FAQ

Question: Why should I hire Peter E Designs?

Answer: For over twenty years we have crafted personal living and working environments for our clients. We bring this experience and our construction know-how to your project, helping you to avoid costly mistakes, putting function in your space, maximizing your investment while creating a space that truly reflects your soul.

Question: What do I need to know about your initial Consultation? Is there a fee?

Answer: Our initial consultation is a getting to know process. We tell you about ourself and learn about you and your project. We ascertain if we are a good match to make a winning team for your project. The meeting last approximately an hour and is free if you meet us in our Studio or via Skype. However, a fee is applied if we travel and meet you in your home or business. This may be paid in full before the meeting, or half before the meeting with the second half due at the start of our meeting. It’s not refundable, but will be applied as part your payment to your fees if you hire us within six months of our initial consultation.

Question: How do you charge for your services?

Answer: Our services may be billed by the hour, a percentage of the project sum, a fixed fee or a combination. A lot is depended on the project and the clients personal preferences. For details on this, please see this article: “How Do Interior Designers Charge?”


Question: Are your fees negotiable?

Answer: No. Our fees are reasonably structured to cover overheads, time and creative input, so that we can concentrate on doing what we do best in giving you a space that will pamper you for years. However we can cost engineer our services or the scope of your project to better fit with your budget.


Question: What size Projects do you take? Can we start with one room?

Answer: We do small to large projects. From a few key rooms in your home, to public places in your office. It is quite alright to start with just one room. For your guidance we do have a minimum design fee of $1,500.00 (USD) for our smallest projects, usually a room.


Question: We are planning to remodel or build a new building, when do I call a designer?

Answer: A designer may be called in on your project at anytime. However you maximize the designers services and increase the possibles and options of what can be done to your space to achieve the greatest function and aesthetics if you call the designer from the planning phase, before any work is done. Rule of thumb here is “the earlier in the project the better and more cost effective it is for you”.


Question: You call yourself an Interior Designer, is that different from being an Interior Decorator?

Answer: Yes it is! Decorators are concerned with surface adornment and arranging beautiful often fashionable items to create a visually pleasing space. While Designers give aesthetic input, we are primarily focused on understanding human behavior and designing functional spaces to satisfy and move around the way we live, work, play and interact with each other. This includes interior structure or architecture, services such as electrical, lighting, plumbing, air and sound quality, safety and building codes. Please see the article, “Interior Designer or Decorator: What’s the Difference?”


Question: What if I do not like the design?

Answer: Our clients are heavily involved in the design the process. First we strive to understand you, your needs, likes and dislike. It is ok to bring an idea book of pictures and clippings of your likes and dislikes. Further we give you options and present preliminary designs that can be tweaked to better fit with your vision. In our 25 years of practice we have not had a client that did not like their results.


Question: What if we have problems with payment or fail to pay on time?

Answer: We are a small company that offers a highly personalized service to our clients. Your timely payments are our lifeblood. If you have an issue or question about an invoice, we ask that you discuss such issues with us promptly. Failure to make payments in a timely fashion could result in our stopping work on your project.

Question: Can we do our own shopping?

Answer: The simple answer is yes. They are pros and cons whether you do it yourself or we do it for you. However the decision to shop and for what items needs to be discussed and agreed upon by us at the contract phase of our arrangement and not later during the project.

Question: Do you work with Contractors and sub Contractors or do we have to find our own?

Answer: Many of our clients approach us with their preferred contractor in hand. We are willing to work with your contractor in any capacity outlined in our agreement. If however it is your choice, we will recommend our team of contractors and artisans to bring your project into reality.

Question: What is a commitment fee, and why do you charge one?

Answer: Once we have past the initial meeting phase, and we both express a desire to work together, a commitment fee is charged to proceed. The process of analyzing your space, your requirements, taste and dislikes is an intensive one which includes trips to your job site, space measurements, and preliminary checks with other professionals on feasibility. Many hours both in and out of our office are required. Your commitment fees covers a portion of those initial expenses. It is non-refundable. However if you hire us to do your project within six months of the payment of a commitment fee, the fee is then applied as a portion of your retainer or fees.