Q: Why do I need an interior designer?
A: Interior Designers are trained in space planning, design, codes, material selections, etc. Designers act as project managers, create floor plans, select materials and attend continuing education courses to keep up with the ever-changing design world. Most people spend thousands of dollars on major investments on their property, however they do not realize how much money and time is saved by hiring a designer. Time is money. You will save both time and money by hiring an expert, an interior designer, to manage or consult on a project. You also reduce stress and save the headaches of the construction world that you may not be prepared for or want to deal with. As you may already know from the many design shows on television, the prices and the timelines are never accurate. However, the headaches of construction and surprises are all too real! Project renovations often have unexpected complications or surprises. An experienced interior designer can help you overcome the obstacles of any stressful project. A skilled designer will stay ahead of the problems and conquer them head-on when they come faced with any dilemma.
Q: Can I hire Greenprints Design Studio for my project outside of the Philadelphia area?
A: Yes, we work with clients across the country upon request; however, we are located just outside of center city, in Bala Cynwyd, Pennsylvania. Most of our projects are focused in the Greater Philadelphia Area and stretch from Bucks County, the Main Line, Schuylkill County, Center City, to the Jersey Shore. Although our focus is in the tri-state area, we are available to travel for full-service projects upon request and at our discretion. We also offer skype or facetime consultations for special circumstances.
Q: What type of design does Greenprints Design Studio specialize in?
A: The owner of the firm, Lauren Sciarra has backgrounds both in interior design (15 years) and cabinet design (10 years.) Because of our passion and experience with cabinet design Greenprints does specialize in kitchen and bathroom renovations. Greenprints has completed entire home and condo renovations, advised and designed new construction homes, advised on exterior spaces, pool cabanas, curb appeal , large parties and events including weddings. Greenprints has designed assisted living, office, country club spaces along with consulting on restaurant design. Greenprints focuses on interior residential projects and we provide full-service interior design and project management. services. If you have a commercial project, exterior space, event, or unique project please feel free to inquire and we may be able to help or refer you to someone who can!
Q: How soon can we begin?
A: We will respond to all client inquiries within 24 to 48 hours (excluding holidays.) We will contact you via phone or e-mail to schedule a short phone call to discuss your project. After we both understand the scope of work and determine if we would be a good fit, we will schedule an in-home consultation. After our initial consultation, we can determine a start date for the project and usually establish an initial budget. The start date is dependent upon your schedule, design goals, your anticipated date of completion and our current workload.
Q: Do you charge for the initial consultation?
A: Yes, like most interior designers, we charge for design consultations. The only designers who do not charge for a consultation are usually are working for a company that pays commission for each sale. Fees will be discussed over our initial phone call. If travel is needed for the initial consultation, there will be an additional travel fee included.
Q: What are the steps in the design process?
A: The first step is to complete the initial phone call and review all expectations and the scope of work involved. The second step is the initial consultation, which is typically one to two hours long. For some clients, an initial consultation may help them decide on color, material, or solve a space planning question. For other clients who need full-service interior design (such as a major kitchen or bath renovation or entire home renovation,) we typically schedule a follow-up appointment to continue the process.
The follow-up appointment will include proposal of initial designs, the project outline and timeline. After we gather all the information and establish what your “Dream Design” includes, typically we start researching materials and finishes and finalize any floor plans or cabinet layouts. We typically have a third design consultation to conduct a final presentation that includes anything from material samples, 3-D renderings and floor plans and in some cases, presentation boards so the client can approve the design and the materials that need to be ordered. Usually any additional contracts and floor plans are e-mailed to the client and upon deposits and approval signatures, we begin to order your materials.
At this stage, we begin to manage the project and we work with schedules and timelines with both the contractors and the vendors in order to make sure your project moves along efficiently and on schedule within our control. There are often hiccups where materials are back-ordered, contractors run behind schedule or we are waiting on inspections to be completed, however we will assist to help expedite these potential issues and solve problems.
Due to these potential unforeseen issues, we will never promise a definitive completion date, but we will do everything in our power to resolve these issues with the utmost urgency and keep the project on track. We do have many extremely satisfied clients that can attest to us completing their project in a timely manner and within their estimated completion date. You can sleep easy throughout your project knowing we are always on top of it!
Q: How long is my project going to take?
A: Each project has a different timeline and we will discuss your scope of work in detail so that we can give you an estimated start and end date. The speed of the project depends on your ability to make decisions, the contractor’s schedule, and the lead time for the delivery of all materials.
Q: Do we need to use your preferred contractors or can we use someone we have already worked with in the past?
A: We are happy to work with your contractor depending on the scope of work. Each project is unique. We have several contractors from both Pennsylvania, New Jersey and Delaware especially that we have built strong relationships with and we can work together with great communication and in harmony so that we always know that our clients are in good hands. Each client situation is different including scope of work and location; therefore, we will evaluate each case and decide what works best for all of us.
Q: How much is this project going to cost?
A: Each project is almost as unique as a snowflake. At the end of our initial consultation we usually can give you a rough estimate depending on the scope of work. In some instances, we may need you to make some decisions on the scope and material of the project in a second consultation to give you a more accurate estimate. After you have finalized selections of material and decided on a contractor, we will always present the final project costs before ordering or scheduling so you can approve the final budget. During that initial consultation, we will share rough pricing breakdowns with you to determine your level of investment. It all depends on your wish list.
Q: Can I speak to past clients about their experience with your firm?
A: You can read several testimonials listed on our website of clients who have worked with us over the years. We respect all our client’s privacy and we do not share any of their personal information. We are happy share more information with you during our first call or initial consultation.
Q: Are our styles compatible?
A: Check out our website to view some of the projects, including a majority of our kitchens and bathrooms renovations that we have completed. Also, please check out all of our social media links on our home page! We may have completed a project or room in our portfolio that is more your style and we may not have it displayed on our website so be sure to ask. We may have completed a similar project. If we can dream it, we can create it! We pride ourselves at Greenprints Design Studio with adapting and admiring almost all styles!
Q: How do we get started?
A: Please fill out the contact page form on the website and once we receive your request, we will contact you to discuss your project. If we both decide to move forward, we can set up an initial consultation to prepare for our first meeting.
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