How We Work

We plan and create interior working or living environments that are comfortable, safe and aesthetically pleasing. We design interior spaces for homes, offices, restaurants, retail outlets and hotels.

Here's How Interior Designers Work:

1. Proposals - Before we carry out any work, we meet you (the client) to discuss your requirements. We look at the existing space, take measurements and discuss your views on the look, feel and function of the area along with your budget for the project. We provide you with a statement summarizing your requirements, a rough cost estimate of the project and a contract document. After signing the contract document, we prepare and submit the initial recommendations in the form of sketches or written proposal. When you have approved our proposals, we can move to the detailed design stage.

2. Design Development - At the detailed design stage, we prepare detailed plans for the space, showing the color scheme, materials, lighting and soft furnishings we recommend. We then provide you with detailed drawings and 3D models, if required. We also show you samples of the materials that we recommend. As part of the process, we also ensure that your plans conform to building regulations and state and local laws.

3. Project Management - It is an important part of our work. We select lighting, decorative, electrical, plumbing, contractors and sub-contractors to carry out work to our specifications and supervise their work on site. We also purchase any material and furnishings, ensuring that all costs fall within your budget.

Tips for Working With your Interior Designer:

• Keep a budget in mind - A good designer will try to save your money as much as possible. But a budget is what prevents the overflow of our creative juices. When interviewing us, let us know your expectations in detail. Clear all your doubts before hiring us, look for parallels between our previous work and the design you want. Above all, feel comfortable in communicating about your budget. We are pretty good at meeting expectations! ;)

• Be ready with samples - Even if you have trouble articulating your desired look, pictures of rooms you love can instantly give us a sense of what you crave. We will ask you about specific points of the design that resonate with you and use those as guidelines. Fabric swatches, paint chips, furniture catalogs and your Pinterest boards are other good sources for showing items you like. On the flip side, pull examples of colors, motifs and furniture styles that turn you off, which can be equally helpful.

• Decide which pieces must stay - Not willing to get rid of your Grandma's dresser or your Italian collection? The process will go more smoothly if you share that information with us during the initial site visit and consultation. That way, we can plan around the items that you don’t want to give up.

• Involve us as early as possible in the project - Include us in the planning stages with your architect, building designer and contractor, if you’re remodeling or building from scratch. This way, the pros involved will all be on the same page and can iron out any potential discrepancies — particularly those that involve the bones of a space, such as doorways, ceiling beams or interior columns. It’s one thing to reorient a window on paper; it’s another entirely to move it after installation.

• Have key household members present at the dawn of the project - Having all the adults’ input from day one helps to avoid potential conflicts down the road. If a spouse or loved one objects to a certain color or reveals that he or she just can’t part with Grandmother’s antique dining table, it’s easiest to work out those issues right away.

• Feel free to ask us about billing procedures - We will let you know at the beginning when you’ll be charged and what for. In addition to the design itself, you may be billed for travel time, site visits, shopping and more. Also, you’ll be billed for furnishings, accents, material or other items so you can decide if you want to do the hard work on your own or leave it on us, sit back, relax and enjoy the design process. This way, you’ll be able to anticipate fairly closely what and when to pay.

• Open mindedness - Rarely does it happen when a client loves 100 percent of a designer’s suggestions instantly. We might recommend a piece of furniture or a wallpaper that you’re iffy about, but don’t say no without giving the idea some time to sink in. Chances are that when you ask us why we chose it, and when you take a little time to live with it, you’ll appreciate the reason it works.

• Consider refreshing down the road - Even the best design doesn’t stay current forever. Tune-up visits in the future are an option at Kalatmak Space, whether they involve simply swapping out a few accessories, reupholstering furniture or choosing new paint colors.