You’ve got questions, we’ve got answers! Our frequently asked questions are usually about scheduling or billing, but if anything else comes up, just give us a shout.
faqs: scheduling
On a regular basis, we book everything from one room accessory calls to new construction full house designs.
Our design teams frequently get booked up in advance. What can we say, we’re popular! We do our best to accommodate your project timeline, and we’ll always let you know up front what to expect for a project start date.
Our client base extends from greater Philadelphia to shore points in Florida and mountain retreats in Michigan and North Carolina. Trip charges apply and vary based on distance. The trip charge for New York starts at $250.
Remote design work can apply to design consulting only, with no trip charges. Full service design requires trip charges. You need hands-on designer time at your space, especially for project launch and final installation.
An interior design project can vary from an average of 5 months and up to 14 months. You drive the progress of the first phase of the design process. The faster you can finish the onboarding paperwork and schedule a project launch date, the closer you are to the final reveal!
Order receiving usually takes 8-12 weeks, depending on the manufacturer. We have several quick ship furniture options that can take as little as 3 weeks. We believe in a seamless client experience, so our white-glove handling securely stores design elements until the final installation.
Booking a full service design project is the best way to secure dedicated time with your interior design team. Design consulting and paint consulting are also available, scheduled as the interior design team project calendar allows. To get immediate design attention for a more limited project, walk in or schedule with the home store team’s design concierge service. They can handle furniture ordering and room design for smaller scale projects, and it’s complimentary. We are here to please!
We really love you, but we’re gonna bill you! Our home store is open to the public, and clients often visit the showroom to see new arrivals and get inspiration. Your design team will always want to say hi, but to keep your project on budget and get the most personalized attention, schedule an appointment ahead of time.
Life happens, and we do our best to accommodate your schedule. You won’t be billed for appointment time if you cancel with 24 hours notice.
Susan and her team have done several projects for us and we could not be happier with the work. The whole team is delightful to work with, and the quality of the design work is exceptional. Susan has helped us with most of the rooms in our house. She has picked paint colors, furniture, window treatments, and her accessorizing is fantastic. We even hired her to do Christmas decorating which turned out to be amazing.Tony Rogers
faqs: billing
Meet a Designer
This is a complimentary 30-minute appointment with a member of the design team at the home store.
Initial Consult
We offer a discounted hourly rate for an on-site or remote initial consultation with your designer at $185/hour. Trip charges only apply for site visits more than 60 miles from Holicong, PA.
Onboarding
After an initial consult, your designer will review a retainer proposal with you. Once it’s finalized, the retainer payment and your signed service contract is due before your project launch appointment can be scheduled.
Design Concept & Development
Client appointment time and product purchases are billed separately from your retainer. Client appointment time varies widely per client and by project size, and is tailored for your needs. Product purchase orders are only placed once payment in full is received. Average product purchase orders vary widely, often between $3,000-$25,000 per room.
Shipping, handling and receiving is included in the product purchase payments. If applicable, trip charges are billed separately. Contractor bids and payments are placed separately, if needed.
Installation
Installation time and services are billed separately, usually ranging from 1-5 days. Any trip charges and accommodation expenses are billed separately. Your final payment is due upon project completion.
A retainer is an estimate of the professional design time required for your project. We cover up to two design changes with your retainer estimate. An average retainer can run between $3,000-$25,000 per project. Your designer will go over your retainer proposal as part of onboarding.
A retainer includes the time it will take to complete a design concept, conduct product research and execute project management. Client appointment time and product purchases are not included. We bill separately for the client convenience of transparency.
As the design development phase progresses, your designer will review the retainer status with you and get approval on any further budget, if needed. In occasional circumstances, additional design time can accrue based on the rate of client response and decision-making. If a project comes under the retainer upon completion (yay!), that amount will be applied toward decor accessory purchases following installation.
The retainer is paid before the project launch appointment. Client appointment time is billed following scheduled or unscheduled visits. For product purchases during the design development phase, you’ll receive furniture proposals at appointments or by email. No product purchases are made without client approval and prepayment. Interior design product orders are nonrefundable; full price home store purchases have a 7 day return policy. Paid receipts for furniture can be provided upon request.
We monitor the retainer on a weekly basis. An update on your retainer total can be provided at any time upon request.
Other interior design firms often include surcharges on furniture and home design purchases. We are transparent about our billing, so you always know much of the budget goes to design time, appointment time, and product purchases. Each is billed separately.
When you retain us for full service interior design, we are happy to offer 30% off the retail price for furniture. This discount does not apply to accessory house calls, design consulting, paint consulting, or the home store’s concierge design service.
You can make retainer, client appointment, and product purchase payments by cash or check. Make checks out to Black-eyed Susan. Payment by credit card is accommodated with an additional 3.5% charge.