On the Job: Solving Design Problems

From the outside, interior design might look like a glamorous & fun job – and it often is. But I’m a fan of keeping it real around here, so I thought I’d share a list of some of the most memorable design problems that have come up during projects. (Aka: some of the things you don’t have to deal with by yourself if you work with me!)

Please enjoy this trip down memory lane. *gestures dramatically*

1. The cracking glass shower

Years ago, I worked on a bathroom project where we coated the shower walls entirely in a beautiful glass tile. It was stunning…and then a few weeks later the tiles started cracking as the house settled. We ended up working with the contractor to get the broken tiles replaced, but I’m now extremely cautious about covering an entire room in glass!

 

2. The splintered counter stool

I often receive damaged furniture pieces, but this was the worst one to date. One of our 4 counter stools arrived (8 months after ordering) with one arm completely sliced open with splinters of wood sticking out. It had been fully wrapped and protected from shipping damage, which meant that the manufacturer had wrapped it up in that condition. We of course got it replaced (after another 2 month wait), but I couldn’t believe the lack of quality control.

3. The multicolored sectional

My client opted to order a custom sectional from a large chain retailer. After an 9 month wait, it was finally time to deliver. That morning, I received a photo from the client – her 3 piece sectional had come upholstered in 2 different fabrics! The two end pieces were the warm gray we had ordered, and the corner piece was…GREEN. How on earth this happened, I have no idea. But I went to bat for my client and got the retailer to completely remake the sectional with an 8 week (rather than 8 month) turnaround.

 

4. The miscalculated wallpaper

For one of my clients, we rushed to get things selected and ordered because construction was already underway. We picked out and ordered a beautiful wallpaper for their bathroom, and scheduled the wallpaper installer to come out. The installer took a closer look and said we would actually need a 4th roll of wallpaper to finish the job because of the pattern we selected and the finished dimensions of the space (which were a little different than what was shown on the plans). Easier said than done – they all need to be from the same dye lot or they might not match. So we had to return the 3 rolls we’d already purchased and order 4 new ones! Thankfully I had a helpful sales rep who helped me fix the situation right away.

5. Design problems without a solution

I once worked with a client who decided to manage their own project and hire sub contractors to save money on supervision from a general contractor. However, as their project started to get close to the finish line, nobody had thought to figure out who would paint & re-install the door trim and baseboards! So I helped them find a project manager who could take over and schedule a few people to tie up the last few loose ends. I ALWAYS recommend hiring a GC for all of my projects because of this story.

 

And the list goes on! No project is perfect (in fact, there are typically a handful of design problems that need to be solved on every job). However, having a designer and a team of professionals on your side can save you the trouble of having to deal with every little thing yourself. Click here if you’re ready to work with me for your next project!