FAQ's
Since 2010, Revise Studio has been offering clients in Philadelphia cutting edge service. We are here to provide you with all the answers you need to make your user experience all the more enjoyable. See what some of our users’ most frequently asked questions are and get the answers you’re looking for today! If you’ve still got a question for us, feel free to get in touch and we’ll happily answer any inquiry.
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How long does the design process take?
There really is not one answer for that. Each project is a little different, I would say the minimum time to design and specify all finishes and details would be no less than 6 weeks, it can take up to three months to fully work out every last detail for a project.
And on top of the design process, the global pandemic has impacted lead times for almost every industry from lighting to furniture to kitchen cabinets. I recommend a giant dose of patience when starting a new project during these times.
From the start of the design process to the last day of installation could take up to six months or more depending on lead times, and the complexity of the project whether or not construction is involved.
2. What should I budget for my interior design project?
For a living room, for example, I would expect to spend somewhere between $25-$30,000.00 to fully furnish, from the rug to the drapes to the lighting, soup to nuts. This of course depends on the size and scope of the project, and this does not include the design fee.
This is an average cost to furnish a room not including any custom built-ins or construction costs.
3.What if I find something cheaper than what my designer specifies?
Beware of the design domino effect! Something you find might not exactly work with what your designer specified and could have a pretty big ripple effect through the project. It could be the wrong scale, it might just be a shade off and not quite work. This is why you’ve hired a designer in the first place. Let your designer work their magic and use their skill, what you think might be saving a few hundred bucks could end up costing you more in the long run.
This isn’t to say you shouldn’t make suggestions and collaborate with your designer, they should work with you to stay within your budget.
4. How much does an interior designer mark up their products?
Designers have relationships with ‘to the trade only’ vendors so they can get you one of a kind and luxurious items. Most designers mark up those products because it is part of their profit center, but don’t think of it as just a money grab. When you purchase a to the trade only item through an interior designer, not only did they select that item especially for you and your project, they will track, receive, inspect, deliver and perfectly stage that item. The mark up covers the time it takes to do all of that. This markup is usually part of their procurement fee which is different from their design fee. The markup will vary depending on the vendor, usually between 20-30%, which is often still less than buying from a showroom.
They also take on the headache of following up if something gets lost in shipping or arrives damaged. Think of the mark up as a service fee to deal with the annoying minutia of ordering furniture.
5. How do interior designers charge?
It depends on the designer you are working with, but here at Revise Studio, we charge a value based flat fee depending on the scope and scale of the project. The fee is based on a carefully curated scope of work that will be presented to you prior to signing any contract or paying any fees with the exception of the initial site visit fee that we charge before we come to your home.
Here is a quick recap of how our process works:
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Initial call- you call us to tell us about your project
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Virtual meet and greet- no fee for this, it’s about a thirty minute meeting and this is when we figure out if we are a good fit for each other!
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Initial site visit - we come to your home, take measurements and assess your lifestyle and really start to get to know you and how you live in your space. There is a fee for this initial site visit of $750.00 which covers our time traveling to you and the time it will take to put a detailed scope of work and design fee together.
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Scope of work presentation- can be done virtually or in person. This is when we present you with the full scope of work we created from our initial site visit, broken down by room. Along with this we will present you with the design fee for the project and a budget for the furniture, fixtures and finishes, a procurement fee estimate and a construction budget as well if that is also part of the project.
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Signing of the agreement! Once you’ve signed off on the scope of work, we will present you with a Letter of Agreement that outlines the approved scope of work and our fees. After you sign on the dotted line and pay 50% of the design fee we get to work on the design.
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Once the design is finalized the 50% design fee is paid, and then we get to work on procurement (ordering, receiving, inspecting, following up on all the furniture pieces, the drapery, the custom pillows, etc…)
Fee recap:
Initial Site Visit Fee (just makes sure you are serious about the project and you have a little skin in the game too!)
Design Fee 50% due when you sign the contract- 50% due upon design presentation- revisions are included (up to 2 revisions and then we will charge an hourly rate after that)
Procurement Fee: covers ordering, receiving and inspecting the custom pillows, window treatments, furniture or cabinets, delivering and installation of finishes as well. Construction management fees are separate.
6. What is it like working with an interior designer?
A good designer will take their time in getting to know you and your family and how you live in your house. They should take time to tailor a budget that matches your lifestyle. We send out an extensive questionnaire once we’ve been hired to do your design work. We want to know if you like to kick your feet up on your coffee table or if you have small kids so we won’t specify a silk throw pillow and a dainty glass coffee table for your family. We like to take time to get to know each of our clients so that we can design specifically for them. It should be a fun and enjoyable process!
7. How should I prepare for my initial site visit?
When I come to your home, I want to see exactly how you live! So resist the urge to clean all the way up- I mean you can run the dishwasher, but I really do want to see where your pain points are. Is your entry too crowded, do you not have enough closet space for all your coats, do you have enough storage in your kitchen for all of your pots and pans? Seeing exactly how you live will help us tailor a design to meet you where you are.
You could also start to put an inspirational pinterest board together so we can start to get an understanding of what you like, but we will ask you all the questions when we start the client questionnaire to get a better sense of your style.