How We Work
Here at Inside Stories, we pride ourselves on doing things differently. In an industry saturated with interior design companies, our business model and services stand alone among the rest to give clients a unique experience that is tailored to their budget, project, goals, and lifestyle.
But what is it exactly that makes us so different?
We recognize that interior design is not “one-size-fits-all”. No two projects are going to look the same, nor will the clients. This mindset is which is what inspired our “a la carte” services and fixed fee structure.
To put simply, each of our services can be acquired as a stand-alone service, such as art procurement or interior styling, or as a group, like what is seen with larger scale designs. This makes it so that no matter scale of a client’s budget or the size of their project they can still obtain high-quality services from an experienced team of designers.
FEE STRUCTURES:
Price discrepancy between design companies comes down to their fee structures. Most designers charge hourly, some charge a % of the total cost of the project, and a few charge fixed fees.
Our design firm operates in a fixed fee structure. What this means is that when you consider starting a project with us you will be presented with the costs up front before you are “locked in” to anything. The fixed fee model works beautifully with our a la carte services as you will know the prices of our services as they apply to you and your project.
Fixed Fee Structure:
A potential project is adequately assessed, and a detailed scope of work is established to quote a client accurately before the project begins. This structure involves a set amount of time for a consultation and for the quote and design plan to be established.
The beautiful thing about a fixed fee structure is that you have an excellent understanding of your design investment before signing a design agreement. It is the one fee structure that has the most transparency and least grey area.
Pros:
– You know precisely what your design fees are going to cost before you begin
– There is no conflict of ethics in billing
Cons:
– Designers have to “eat” the cost if they don’t scope the project accurately. This is a con for the designer but not for the client! 😊
Hourly Fee Structure:
A designer bills the entire project based on an hourly rate. This includes hours recorded from initial meetings all the way to the completion of the project.
Some hourly designers will put together a proposal based on the overall scope of work with the estimate of the hours they feel will be required to complete your project and bill a retainer based on the total assessment. Other designers will charge a small retainer and bill on a bi-weekly or monthly basis.
Pros:
– You know what the hourly rate is
– Unlimited revisions at the designer’s hourly rate
Cons:
– Designers work at different rates so where one designer may take a day to accomplish a design, another designer may take a week.
– Recorded hours can include anything from phone calls and emails to fabric selections, order processing, and more. This can make your hourly rate much higher than you might have initially anticipated.
HOW WE WORK:
We encourage clients to begin by looking through our various interior design services listed on our website. Here you will find a wide range of options from furniture selection and purchasing to interior styling and micro designs all the way to residential X designs.
These descriptions will help you narrow your scope and determine what services are best suited to you and your project. You will then decide if you would like to schedule a “working session” or a “consultation” with a member of our design team.
– Our working session services are a 3-hour block of time that allows you to sit down with a designer on our team to get advice and opinions for items on your design checklist that you’re unsure of. The best part of the working session is that you get the knowledge and expertise of our designers on a small scale and without commitment to starting a project.
– A consultation on the other hand is a 1-hour on-site session where the intention is to work with a designer on an upcoming project. In a consult you will go over your existing space, lay out your budget and wishlist, and then you designer will come back with a quote and a contract to get you started!
After the initial consultation, our team is ready to get to work. Based on your budget and personal preferences, we will hit the drawing board and within a couple of weeks show you the unique designs we’ve made especially for you and your space.
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Our mission is to make interior design services accessible for everyone. Whether it’s simply picking out color schemes or revamping your entire home, our designers are happy to assist you every step of the way, no matter how small or large the project.
Have questions about our business model or how to get started on your next project? Contact us to get in touch!