| Q: Why should I hire Slifer Designs? |
| A: In most cases, we are working with second homeowners. Because you can’t be here 100 percent of the time, you benefit from hiring an interior designer who can take care of everything for you in your absence. With our turnkey services, we offer you time to enjoy your vacation home. Let us do the work so you don’t have to. In addition, by hiring Slifer Designs you are guaranteed creativity, versatility, integrity, punctuality and happiness. Guaranteed. |
| Q: Who will be my contact? |
| A: Your primary contact will be one of our experienced Interior Designers. Interior Designers with Slifer Designs have at least five years interior design experience and in some cases, twenty-plus years experience. Each designer has a team that includes Design Associates and Production Assistants. This ensures that if the Interior Designer is out of the office when you call, you will always be able to talk with someone who knows what your job status is. |
| Q: How involved do I have to be? |
| A: Typically, we meet in-person at our design studio during the very beginning of the job process. You are able to see our retail showroom and our extensive resource library. After the initial meeting, it really depends on how much time you can and want to devote. Some clients are more involved than others. If you don’t have the time, and many of our clients don’t, we keep you informed of all design decisions we make. If you have the time and interest to stay involved, we will use our many resources to include you in the decision-making processes by, for example, e-mailing you swatches of fabric options or faxing you different dining room chair designs. Our policy is that we will work with you as much --- or as little --- as you prefer. We are also available to meet with you at your home to see the project and conduct a walk-through. |
| Q: How will we communicate throughout the process? |
| A: Phone, e-mail, fax, express mail, overnight mail, in person – whatever it takes to let you know how the job is progressing. |
| Q: How do you charge for a residential interior design job? |
| A: We charge Slifer Designs’ Retail with no design fee or hourly charges. Slifer Designs’ Retail is typically around a 10% discount from the manufacturer’s suggested retail price (MSRP). We require a signed contract and a retainer to start working on your project. We will prepare a detailed budget proposal for your approval. A deposit on the approved budget proposal is required before we begin ordering for your new home. |
| Q: What if remodeling is involved? Or, what if it is new construction and we need to choose fixed finishes and need interior drawings created? |
| A: If it is minor remodeling, then the designer will charge an hourly fee. If it is new construction, or a project very detailed and needing additional technical expertise, our Interior Architecture department prepares a separate proposal. It can be priced a variety of ways including hours, a fixed fee, or a not-to-exceed fee. |
| Q: I have been hearing a lot about “green design.” What does that mean and do you offer that service? |
| A: We have a “Green Team” made up of designers and employees who are passionate about environmental sustainability, both in interior architecture and residential design. Green design touches all aspects of design, from selecting fabrics, carpeting and furniture made from renewable resources, to selecting low VOC finishes and healthy building materials. We enjoy partnering with architects and builders who are also experts in green design. We have developed a computer database of vendors and companies who offer sustainable products. We also host a monthly meeting for our local Green Building Alliance, a non-profit group made up of community members and whose most immediate goals are to facilitate the process of having a Sustainable Building Code adopted locally in Eagle County in 2006. They are also dedicated to educating the local building and design community to the advantages of creating sustainable projects. The Roaring Fork Valley in Colorado and the state of California are excellent leaders in this area and have set great examples for others to follow. |
| Q: I heard you have an architecture department. Does this mean you can design the whole house, including exteriors? |
| A: Our interior architecture and resort hospitality department focuses on interiors. We are experts at space planning, kitchen and bathroom designs, fixed finish selections and construction documents. We enjoy working with your architect and making sure the overall floor plan will work with our proposed furniture layout, which is why it is important to assemble your design team at the beginning of the process, just in case minor adjustments need to be made. |
| Q: Tell me why the large size of your firm is a benefit to me? |
| A: The size of our company is an advantage to you in many ways. We have an extensive resource library that allows clients and designers to touch and feel every imaginable fabric, hardware, fixture and trim piece imaginable. Our 20,000 square foot warehouse affords us space to store items until they can be installed. Our large design staff works in teams so there is always someone available for you to speak with regarding your job. We have a retail showroom, which provides beautifully arranged vignettes giving you an idea of what your new home might look like. We have a finance department that works hand-in-hand with your design team keeping the job on-track. Lastly, we are a large firm for a reason: We continue to make our clients happy. |
| Q: What if I don’t know what look or style I want: |
| A: This is not uncommon. Our designers are highly trained to assess your needs and desires right from the first meeting. You will spend a lot of time with us looking at photos in our portfolio and walking through our showroom. Afterward, it is apparent what your likes and dislikes are. We also ask that you look through major and regional magazines like House and Garden, Elle Décor, Traditional Home, Veranda, Architectural Digest, Western Interiors and Design, Estates West, Mountain Living, Colorado Homes and Lifestyles and LUXE. |
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