get caught, not only do you get fined, but then you have to pull a permit and now the building inspector is mad.
• What if the house has a fire because the wiring isn't done right? What if your house burns to the ground or someone dies or is injured in a fire because you decided to save some cash by having your cousin do the work?
• What if a pipe bursts and the plumber has no insurance and it floods 3 floors of a condo below? (This actually happened to a client. Thankfully we had  pulled a permit and the plumber's insurance paid for ALL repairs on ALL 3 floors below!)
• What if the next home owners decide to go to the building inspector's to make sure that permitting was done? I know of more than one real estate deal to fall through when there was no permit or when the final sign off never happened.

Point of fact: I won't work on a job without permits. Maybe people who do this type of work as "a hobby" feel comfortable with out a permit, but I know of not one professionals who would. 

If that's not enough, here's one more reason why you shouldn't attempt wiring on your own -- from th Boston Globe, Do-it-yourself books recalled over risk, an interesting article about recalling DIY books with faulty instructions for electrical wiring.

If you have more reasons why you should pull a permit, or a horror story from unlicensed labor, please do share.

Business Practice Quirks

My end of the year tasks involve bookkeeping, updating the materials library, purging files, talking to the accountant. I typically don't see clients the last week in December so I can finalize all these details and start the year fresh. 

My bookkeeping is in good shape. Just waiting for the November credit card statements to come. Then I'll be just about set. 

A few things to wrap up -- I have a check to cut for a client. He ordered a desk light and it was defective. A replacement had a six-month lead time, so he (understandably) decided to forgo the wait and pick something else. 

The easiest way to handle this transaction is to cut him a check. So that's what I did. Then popped it into an envelope, but before I stamped it up tight, I wrote him a quick note. You know when you catch yourself doing something and you ask your self why you do something? Why did I feel compelled to write a note. Ah, childhood! When I was a kid, my dad used to send checks from his office and not include a note. For some reason, this bothered me. It really bothered me. (Hello, therapy!). I guess that's why I cannot just pop a check in the mail to someone I know without a little note. I even ordered pretty card stock w/a logo on it for this purpose. It's trifold size so it fits in a standard business envelope.

 

I never mind when clients send me a check and it arrives all by its lonesome. Getting paid is wonderful, any way it arrives. But I find myself compelled to send a brief little note when I send a check -- well not to Verizon-- but to an actual person.

Do you have any quirky business practices that are not logical but you cannot seem to help yourself? I must not be the only one?

Drama in the Day-to-day Life of a Decorator

Some days do not go how you expect them to. Some surprises are good, others, well more trying.

Flexibility is key in this business. So is ice cream.

I guess I should have known it was going to be like this when the doorbell rang at 8:30 AM, and I was not yet dressed. I figured that it might have been the painter who had told me he wasn't coming today. Well I guess his plans changed, so still in my bathrobe, I let him in. (There's something about taking a shower when the tradespeople are in the house that's a bit odd. But he's a nice guy. It was OK.) 

As I am heading out the door to see a client, the phone rings. It's another client whose house is being built by some Russian guys. They NEED the stone for the back splash tile in the kitchen. They also NEEDED the lighting and the attic carpet YESTERDAY which meant I nearly killed myself this week to get this all done for my client, and in the end, none of it was needed YESTERDAY. (By the way, I knew this would be the case.) Today they totally stress out my client over something that was already decided and scheduled, but because the two partners didn't communicate with each other, one of  Russian guys has his knickers all in a twist, and has my client worried when THERE IS NO ISSUE. My client is the nicest lady. She really is a good person and the contractor really made her worried... for no reason. I felt bad.

I told her that I could take care of the back splash Monday morning, but about 15 minutes after I got off the phone, I decided that IF rearranged my schedule, I could take care of it this afternoon for her. I was planning on a full day at the design center, starting with a client meeting, but I could do an about face after the client meeting and return to the burbs to the Russian guy's stone place. The plan before I woke up was for a sane and organized day at the Design Center... but what I got was a running around day instead.

The upshot? I could take some stress away for my client. That's an important part of what I do. The other upshot? The tile place is near a great ice cream shop, so I ended the day with a mocha milkshake. Mmmm. That made everything good in the world. 

Like my friend Ellen used to say, "It's just carpet." 

I don't pretend that what I do is brain surgery. No one is going to die because the lights are delayed. But it can be stressful (and sometimes annoying in the short term) so it helps to keep things in perspective.

So that was my day. Which got me thinking: What kind of decorating drama have you experienced lately? What was your antidote?

Completely Random Questions -- only some about interior design

Today is a day of questions.

At lunch in Whole Foods, a 60-year-old man walked by with a ponytail. That's what got me started. I asked myself this question: If there's that unwritten rule that a woman should not wear mini skirts past 40, at what age should a man lose the elastic band and get a hair cut?

At the Design Center, talking to a designer pal and a showroom manager.

Question: How much of the truth do you tell your clients when there are problems? One of showroom staff noted, "What good does it do to say that someone stole the fabric from your reserve. (We reserve the fabric for a client, but sometimes it isn't available when they say it is.) It's easier to just say: there was an issue with the fabric when they rolled it out. Either way you are not getting the fabric." So can I can trust what she tells me from now on. Or, I wonder if I always wonder if there another story behind what she tells me. What level of the truth do you share? My policy has been "tell the truth." That way, you don't have to remember what you've said (and plus it's ethical). But is this always the best policy? What do you think?

Question: Why do so many people want a tan sofa? There are so many neutrals to pick from. Today I was searching for a specific green and a specific blue for a client. Challenging. What do you think about a neutral palette?

Question: When is it a good time to fire a client? Or not take a client? This is a question that I do not know the answer, especially in this economy. I recently interviewed for a job and the job was not a fit for me. The clients were great. I liked the house, but it was toooo technical in terms of the renovation -- moving a stair, historic commission, not what my brain does with any kind of ease -- I do renovations all the time, but this one, my gut told me would make me nuts. It wasn't about big changes, but inches. So I told them and gave them my friend's name who was a good fit. What's your experience here? Do you have guidelines for yourself? Or are you like me and go with your gut?

This evening on the phone with my niece. Question:If someone shares something in confidence, does that mean you cannot tell your mother? (It's what my niece thought. She's 8. Somehow telling your aunt on the phone is OK though -- cute.) I told my niece, even if someone else tells you: "don't tell anyone," but you can always tell a grown-up you trust, which includes your mother, your father, your aunt, your grandma, your teacher. But if a friend tells you a secret, you might not want to blab it to the whole 3rd grade. This is the only question of the day whose answer I am confident about. And perhaps the only one that really matters.

What do you think?

Virtual Decorating

A client sent me this article Renovating and Industry from the New York Times. The business of interior design is changing. Is it permanent? Or just a sign of the times?

From the article: "In a recent survey, the American Society of Interior Designers reported that 65 percent of its members said they were taking smaller projects than they once had, compared with 50 percent who said that in 2008."

So flexibility becomes important. What have I been doing in this economy? Focusing on service and quality and trying to be creative with budgets. I've started selling some products direct from North Carolina which allows me to offer great quality at a value. Clients have become more price conscious in this economy so the only way I can get the price down is either 1) decrease price or 2) decrease quality. Decreasing quality is not something I am willing to do. (Don't get me started on that whole "it will end up in a landfill" soap box.) So I have to get creative in ways to get price down for the same high quality. And this is a challenge.

Some designers have started doing on-line decorating. The article talks a lot about that. I really don't know what I think of that. Designer friends at dinner tonight said: no way! you need to be in the space to see and feel your way through all the details. That is a valid point, but if a customer is looking for this kind of service, perhaps it is a good way to reach potential clients.(That's the entrepreneur in me thinking.)

Anyone have thoughts or experience with on-line decorating? Would love to hear your thoughts, dear readers.

Back from Vaca and hitting the ground running

When you work for yourself, the details are endless and there's so much to do when you get back from vacation. It kind of piles up. How can the mound of paper work grow so high? Last night, I was up until 2 am doing paperwork, checking confirmations on orders, paying bills, etc.

Today the list feels endless, with a fair amount of running around to do.

Here's my to do list:

1) Check with my window treatment workroom on a quote.

2) Send a silk cutting sample to a client. The  first round of dye lots did not match the sample from the showroom. It's for a gold silk drape. The avail. die lot was more goldy than wheat and way off the memo sample, so we are trying another batch from the manufacturer. I have a feeling it's not right either, so the next step is the designer's dreaded "replacement fabric." That's when we run around basically every showroom and try to find something else. It takes a lot of time. PS silks are natural fibers so they take up dye differently and this dye lot issue is not uncommon.

3) Send hardware samples back to the Hardware supply place. Guess it's a stop at the post office today.

4) Arrange for the pick up of some chairs and a cushion for re-upholstery.

5) Call re-finisher with a new paint color for a kid's dresser, drop off a drawer, and have it sprayed. Then bring it to the client's for approval. Hopefully. This one has been challenging to get right. Luckily the client lives in my town, just around the corner. It's our 4th attempt at color and if she lived far, it would be a lot of time back and forth to her house. Cuz she lives in the hood, I'll just swing it by on the way home.

6) Check on lead time for some tassels. Maybe tomorrow?

7) Find trim for some pillows. That might wait until tomorrow, too...

8) Write up notes from yesterday's client meeting. OK, now I am getting ambitious.

7) Client meeting in the afternoon.

8) Dinner with some designer pals. So looking forward to that!

Oh, it's a long but good day. :)

Scam Emails for Interior Design?

Every once and a while I get one of these emails....anyone else get them? SOOOOO weird.

My name is _______,I want to relocate to your country and having
paid for my house already, i am looking for an experienced interior
decoration company to help me with the arrangements of decorating and
moving into my new house.

Its a three bed room flat and i want to confirm if your company will be
able to handle this.... Kindly get back to me with confirmation that your
company can handle this for further clarifications..

Regards,

___________

Helping the Economy. Let's Stimulate Remodeling and Home Furnishing

LEGISLATION TO STIMULATE REMODELING AND HOME FURNISHING PURCHASES

RESTON, Va. (July 13, 2009) - Congressman Henry Johnson (D-GA) and Nathan Deal (R-GA) are sponsoring legislation, the Home Improvements Revitalize the Economy (HIRE) Act  of 2009, to provide tax credits to stimulate the purchase of kitchen cabinets and other remodeling and home furnishing improvements.
 
"Not only would this help stimulate the manufacturing market for home furnishings and buildings products, it would save retail jobs, generate billions in revenue and increase home values at the time when we really need a boost," according to Johnson.  "By creating this tax deduction, we will offer incentives for consumers who would otherwise forego spending in 2009 and 2010.  We will encourage environmentally sound practices by doubling the benefits for the purchase of building products and home furnishings that meet nationally recognized environmental standards."  
 
Under the proposed HIRE Act, individual consumers and joint filers would receive respective $2,000 and $4,000 tax credits for purchasing items that meet recognized environmental standards (LEED, NAHB, Green Globes, SFI/FSC and ESP <http://www.greencabinetsource.org/> ).  Retailers, contractors and building product resellers can receive up to $10,000 for covered purchases.
 
A coalition that includes 14 associations representing kitchen cabinets (Kitchen Cabinet Manufacturers Association) home furnishings, flooring, paint and coatings, carpet and rug, and other interests have joined forces to support passage of the legislation.
 
"This bill would help everyone in our industry - manufacturing, retail, design and suppliers.  The costs would be more than offset by increased economic activity and saved jobs.  The incentives cease after three years.  This definitely is a pump-priming effort of limited duration and near immediate payback," according to KCMA Executive Vice President Dick Titus.
 
A copy of the HIRE Act can be viewed on the KCMA Web Site - www.kcma.org . Supporters are encouraged to contact their congressmen and ask that they co-sponsor the bill.