The Design Process

I always tell potential clients that hiring a designer is not advised unless you are truly ready to invest in your home and place your trust in a professional's hands. This may sound obvious, but if you are not clear around your budget & what you are prepared to invest, then design decision paralysis can take over and we'll reach the end of our hours deposit with nothing to show for it. The absolute best design outcomes comes from a mutual understanding and level of trust between client and designer.

Every design firm structures its pricing differently. KCo.’s model is based on a combination of our hourly design fees and income from furnishings and materials purchased through our trade accounts. Because of this, we do not automatically pass along our full trade discount.

That said, our clients often benefit from preferred pricing. Depending on the vendor and item, purchases may be priced below suggested retail, and pieces sourced directly from KCo.’s inventory are often offered below retail as well.

We also offer competitive pricing on many trade-only fabrics, wallcoverings and other soft finishes. For example, if a textile or wallcovering vendor suggests a retail price of $225/yard, our client price will often come in meaningfully below that.

Ultimately, our goal is to strike a balance: sourcing exceptional, quality pieces our clients may not otherwise have access to, while maintaining reasonable and transparent pricing.

We do not — all items sourced for our clients are sold at the market suggested retail price provided by each vendor.

Generally, all purchases made on our clients behalf will ship directly to our local receiver per our vendors guidelines. Once an item is received, their white glove team will unbox, inspect each product for damages and quality, notify our team of its status, and safely store your furniture until it's time for installation. The receiver is typically also the same moving crew that will handle installation. On a case by case basis, some products can ship directly to our clients, but most trade vendors require that merchandise is shipped to a commercial receiver due to the size of the truck and loading dock required for transportation. Our client’s name goes directly on the receiving account and all invoices are sent directly to the client for payment.

All over! We prefer to source through mostly to the trade vendors depending on the project needs and client budget. This ensures that you're receiving great quality furnishings and a high level of customer service all around. We also love sourcing unique pieces from craftsmen and women, and antique vendors from all over! The relationships we have with our vendors and our access to their products is one of the many benefits of working with a Designer.

This is entirely dependent upon the scope of work involved, and how well we build our working relationship from the onset of the project. The more information (likes, dislikes, preferences, lifestyle, pain points, budget, etc.), the more efficient we are able to use your design deposit. Although revisions are always a part of the design process, the more requested revisions, the more design time is spent. Clear, open and honest communication is the key to maximizing our time working together.

Yes. If a design project includes any construction work, we prefer to have that work is completed prior to moving into furnishings. For example: if we are doing a small remodel in your living room (built-ins, fireplace, paint), that design concept and those material selections need to be made prior to any furnishing selections.

Once we hit that threshold, clients have the option to go hourly or submit another deposit on design hours. There are pros and cons to both, so it truly depends on your specific design needs. If clients switch over to hourly, they are subject to our teams’ availability since there is no 'locked in' time allocated for those hourly design needs.

While we don't ever want clients to feel like they can't buy for their own home (which can be such a joyful process!), we do ask that for the spaces you have hired us for, that we be the ones doing the sourcing and purchasing for all items identified in our initial scope of work. It can get a little messy when we have two parties purchasing, (too many cooks in the kitchen!).

This is completely dependent on the item purchased and where it's coming from. If it's in-stock & ready to ship, typically that will arrive at our receivers within 3 weeks. Given that much of our work involves upholstery and custom items, the lead time can be anywhere between 3 to 6 months. We always advise prioritizing selections on those longer lead time items in order to ensure you aren't waiting on furniture for 10 months. Unfortunately, we have little to no control over how long things take, but we do our very best to communicate those lead times to our clients and provide regular updates on the status of their orders.