Design Process + FAQ

We’re so thrilled you’re here! We are hitting the ground rested and ready to start some incredible new projects in 2023. We are also ready to work with you.

2022 has been such a wonderful year for MPD and our incredible clients. We are currently booking some incredible new clients for spring new build and full-service renovations in 2023. We love that you’ve stopped by to learn more about the design process and what goes on once you’ve initiated working with us!

We know the design, new build, renovation process can be overwhelming, especially if you’ve never tackled one on your own before. Cue: Hiring a team of professionals! We whole heartedly believe there is so much value in working with professional trades to tackle your design and build dreams. This includes having experts guide you through problem solving, saving on errors and unnecessary costs as well as making the process as enjoyable as it can be! 

We understand this is possibly one of the biggest investments you will make in your home and family life. We want to offer a design process that will invite your trust, excitement and have you feeling as though your home reflects all the best parts of you and your family. 

We recently did a fabulous panel with other designers to discuss the meaning behind Full-Service. It was so informative for us to see that it truly can take on so many forms. For our firm, at the core of this service, it is making sure that our clients needs are being met in terms of the budget, scope, timeline and overall expectations of their project. Navigating these steps, no matter the size of your project, is something we are experts at. 

Let us share some of our processes in place to help you with your full-service design!

Initial Client Intake

We begin every design project with a simple intake form, where we ask you to let us know as much as you can about you, your project goals, your budget and your expectations and dreams from us. This is a great way for us to see if our design sensibilities align and also give us a little back ground about you and your project. Our next step is to send you our pricing breakdown of consultation and full-service. Once you’ve reviewed, it’s onto our 10 Step Design Process, which always starts with a Design Consultation! 

Design Consultation 

This is such a collaborative process, and for that reason we always ask our soon-to-be-clients to begin with our Consultation. Our Consultations are between 1-2 hours, in person with Mia and ideally on site. 

In this first phase of our project we get to know more in detail about you, your project wish list and overall goals. It’s a wonderful way to set the stage with sharing your aesthetic, sharing inspiration via Pinterest, Instagram, etc. It always amazes our clients how much we can accomplish in our 1-2 hours together. We recommend you bring any floor plans, images, and lists with them during this meeting and to take lots of notes. 

Lastly, we review our contract, process and collect the retainer. We ask all clients to come as prepared as possible to the Consultation so we can kick off your project with a great start.

Full Service Design

The next step in our process is to schedule a Trade Day. This is where we can come and take all our necessary photos, measurements and notes about your space. This is one of the most important days of you project, as this is where the term “It Takes A Village” comes to life! We ask that you invite your contractor, architect, builder (if not working with one recommended by us), and we also include any trades we think are necessary to the process, including drapery specialists, etc. 

After Trade Day we have everything we need to generate your floor plans, inspiration boards and budgets. This phase usually takes about 1-3 weeks. We use our floor plans and elevations to determine all of the details on our detailed budgets so that you have an idea of overall costs and where you want to spend/save. For Full-Service Furnishing Clients - We normally request that you have a minimum spend of 15k-30k per room that needs to be furnished depending on the size. We help guide you with budgeting but this is a good start. For those who are working with a tighter budget, Mia is also available for 2 Hour Design Consultations to help you plan out sourcing and purchasing for your spaces so that you can tackle it on your own. 

Once we’ve presented this phase to you and have client approval on floor plans, design direction and budget, we move onto the design details. This phase usually takes about 8-10 weeks, and culminates in a longer design presentation. We tackle everything from sourcing furniture, rugs, fabrics, fixtures, hardware, as well as getting into the details of all the millwork and custom packages that need thoughtful planning. Let’s just say, this phase is always worth the wait. It culminates in being able to see the cohesive look and feel of your project, being able to see tangible samples, see sourced items and to start to see your design dreams come to life!

Once we’ve got your stamp of approval we move into the next phase of making any adjustments to your design and then getting into ordering and procurement. With MPD, you will receive proposals for approval and sign off, which reflect your costs and costs savings of working with a designer. Then we collect payment, place orders and begin to prepare for the final phase of your project - Install! 

Install and Reveal

Which has to be one of the most challenging and rewarding phases of any design project. Challenging because it’s usually a bit of a wait (thanks COVID!) but always worth it, when you see our turn key designs come together so beautifully. The final phase always comes with a few construction cleans and we insist for safety and liability that it is only our team that is on site for this phase.. This phase is usually a day (or a few days depending on the size of your project), where we have all of our trades and installers meet on site to unbox and assemble all your pieces. 

Beyond this we always wrap up projects with a Deficiency Walk Through and make sure that all of the elements of our clients projects are completed to their satisfaction. We call ourselves Fire Fighters, because there are usually problems or issues that pop up, but we are always here to help! A big part of working with us as Designers Full Service is that we provide you with the ease of having us guide you through unchartered waters when it comes to wrapping up a project. This is supposed to be a fun, collaborative process, and we are here to make it just so!

Some of our most FAQ!

When should we start working with a designer?

We recommend initiating a consultation as early as possible in your new build, renovation, design process. Especially when there are other trades (contractors, architects, builders) involved, so all trades can work cohesively together. We recommend starting your planning phase for a renovation about 6-12 months out, furniture packages about 3-6 months out, which always begins with a consultation booking, which is currently about a month out. Working with a designer from the start of your project will ensure that the functionality, space planning and overall management of the project (from budget to timeline expectations) are being met. All important factors when you are considering embarking on a new project. 

Do you pass on your design discount?

We split our Design Discount with our Full-Service clients and encourage them to work with us beyond the Consultation Phase as it will benefit them in cost saving, and often offset the hours to source, place orders and install. For those who aren’t ready to move into Full Service just yet, or have the time to project manage and place orders themselves (calling our DIY-ers!), we do offer Consultation only packages that allow you take on the role of designer and self-implement. 

Do you have a contractor to recommend?

We have a full Team at MPD, from designers to contracting teams, that we love implementing on each of our projects. We do, however, work with our clients contractors/architects if they have someone they trust and enjoy working with. Every project is so unique and one of our strengths is that we are adaptable but we also want to provide clients with our expert trades if needed.

Is everything custom with Full-Service?

We believe one of the most important parts of the planning phase and design implementation is to make sure that it works within your proposed budget. Custom doesn’t always mean more expensive, and had often make your space feel more thoughtful and functional. That being said, we normally defer to custom when it comes to millwork and larger staple pieces of furniture, but then work within the remaining budget to allocate other purchases over custom. 

Do you place orders directly to our house before install? 

We normally like to use a receiver and storage locker for proper order tracking, receiving and to make the process more seamless for install and for our clients. In the past we have sent items direct to client homes, but it can often result it a lot more set backs. This way the install and big reveal is more rewarding for everyone!

How long does Full Service Design take? 

The design process normally flows from Consultation to Contract Signing and Retainer Agreement, right into Trade Day, and into Design Phase. Our Design Phase can vary based on the size and scale of your project, but it is usually a 2-4 week process of drawings and conceptual design and budgeting. Once we’ve had this initial meeting with our clients and had sign offs, we jump right into the Design Phase Implementation which is usually about 4-8 weeks for our Team to put together all sourcing, specifications, pricing, before we are ready to present to our clients. 

If you’re ready to book your Initial Intake and Consultation, click here! And for more questions, please contact hello@miaparresdesign.com