Why Starting with Design Saves Time and Money

What if involving an interior designer right from the start could actually save time and money on your construction or renovation project? Robin joins us to debunk the myth that design input slows down progress and hikes up costs. By sharing her unique experiences, she sheds light on how early collaboration with architects can streamline operations and prevent costly changes. Discover how interior designers can be the crucial connectors, aligning vision and functionality to ensure a smooth transition from concept to completion.

Robin emphasizes the power of a collaborative approach, bringing together architects, designers, commercial real estate agents, and contractors from the get-go. With a fresh perspective that complements architectural plans, Robin explains how designers can identify overlooked details that impact both aesthetics and functionality. Listen in to learn how this early involvement can prevent bottlenecks and align all stakeholders, resulting in a more efficient and cohesive project outcome.

We welcome your questions! If you would like to learn more about us or connect for a conversation, please visit www.pasleycommercialinteriors.com.

Episode Transcript

Randi Lynn (00:02):
o, robin, I've heard from some people they don't
like the idea of bringing in aninterior designer because
they're afraid that it's goingto slow the process down.
Have you heard this?
I've heard this and the cost andthe timing of things right, um,
from a couple of differentpeople in the past.
Which is not good, because abusiness owner wants to save

(00:23):
time and money, so it almostfeels like two strikes against
you from the get-go.
.

Robin (00:30):
It does, but if I know you and I do a little bit, those
are things that you canactually help save time and save
money, yes, and this is whereit's difficult, because I think
some people because they thinkof interior design as the icing
on the cake instead of part ofthe cake, maybe like the cream

(00:54):
filling that's in the middle ofit.

Randi Lynn (00:55):
Oh yeah, Maybe a little like curd in the middle
something tasty.

Robin (01:01):
They think of it as something that we can just add
at the end.
So, even if we're working witharchitects, we often get the
call to work on the project whenthe plans are finished and
they're ready to go topermitting, but they just want
to help selecting the materials.
One of the reasons we foundthis to be problematic or just

(01:24):
challenging to the timing or thepoint person that is our client
.
We learn so much about thefunction of the space, the

(01:56):
workforce that's in it, theclients that they're going to
serve and the history of thatcompany that almost always
affects the layout, and notbecause we want to change things
but, because it inevitably does, and I think it's just a
difference in perspective.
I have so much respect forarchitects, but we just see

(02:19):
things differently, yeah, soyou're not an architect.
No, I'm not.
You don't want to be anarchitect and I don't want to be
one.

Randi Lynn (02:31):
But I think what you offer you really compliment
architectures because you, youdo think a little different.
Like there are some overlap.
For sure, if we have the Venndiagram, we can see architects,
interior designers there'soverlap.
But you also see thingsdifferently that they're not
thinking.
Maybe they're looking at itokay, structurally, this wall,
this window, blah, blah, blahbut you are looking at it

(02:52):
functionality and aesthetics andall of that, all of those
things that can affect theoverall design.

Robin (03:00):
And so we found that if we can come into the project
early and actually partner withthe architect to not step on
toes or take any of what theywant to bring to the project
away from them, but to informwhat we've learned.
So if we can come in early, weget connected to business owners

(03:27):
.
A lot of times is through eitherthe commercial real estate
agent who is helping them findtheir space, the architect, who
somehow has been connected tothe owner already, and then
sometimes it's the generalcontractor.
In all of those situations, ifwe can get brought into the
process early on I mean whenthey're just starting to talk
about the space and just learnabout the business then then we

(03:48):
can often partner with thearchitect and streamline the
process with the architect andthe GC um to just bring the
right information in early.
Yeah, to make it not have thosebottlenecks and the slowdown
that we have experienced.

(04:10):
I mean, I'm not lying, I getwhy they can say that sometimes
is because when we were broughtin the project, by the time we
brought the changes that theclient ultimately wanted, we had
to go back through and splicethe plans into permitting to get
those changes applied andbecause we realized that they

(04:36):
wanted some things that theyhadn't been heard on previously.
Right, and so the architectdidn't work that into the
original plan Into it.

Randi Lynn (04:42):
So now we added costs.

Robin (04:45):
So now we're okay, think about that.
They've gotten funding for onething, sure, but they really
wanted something else that theyjust didn't have to take to the
bank the first time.
So now we're going back aroundwith some of that stuff and I'm
not exactly sure why this feelsa little early for people.

(05:07):
I think the thought is becausewe're icing.
We don't need the icing yetwe're still whipping up the cake
batter, but I think if thosethree entities the architect,
the commercial real estate agentand the contractor can imagine

(05:27):
that we could partner with themand bring some perspective early
.
And mostly it's about usgetting introduced to the
business owner and being allowedto have that interview with
them where we learn about them.
Then it helps us shape what isnecessary and it is true we
might add some costs, but it'snot just wasted money, it's the

(05:51):
thing that the client reallywanted.
You know, it's the look theywere trying to get, or that
feeling, or that function orthat layout, or you know the
thing, they hadn't thought ofthat when we kind of dig deep
with them, we find out, oh, thisreally is a part of your values
, right, and it's important forthem to have that element,
whether it's functional orvisual On our next podcast.

Randi Lynn (06:14):
I want to unpack a little bit more about working
with business owners.
Okay, so we'll visit that alittle bit more and in the
meantime, all you GCs,architects and CRE guys call
Robin early.
Right, yeah, we want to get youin early and then you're going
to ultimately help the wholeprocess Like it's going to be a

(06:36):
dream, absolutely.
Everybody wins.
Everybody wins Awesome.
Well, thank you, yeah.