"My Litmus Test"

Here's another blog Cindy and I wrote together about how we select items for a client, how we narrow down thousands of possibilities to just 3.

"If you have ever stepped foot into the By Design Interiors studio, you would see hundreds of fabric books, catalogues, tile samples, rug squares, wall paper books and much more. But, when I have a meeting with a client, I usually only have a handful of products to show them. Up to and not exceeding three of each selection is my magic formula.

My job for each project is to sift through thousands of items and ideas and only select the perfect possibilities for each space- including quality, price point, lead-time and design aspects.

So my litmus test for selecting products is pretty simple actually, my team and I handle every project as if it were our own homes. Would I pay this much for this product? Is it in budget? Would I put it in my own home? Is the quality good? Does it work with the rest of the design? Would I be happy with this?

These are all questions I ask myself about each and every piece of furniture, art, lighting, or tile I select for a client. It I can’t honestly answer ‘yes’ to those questions, I won’t even show it to a client.

Because what I do is so personal, I will never steer a client wrong; I do everything I can to properly set expectations. And well, you should trust me because I know stuff."