Dear Dakota, 

We charge a flat fee for Phase I and Phase II of our interior design services, and don't charge a service fee for the purchasing phase. Our flat fee pricing is contingent upon the client agreeing to purchase furniture through our vendors. We offer this arrangement to secure the entire project and ensure that clients buy all the required items from us.

Recently, we encountered a new challenge with a client. Although she loves the design and we are within budget, she expressed intentions to sell the custom home and not purchase furnishings at all. 

It’s been two months since we presented the design, and she hasn't signed the contract yet. I've contacted her multiple times, but she has only responded regarding ongoing contract work, not the furniture purchase. 

In my current contract, I have a provision that allows me to charge the client a fee of a specific % if the client removes items from the scope that were originally presented with a cost and within budget. I'm curious to know if your contract includes anything similar or if it has provisions to make it ironclad in such cases.

While this particular project is already underway, I'm concerned about handling similar situations in the future. Do you have any advice?

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Dear Dakota,

What should I do when a client doesn’t provide timely feedback on their interior design presentation?

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Dear Dakota,

How do we protect ourselves from a contractor's mistake or hold a contractor accountable for a portion of the cost?

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Dear Dakota,

How can I encourage clients to be fully present and free from distractions for our check-in sessions and review meetings?

For example, I have one client who brings their young children to our meetings and another who continues to take work calls and answer emails and text messages during meetings. The clients are pulled in several directions in trying to review their designs and tend to their children / answer emails, etc., and meetings inevitably run longer than scheduled, causing additional frustration. It also results in a fair amount of "I don't remember seeing that" from the client because they are not fully present when drawings and materials are being presented the first time.

I try to be as patient as possible because I know we all have significant demands on our time, but my time isn't infinite and it is incredibly difficult to move the needle in any direction during these meetings. I've gone so far as to offer meeting times after work hours and on weekends to ensure someone else can be home to watch the kids or the endless phone calls can stop. How do I get my clients to prioritize our time together? 

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Dear Dakota,

I am ordering decor right now for a client's interior design project, and it's all being delivered to me so I can check through it all and make sure i) I like items sourced online and ii) everything is in perfect condition. But my house is starting to fill up with boxes!!

What is the best process for ordering and holding decor, furnishings, etc. for a client? Larger items, I would have delivered directly to the client, and I would check on-site for the condition. But I'm specifically talking about the smaller items like mirrors, hardware, fixtures, etc. 

I am not large enough to pay for a storage facility yet. Is that what I should aspire to retain at some point?

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Dear Dakota,

I am struggling with my fee structure proposals whereby I make good profit but also retain clients, make them happy, and get repeat business.

For instance, I’m bidding on a ground-up assisted living residence. Rooms will be replicated (cookie-cutter) and public spaces aren’t vast. I don’t yet know the budget and this is my client’s first time with a project like this. 

Help!

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Dear Dakota,

I’d love to know more about setting up a design library for my boss. As a former librarian of books, I know my way around a library. However, I am not familiar with design libraries and best practices for them. I would love practical information on doing this.

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Dear Dakota,

Can you tell me whether the processes are the same for commercial and hospitality projects as for residential ones? What do I need to do if I want to expand into these project types?

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