What design services do you offer, Mel?

Hi there! I offer both In-Person and E-Design services. If you live nearby (I'm in Central Pennsylvania, USA), in-person services might be your best fit. However, because I also offer E-Design services, I can work with anyone, anywhere! Please read more about how E-Design works below. If you aren't sure which will service will work best for you, we can discuss the best fit during our initial consultation. 

What is
E-Design?

E-design services are performed entirely virtually, cutting out the need for in-person meetings & travel.  This means I can work with anyone anywhere in the world without having to worry about their location! And by eliminating the cost of travel time, you'll save money that you can ultimately spend on more things for your home!

Tell me more, Mel!

WHETHER YOU CHOOSE
IN-PERSON OR E-DESIGN, 
IT'S AN ENTIRELY COLLABORATIVE PROCESS!

I will provide the level of design service that fits both your needs
and your budget. Unlike the big-box online design services, I specialize in original, customized designs. I will show you how to make the items you already own look more thoughtful and cohesive...or I can create a new room design for you from scratch!
No matter what, we will work together to make sure that your rooms are stylish, functional and inviting-and most importantly- uniquely yours!

pricing

$60/hour

Your total fee will include the time I spend traveling to and from your home, taking measurements or pictures in your home, and the time I spend creating your design and editing it to your satisfaction. 
However, if you are choosing E-Design, you as the client will take all of the measurements and photos and gather all of the materials for the design. In addition, the need for travel is eliminated. As such, charges for E-Design will be less than in-person interior design work. 

Mel, what is the average number of hours you need to design a room?

A typical room design takes around 8 hours. This may vary based on the size of your space(s), the complexity and customization needs involved in your design, and the number of changes that you request during the design process.

Mel, what forms of payment do you accept?

I prefer payment through Venmo or PayPal, but I will also accept a personal check. Most clients pay me in increments as steps of the design process are completed, but a few have chosen to wait until the entire room design is complete, which is also fine. Whatever works best for you! 

E-design process

Will E-design work for you?

Are you comfortable communicating your needs  with me remotely?
(Since we won’t meet in person, we will rely on communication via phone, FaceTime, email or Zoom)

Can you provide accurate measurements and photos of your home?
(I'll need these to create a personalized design for your space)

  Are you able to hire your own contractors to install the design, OR do your own DIY work?

Initial Consultation

We'll meet over Zoom so that I can learn more about your goals and dreams for the spaces you would like me to design for you. Through our conversation, we will decide if my services will meet your design needs and whether in-person or E-design is the best fit for you.
I'll also ask you to share your budget for the space so that I can be sure to honor it. 

Note: There will be no charge for this initial consultative meeting.

Photos and Measurements

If you are utilizing E-Design, I'll ask you to take photos of the rooms in your home that you would like me to design. I'll also need a 360 video of the space as well as a floor plan to show me room's dimensions and the placement and size of
the windows, doors, etc.  
I'll also ask you to take photos and measurements of items you currently own that you wish to incorporate into the new design. 
If you are utilizing in-person design services, I will come to your home and complete these tasks for you. 

Digital Collaboration

If we are working together via E-Design, once you have all of the photos/videos ready to share, I'll ask that you upload them to a Google Drive folder that I will create for us.
But don't worry...we can share via email or text instead if that works better for you!

Inspiration Pics

If you have them, I would love for you to share 3-5 photos of interior spaces that you love which can serve as inspiration for my design for your space. 

*This step is optional!

Design Board

I'll use our conversation and collaboration to create design boards for each of  your spaces.  After creating a board for you, I will share it to obtain your feedback, then make revisions to it as needed until we are in agreement about the overall design of the room.
This is an example of a board I created for my home office/guest room-
You can see more examples of design boards that I have developed for my clients in the "Client Design Boards"
section of this site!

Revisions to the Design

Below is an example of the progression of a design for a client who requested multiple revisions to my original design. 

When I design for you, my goal is to hear your feedback, and adjust the design accordingly, until you love it and can't wait to use it in your home!

Version 1: This client already owned a large peacock colored sectional and was looking to bring even more color into her home as the rest of the room was mostly white. She also needed a place for her cats to escape from her children-hence the "cat orb".

Version 2: After reviewing version 1, the client expressed her delight in the idea of wallpapering the front of the fireplace, but asked for a lighter wallpaper design. She also asked to have her beautiful original art piece hung over the mantel. The addition of her art piece necessitated a shift to a color palette that would pair well with the tones in the painting. The client also requested a more high end, hand-woven rug. 

Final Version: For this final version, the client requested that another color to be added to the design in addition to the blues. She first suggested orange, but I felt that would be too harsh. I wove soft coral tones throughout the design instead. 

Result? =
Happy client!

Floor Plan

Next, if needed, I will develop a to scale floor plan that includes the items we have agreed upon for your space. 

Curated Shopping List

Finally, based on your needs, I'll provide you with specific paint or wallpaper recommendations, furniture and rug selections, overhead and/or low lighting options, and recommendations for art, pillows, and other room décor.  In addition, I'll provide you with links to purchase the items in the design as needed. 

Styling Support

After the items on your personalized shopping list have been purchased, I can help you style the items in your space in-person if appropriate, or during a 
FaceTime session if you would like me to!