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While it is officially fall, in the Interior Design world
the focus is all about the holidays. Now that the kids are back in school
(thank goodness!) and we are back in the swing of a more regular routine, the
reality of 2019 coming to a close is upon us.
This time of year can be extremely busy for interior
designers as our existing and new clients often want that dining room completely
redone and accessorized for Thanksgiving or
their living room refurnished for a Holiday Party. I
recall both situations, (and many others) over the past few years where we were
finishing up several bathroom remodels, painting, delivering furniture,
installing lighting and hanging artwork and windows treatments at a home in
Hyde Park right up to the day before Thanksgiving. Talk about cutting it
close! Not to mention, last December we were madly doing the same for a client
in Montgomery attempting to meet a deadline for an office party. While the
client was elated with the final result, had the project been started sooner,
we could have avoided a great deal of stress during an already stressful time
of year.
My point is this: if you plan on sprucing up for the holidays,
NOW is the time for action. As you know, a skilled designer needs time to create
a customized plan and selections for you. Then, depending upon the vendor, home
furnishings such as upholstery (sofas, chairs, etc.) and casegoods (tables,
buffets, etc.) can take anywhere from 4-8 weeks to come in. Window treatments
such as draperies can also take several weeks as
our workrooms are so busy. Smaller in-stock items such as rugs and accessories
can take closer to two weeks. However, due to the busy time of year, manufacturers
get bogged down with numerous orders, not to mention the freight and delivery
companies get pushed out. Hence, everyone
is running around frantically trying to meet deadlines. And to be totally
transparent, as hard as we work to meet our clients’ needs, there are simply some
situations out of our control. For example, the freight driver who gets caught
in a snowstorm, resulting in a longer lead time to our warehouse. Or sadly, in
the rush of things, a damaged bar stool isn’t discovered until the product hits
our warehouse and is inspected. Depending upon the type of damage we either
have it replaced or repaired which is usually faster. But guess what? Our repairman is swamped too!
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| Amy Youngblood |
Despite this, I am certainly not trying to turn away
business focused on this year’s holiday season from myself nor any other
designer. Having your space look its best during this festive time when family
and friends gather is just plain soothing to the soul. I know I personally find
an odd project during the holidays which drives my family a bit batty. However, just know that this time of year gets busier and
busier and jumping on your project now will relieve a lot of undue stress!
Amy Youngblood is the Founder and Lead Designer of Amy
Youngblood Interiors, LLC. The firm has been in business for 10 years designing
and creating modern, sophisticated and unique
spaces for both residential and commercial clients. Amy and her firm’s work have
been featured in numerous publications, and Amy has appeared several times on
television and as a public speaker on the topic
of interior design. Learn more at AmyYoungblood.com.
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