Frequently Asked Questions
How do you charge for your time?
When do you charge for your time?
I can’t decide if I like the design. Do I still have to pay for it?
Can I have the name and number of your carpenter? Plumber? Painter?
My friend doesn’t like your ideas. Why shouldn’t I listen to her/him?
I’ve come to you. Why was I charged for that?
Can I go to the Boston Design Center? With or without you?
How often do clients dislike a Design Presentation?
How often do clients love a Design Presentation?
What if a piece of furniture comes damaged? What will NWID do?
How long does it take to receive things, once they are ordered?
Once the design is completed, I changed my mind and want to change
How do you charge for your time?
We charge by the hour, as is standard practice for interior designers. As a client, you are paying for our expertise, experience and ability to transform your personality into tasteful surroundings.
When do you charge for your time?
If we are asked to come to your house and begin consulting, offering recommendations, appraising the existing space or spaces, we charge for our time, including travel time. If we are asked to come to your house because you would like to have a 3-Dimensional Design Presentation or a Floor Plan Presentation for a specific room or rooms, and we are simply interviewing you for input, without ANY recommendations or ideas requested of us, this visit is complimentary.
If you have received and paid for a Design Presentation you own the design. If you choose to have NWID move forward to execute the design, including gathering prices, reselecting materials, subsequent trips to the house, Design Center, appointments to meet in our studio, coordinating with subcontractors, meetings at retail establishments or other legwork required to complete the project, we charge either by the hour, or we establish a Project Management fee up front (paid in thirds) which covers all the abovementioned services through to completion. We don’t charge for phone calls, communications or paperwork.
I can’t decide if I like the design. Do I still have to pay for it?
Yes! When you decide to hire an interior design firm, you have decided to trust the design recommendations of that firm. As a client, your responsibility is to provide as much information as possible to achieve your desired look. Likes and dislikes in design are subjective. Good taste is what we provide. The inability to make a decision is not uncommon, but it must be overcome if anything is to be accomplished. NWID takes your input and spends literally weeks on your personal space based on that input. We work during business hours, and after. We make aesthetic and educated decisions all along the way. Part of what you get from us is that ability to make decisions on your behalf.You are responsible to pay for that time and effort.
Can I have the name and number of your carpenter? Plumber? Painter?
We don’t give out that information.NWID spends a good portion of time building a resource base of outside suppliers and subcontractors. When you decide to work with us, we must employ the required sub to do your work. Further, NWID always provides the sub with specifications necessary to bid the job. This requires a meeting with the sub and often he/she is required to come to your house to further determine the scope of the job. Then NWID prepares and submits a bid to you prior to the work. So, our subs work through NWID, and as such we don’t give them away.
Once the sub is at my house can I hire him/her myself to do other unrelated work for me without telling NWID?
Yes, but since you have found this person through NWID, is that the right thing to do? Our subs will advise us of the situation and NWID and the sub will agree on the terms of that work. This is one of those grey areas where the client may be innocent and just doesn’t know how it all works, or it can be viewed as underhanded: the client likes the convenience of using someone else’s sub because they don’t have anyone else and they think they will get a better price. Good question.
NWID found a wallpaper pattern for me and I searched online and found it cheaper. Why shouldn’t I buy it online?
We always want our clients to get the best price. But, again,this is a grey area. You received your recommendation through NWID. Yes, you were likely charged for the time it took us to choose that wallpaper pattern (if not, we would require it in this case). We would love you to do business with us, as your designer. Hopefully, we have a mutual trust. There are several reasons why our price would be higher than an online fulfillment house. But, our prices will always be MSRP (manufacturer’s suggested retail price). And, we can usually offer you a discount on the MSRP. But, we can’t compete with the online price. When you do business with NWID, you’re not just getting a wallpaper. You are getting a company that does the legwork, calls that wallpaper manufacturer, orders the correct quantity, follows up if there is a flaw in the paper or the dye lot is incorrect. Good luck getting any kind of satisfaction from an online source. You should also know that if you buy elsewhere, we lose our commission. If you would rather save a few dollars to compromise the good faith of NWID’s recommendation, that is your decision. Another good question.
My friend doesn’t like your ideas. Why shouldn’t I listen to her/him?
If you have to ask, please don’t contact a design firm for their help! Just call your friend. (Believe it or not, we get this often!)
I’ve come to you. Why was I charged for that?
We must charge for our time, wherever it is. However, you will save on the travel.
Can I go to the Boston Design Center? With or without you?
Yes. Any time you’d like! It is a fantastic experience. Just tell them you are working with NWID and you’ll be admitted. Though, I would recommend having one of us accompany you, as it can be overwhelming and is set up for the trade so it can be intimidating if you don’t know how things work, where things are, etc. We are good at keeping focused on the specific items we are looking for and which showrooms to visit, to make the most efficient use of time there. That alone is worth our fee to go with you! It’s so easy to get sidetracked.
How often do clients dislike a Design Presentation?
Very rarely. However, first, we know that we aren’t perfect. But, we always use a systematic process to try to achieve the closest fit with our client’s expectations. Over the years, we have learned the right questions to ask a client before beginning the design process. This is really the most important ingredient to ensure success. The better you as a client communicates with us, the better the outcome will be. It’s as simple as that. We have found that these few people are usually either afraid of change, unable to make a decision, or gave us inaccurate input. We are not mind readers. However, we can pick up a lot from the way your house looks – your personality and a general sense of your taste. Beyond that, It is essential that you have confidence in NWID and trust that we know what we are doing. We have the ability to visualize the entire space and know what it will look like before we present to you. We know what the trends are and where they are going. It’s what we do every day! If you come to us for help, you need to admit to yourself that you aren’t good at this. Why else would you pay so much for our expertise?. Therefore, it doesn’t make sense to second-guess our ideas. That being said, we do always listen to our clients, and will make adjustments to some choices along the way. Sometimes, a fabric or pattern will remind the client of someone they don’t like or include a color they dislike. This is not a problem! We make adjustments like this all the time.
How often do clients love a Design Presentation?
All the time! We are happy that the vast majority of our clients love our work, value our eye, rely on us for solid recommendations and trust our abilities. We may make a few changes or re-selections within the same style framework, but we have developed many great working and personal relationships as well as many beautiful rooms. We are very flexible (we need to be) when a client is adamant about something, and our good clients are flexible when we are adamant about something. That’s what it’s all about!
What if a piece of furniture comes damaged? What will NWID do?
NWID utilizes a white glove furniture delivery service (we’re fortunate to have a very good one right here in Medfield) where the truck pulls in, unloads the piece and the piece is inspected for flaws or damage. If the damage is major, they’ll make the truck driver take it back for return to the mfr., call us and we will advise you of the situation. If the damage is minor, they have refinishers on staff who are able to repair and/or touch up the problem. When the piece is in perfect condition, they wrap it and store it in a cubby until we arrange for them to deliver the piece to you. The piece is then brought into your home and placed exactly where we want it. There is a receiving and delivery charge for this service, but my clients are happy we have this service: otherwise that semi truck pulls onto their street and won’t even bring the piece up the driveway, let alone unpack it or bring it into your house! It’s well worth the fee.
If, for some reason the damage goes undetected, and you notice it within the first 24 hours, or a crack develops over time (for example) NWID will go back to our white glove service or the manufacturer (whoever is at fault) and request a replacement. Our vendors are all very service oriented and we have had a few occasions where this was necessary and clients were satisfied with the outcome.
How long does it take to receive things, once they are ordered?
Here’s a guideline (though individual vendors vary somewhat):
Upholstered Furniture: 10-16 weeks depending on mfr.
Casegoods – Chests, bookcases, tables, hutches, etc.: 8-12 weeks depending on mfr.
Window Treatments: 6-8 weeks depending on size of job
Accessories, Lamps, Art Prints, Silk Flowers/Plants: 4-6 weeks or less.
Rugs: If machine made, 2-4 weeks. If hand knotted, 3-4 months
Wallpaper/Fabrics: 3-5 days.
NWID always communicates timing based on mfr., prior to ordering, to the best of our knowledge. There have been cases where things have taken an unreasonably long time. It happens! But, we follow up, keep you posted, and our clients understand that it is not our fault – we are at the mercy of our suppliers. However, we will not recommend or utilize a supplier if they do this twice. Client satisfaction is too important to us.
Once the design is completed, I changed my mind and want to change
things around. How do you charge for that?
NWID will gladly make minor, color/fabric/style changes on a design for no charge, provided it is minor, simple to change and doesn’t greatly impact the design concept. However, if you change your mind about major elements, placement of elements or completely change the parameters of the project, NWID must charge for the time it takes to create those changes within a given space and redraw the space. At this point, we will need collectively to thoroughly analyze the pros and cons of the changes and the reasons for them. Usually, these changes stem from a third party and usually result in a larger budget than originally discussed. Every case is different, so we would talk about it and come up with a mutual solution. We have no problem with change, especially if it will improve the efficiency of the space and the client is comfortable with the expense required.
Any other questions?
Just go to the contact page and email us or call us. We’d love to hear from you!
NWID
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