Holy cow. I hope you’re safe and healthy, Gentle Readers. These are some crazy times we’re living through. Coronapocalypse, indeed.
As I am neither a doctor nor a politician, there isn’t much I can do about the coronavirus. What I CAN do, though, is commiserate and offer a distraction.
Our interior design business carries on. We thought it was prudent to reschedule our upcoming meetings, but there’s still lots to do to prepare for those meetings. Design strategies to create, items to source, swatches and samples to pull from our library (and order from manufacturers — most of them are still working), furniture plans to draw, etc.
Granted, for these projects, Amy and I have already met with our clients in person, been in their homes, and taken photographs and dimensions.
But it occurred to me: if someone called us today, would we really have to wait a month (or more? Ugh) before getting started?
After much reflection, I believe the answer is no.
In my last blog post, I recommend several house-focused things you can do while taking a break from work: collect pictures of pretty rooms, make lists, prioritize projects. But if you’re serious about working with a designer (i.e., us), here’s how we can work together, starting now.
Step 1: Phone call. As always, we’ll have a 20-minute conversation focusing on your goals and priorities. I’ll tell you how we work and answer any questions you might have. We’ll also talk about how much you’re interested in investing in your home right now. It’s impossible to begin a project until we’ve talked about your budget.
Step 2: Pre-work. We’ll send you an in-depth questionnaire to learn how you live; who lives with you (including pets); how often you entertain; how you spend your free time at home (when you’re home by choice, that is), etc.
Step 3: Virtual walk-through. This normally would be an in-person site meeting. Given the current…shall we say…extenuating circumstances, we instead will make use of the amazing modern technology available to us and do a Facetime or Zoom walk-through of your space with you.
Step 4: Designer’s apprenticeship. After our virtual walk-through, you’ll send us room dimensions and measurements of key pieces of furniture. You’ll also send us a Dropbox file with photographs of your house (we’ll give you some guidance). We then will have a follow-up phone call with you to ask questions and nail down the scope of work.
Step Five: Design and presentation. We retreat, we scheme, we design, we get super excited, and we hold a virtual design presentation. We did our first one last week, and guess what? It worked pretty well! We dropped off a presentation binder and a bag of materials — with everything clearly marked — and then Amy and I held a call with the client via Zoom.
Listen. Given my druthers, I’d rather see you in person. I want to meet your dog, for one thing, and nothing beats being in a space physically.
But if you’re game, we’ll be able to make huge headway on your project while COVID-19 is calling the shots.
Annie Elliott Design is based in Washington, DC, but we travel for fun projects. Annie’s design work and insights have appeared in numerous local and national publications, including The Wall Street Journal, The New York Times, The Washington Post, and Washingtonian Magazine. Annie will be participating in the ASPIRE HOUSE, a designers’ showcase, this fall. I haven’t forgotten about the Design House blog post series, by the way, but since the opening day was pushed back…I thought it could wait ;)