These fabulous floor lamps will take center stage in any room.

Shane

Decorati Founder

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Here are two questions I was asked recently and their answers.  Please feel free to comment.

Question 1:  Our designer charges 35% above designer net price.  We are thinking of negotiating a better rate with her, given the economy.  What do you think?

My Answer:  I know a lot of designers, and while the profession is not that well understood or transparent, the truth is interior design is a lot of work, and comes with a lot of risk to the designer (consider the cost of a problem order or a client walking out on their bills).  You should work with a designer whom you value at a rate equivalent to what she/he charges.  Like picking a lawyer, you can choose one for $300- 600/hour or more – only you can decide what an individual’s legal advice is worth to you.  Focusing on your designer’s salary as a means to purchase items you may not be able to afford otherwise seems arbitrary and counter to the hard lessons from the recent economic crash.  If you can’t afford the project your designer has proposed to you, I would suggest you ask him/her to select less expensive items, or you find a less expensive designer, or you skip using a designer and use the Decorati Buying Service and do much of the work on your own.  So, feel free to approach your designer with the question of reducing rates, as some may welcome the opportunity to keep you as a client, but be ready for a reaction you might have if one of your customers asked you the same thing. 

Question 2:  Given the status of the economy, can we get better deals on furniture?

My Answer:  It is true that the downturn in the economy has created an increase in Sample Sales - showrooms and manufacturers are more willing to sell product off the floor than in typical times.  But the majority of pieces sold by high-end manufacturers are made-to-order.  There is no inventory to get rid of since the piece does not exist until you order it (textiles excluded).  Furthermore, from what I hear from manufacturers, the cost of materials and labor continues to rise, so it’s not clear where they can cut costs on your custom order.  Finally, with designers, showrooms, and manufacturers needing to profit on a job, it is not easy to figure out which party should take a cut without drastically changing the system.   What do you suggest?

Change out your ordinary seating with these sophisticated slipper chairs.

Shane

Decorati Founder

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Check out my article “High-End Decor on a Low-End Budget” on Forbes.  The story features designers Timothy Corrigan, Robert Passal, Palmer Weiss and Cecil Hayes, and designer-manufacturer Vicente Wolf.

Enjoy!
Shane
Decorati Founder
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Valentine’s Day is the perfect opportunity to warm up your heart and home with these spicy pieces. Check them out!

Shane

Decorati Founder

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De Sousa Hughes Showroom at the SFDC hosted a panel discussion with Decorati and Western Interiors & Design magazine about “You as a Brand.”  The panelists from left to right were: PR guru Alisa Carroll, fabulous, colorful designer Jay Jeffers, elegant Decorati manufacturer partner Rosemary Hallgarten,  Western Interiors & Design Editor-In-Chief and panel moderator Michael Wollaeger, and me, Shane Reilly, Decorati Founder.

Here are a couple of take-aways from the panel:
1.  Building a brand starts with having a clear vision about your purpose and what you stand for, whether you are a designer developing an aesthetic approach, or a manufacturer developing products, or a web site creating a new online identity.
2.  Building a brand is hard work.  Every element counts, from how you dress, to your marketing materials, to your web site.  As Jay put it, your web site is really the anchor for your brand.  It is critical.
3.  You need to let your brand evolve as you evolve, and guess what – you are never done with branding.  No matter how established your business gets, you are the face of the brand and you have to keep working on it.

Thank you to the 130+ designers who came to hear the discussion, and to De Sousa Hughes for the lovely venue.

It was fun to meet up with the Spencer and his father Ralph Rudin, two of the four generations behind Decorati manufacturer partner A. Rudin.  Spencer took me through the new hot-off-the-press A. Rudin catalog, including a number of sleek new pieces soon to be debuting on Decorati.  A. Rudin hosted renown Bay Area photographer David Duncan Livingston’s talk about how designers should promote themselves online and the role of photography.

During Design San Francisco, Eric Chang of Hellman-Chang gave me an exclusive look at some new products the NY-based dynamic duo is launching soon.  I have ordered the table above in both the end table and round dining table version.  I love the graceful swooping line that has become the signature mark of Hellman-Chang pieces.  And none of their pieces are boring – every joint, leg, and surface has an unexpected twist.

I had the honor of sitting on a panel hosted at Sloan Miyasato Showroom and produced by California Home + Design magazine.  The topic was “Timeless vs. Trendy.”  Editor-In-Chief Sarah Lynch (striped dress) did an excellent job challenging us to stick to the topic of trends we like and don’t like and making predictions.  Fellow panelists included witty designer Melanie Coddington (left) and super razzle dazzle designer Ken Fulk.  You can see Ken’s loft in CHD this month.

It was a luxury to be able to listen to designer Roger Thomas present his work on the Wynn Hotels.  Thomas is the true definition of artist-designer… he draws, he creates, he has an eye for seeing the possibility in objects and for creating solutions.  The best part was he seems to have incredibly short timelines, a challenge I can relate to.  In the photo above Roger Thomas (orange shoes) with Erik Hughes of De Sousa Hughes showroom and Jobi Blachy and Steven Mitmman of Edward Ferrell + Lewis Mittman.