Interior Design isn’t just all glitz and glam, there is a hell of a lot that goes on behind the scenes that most people wouldn’t even be aware of, let alone know how to tackle it.
Like most interior designers, procurement is a big part of the service we offer for our clients. This is one of the most time consuming parts of the project and takes a lot of organising. After we have settled on a design that the client loves, we get to work ordering all of the beautiful pieces. These can come from all over the world, with various lead times, so it is vital we order them at the right time and to the right place. Some things can be ordered in time to go straight into the client’s property. Whilst others may need to be stored elsewhere prior to final installation. And it’s not just the furnishings and decoration we order, we also order the majority of the items the builders need. Lights (and drivers), bathroom fixtures and fittings, flooring, windows, etc. all need to be ordered and delivered at specific times and in a specific order throughout the project. For things that need to arrive towards the end of the project, we can organise them to be stored and then brought into the property at the correct time.
Storage
Usually when we order items for our clients, we order for them to be delivered to a storage warehouse. This allows things to be kept in a safe place where they wont be damaged, a building site is not a place for a bespoke calfskin pouf to live… On arrival the items are expertly checked for damages to make sure all your pieces are in tip top condition! Storing them at a warehouse means that we are able to receive much larger items, such as palette deliveries. It also means that if you’re living on site whilst the work is being carried out, your home isn’t overrun with huge cardboard boxes, as well as being part building site, part dwelling.
Just a few of the deliveries for one of our projects…
Receipts
As we buy everything for you, we have a copy of all of your receipts. This means that you have access to all your receipts for life. Your beautiful kettle has gone caput before its warranty? Not to worry, all you need to do is contact us and we’ll get you a copy of your receipt no problem! Gone are the days that you had to spend hours routing through your important receipt box (if you have one), to find it’d been thrown out with the box.
Trade Discounts and Fees
Many of our suppliers offer interior designers a trade discount when buying items for our clients. This discount can range from 20%-50%, which we always pass onto the price we charge our clients.
We do charge a 20% buying fee (please note this has increased to 25% from Jan 2020) on top of each item we purchase, which can sound a little daunting. However, as we get larger discounts from some suppliers and not so large from others, it usually works out very similar to the retail pricing, if not cheaper. Also, this fee covers the handling of all your new items, sorting the items, organising delivery, and the installation of all your lovely new items. So although there is an extra fee, usually this equates to the same price you would pay, with the added bonus of stress free purchasing, storing, sorting and installing. So many headaches avoided!