Curation or Design
There are many ways to add value to any purchase. Most companies compete to deliver the same thing at the lowest price - however, even at the lowest price some things just don’t deliver much value.
We seek to provide not just the very best quality and design we can find, but we are a values forward company, choosing to work with companies that treat their customers, their partners like us us, the environment, and their employees with respect.
In addition to finding the best individual pieces, we provide curation services that increase the value of your purchase by putting things together in a way that brings out the best of not just what you purchase, but everything else in the environment that already exists. Whether it is a family heirloom that just hasn’t worked before, or architecture; we focus on the context into which we place furnishings to elevate and celebrate the best of your home.
We believe that value has little to do with price. The most beautiful piece can be elevated or diminished depending on the context of it’s placement, the choices made about fabric, texture, scale, material - all the elements of great interior design are used in our curation services.
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Should you hire an interior designer?
(hint - it's a trick question)
When it comes to interior designers, we are BIG FANS!
We are enthusiastic supporters of the value of independent interior designers!
Our Georgetown trade showroom works with some of the best interior design firms in the area and throughout the country. We see their brilliance every day! Working with a designer is worth every penny as it will elevate your project well beyond what could be done without them, and protect the money you spend by assuring you receive a value far beyond the dollars you spend.
What is it that designers do that is so valuable? According to social media and design shows, anybody can design their own home by bringing in objects they like and having fun with creativity. And we agree with a part of this - anybody can select objects they like individually.
HOWEVER, We do see a pattern, repeatedly, that people select a handful of items that they like, and then eventually they find themselves with a collection of pieces they like individually that don’t give them a composition they love.
Over more than 30 years in this field Renate has been hired by many people after they have already spent a good amount of their budget and when they look at what they have to show for it they are disappointed and feel that they have wasted a lot of money. We don't want that to happen to you.
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We have an extensive referral network and for any project, we recommend hiring an interior designer.
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How to get the most value when working with an interior designer.
( hint - let them do their job! )
When you hire an interior designer, you will get the most value if you trust them to take you someplace you may not fully understand. People hire a designer because they desire a well designed home, and they recognize that they want their results to be beyond what they could do on their own, and then they demand control of every detail of the design, which from a creative perspective does really limit the designers’ ability to give the customer what they are paying for.
Great interior design is more like cooking than like architecture. A talented chef knows that it’s the bitter, acidic or downright unappealing ingredients that often elevate a dish to the sublime. Interior designers know that sometimes something that the client doesn’t like as an individual object is exactly what is needed to bring a room to life.
You can’t make the best Caesar Salad without anchovies. You can make a great salad without anchovies, but not the best Caesar Salad. If you ask a chef for a Caesar Salad - don’t tell them not to use their most important ingredient!