Stages of a project part2

This is the second part of what you can expect when working with ELI.

In the first part, I have described the first client meeting, the taking of the brief and the measured survey. This is a necessary and important stage on which the rest of the project will be based: the design solving.

We are now back in the design studio...

Design analysis

After the brief, I can digest all the given information and
analyse the design problem given by the client in order to solve it in the best
possible way. At this stage I also make any needed research; yes, every project
is different and if you want to address it properly you have to update your
knowledge. (This is also why I like the BIID so much, as the institute is also
behind you to remind you that you have to take a certain number of CPDs every
year! Interior design is a life-time learning process)

Plan drawing and furniture layout

Thanks to the measured survey the scaled plans can be drawn.
In every design solving stage, space planning is an important part, and having
accurate plans is necessary to plan the space efficiently.
With the plan we can also draw what we call a furniture
layout. It is a plan on which we indicate where the furniture goes. The
furniture is drawn to scale as well. This flat representation allows checking
the traffic flow and will be used later as a shopping list.

Lighting plans

This is a good occasion to mention my love for lightings. A
fantastic design scheme will only appear average if the lighting is not good,
whereas an average scheme will appear fantastic when the lighting is right. Too
often, lighting is forgotten or even worst left to the end, when it is too late
to rectify as you certainly don’t want the electrician to come and chase cables
in the walls after the decorator has done his job!

Lighting plans are created according to the furniture
layout. What is the point of creating a lighting plan if you don’t know there
is an art piece to light on a specific wall, or if you don’t know where the
dining table will need to be lit to create this intimate atmosphere while
allowing seeing what is in your plate?
Let say it again, lighting plans need to be made according
to the furniture layout and has to be considered from the beginning of the
project!

Window treatment

Curtains play a very important place in the design as they
give the overall atmosphere in a room. They can create a modern feel when kept
simple with modern fabric, or give a very luxurious feel when drape over poles
or swags and tails are used etc.
Curtains have to be designed for a specific room and
according to the wanted final result.

Sometimes a property can have some unusual windows placed in
a weird corner, and the owner simply doesn’t know what to do with them. If it
is the case, I am always happy to take the challenge and find a design solution
for awkward windows.

Sourcing

Now that we have a plan with the furniture layout, a
lighting plan and relevant curtains, the next stage can begin: sourcing.
Buying all new furniture is not always needed as sometimes
re-using furniture can be very effective and is an eco-friendly solution as
well. But there is always the need to select which furniture will be re-used
and what will need to be bought.
Sourcing is a time consuming stage as it is important to
find the right item for the project. We are not only designing for beauty but
also for comfort, good quality etc. and all this within a given budget.
The sourcing stage is also the perfect time to consider
eco-friendly materials and specifications. If you want to design without
hurting the planet, there is no need to go for the “hippy look”. Sourcing the
right products, that come from a renewable source and that can bio-degrade at
their end of life cycle is the solution. And here are more and more available
products that can be rated as eco-friendly or green on the market. It is only a
question of looking for them.

Budget writing

Yes, here is the time to talk about the budget. Every
project has a budget. The client decides what amount he/she is happy to spend
on a project and we work within the given amount. If, from the beginning we feel
that the budget is not realistic considering the amount of work that needs to
be done, we mention it to the client, so that either the scope of work or the
budget can be adjusted.
All the sourced items are recorded and included in the
budget. The budget is regularly presented to the client. The process is
transparent and there are no surprises.
As a professional interior designer, I charge a design fee.
I am not a retail shop so all the discount I am eligible for furniture, fabric,
light fitting etc. are passed directly to the client.

Emmanuelle Lemoine