The Role Between Interior Designer and Contractor...

Well atleast for L & J...

I think this will become a very interesting post, thinking off the top of my head before I get into it (haha) laughing to myself.

I googled “what is a typical role between an interior designer and contractor”, this is what I found “an interior designer creates the vision and functional blueprint for a space, while a contractor executes the physical construction. While their roles are completely distinct, they work as close collaborators to bring a renovation or build to life”. I think this is a pretty good summary of the two roles and how they work together.

So how does it work when the interior design and contractor are husband and wife…

As the designer, once we have a signed quote, I typically meet with the client’s to do a design package. We work through the various stages, depending on the project to work out the layout, material selection and how the overall design will come together. Once I have the design package put together, Josh and I sit down and review it to make sure everything works for the construction aspect, I get Josh’s opinion on material selection and make sure he doesn’t have any changes prior to presenting the design to the client. Once the design is approved by the client, we hit the construction phase.

Typically, around 10:30 p.m. when we are both closing our eyes ready to go to sleep after a long day, an idea or item to do with the jobsite will pop into my head, so I make sure to ask Josh. Then around 2:00 a.m. or so, another thought will pop up, most times I will text him my thoughts at this point. If Josh is onsite and I can’t make it to site, I typically get a snapchat video asking a question, followed by a text to watch the video, followed by a phone call if I don’t respond in the allotted five-minute time frame. To say the least, we are in CONSTANT communication about the project, every and I mean every step of the way.

Although by the construction stage the design is locked in, sometimes, I mean only sometimes I will change my mind once I start to see everything come together. Not to mention, finishes, have to be done in person or via video chat. Hanging a mirror, handle placement, towel bar, artwork and the list goes on, all items I must see once the space is completed. Now, I typically show up with coffees and Timbits so most of the time my site visits are well received, unless I start making too many construction suggestions, changes or just overall remarks about the space, then I typically get a few eye rolls from Josh or a "didn't you say you have to pick up a grocery order comment" and I know I should be on my way.

The final day, which is never ever a day, it is typically at night, the guys do a great job cleaning the space and then I show up and re-clean the space because it is never clean enough for me. Josh absolutely loves when I do this. Then I make them unload all my staging or décor into the project, at which point I decorate, take videos and pictures and then they have to load back into my car. Typically speaking at this point, Josh is really happy that he become a contractor and married an interior designer.

Okay, okay, all jokes aside with a husband and wife team like ours, our business is driven by our passion for each and every project. We talk every single day, ensuring we are both bringing our “A-game” to each project, I think it is a very unique situation that benefits our client’s because this is our business, we both want to ensure that every client is left with the space of their dreams, so our constant communication defiantly helps to achieve this. When we aren’t talking about a specific project, on drives to the cottage we find ourselves talking about how to improve our business as a whole, this could be a new and improved tool we need to look into, a new material available on the market, different questions we need to ask the client and so on, but we are always talking about how to improve the experience and results for our client.

Soooo… although we may banter a little bit back and forth, the role of an interior designer and contractor husband and wife team is to ensure our client’s vision becomes their reality!