OK, imagine this scenario. You’ve just purchased a new home in Westchester and are excited to bid adieu to NYC apartment living in favor of a house in the ‘burbs. It needs some work, however – paint, new carpet, custom closets and, of course, new furniture – but you and your husband are busy professionals with two young children. Between decisions to be made, measurements to be taken and deliveries to accept, it gets tricky and running back and forth is definitely not possible. Well, here’s how we at Alison Friedricks Interiors like to welcome new families to the neighborhood.
We made the initial connection on Facebook’s Chappaqua Moms page and immediately understood the challenges facing this young family because it’s one of our specialties. These folks needed a budget-conscious designer and GC rolled into one to manage the entire project and we jumped into high gear.
No Small Project
Upon closing on their new home, our clients handed over the keys and said, “Do what you need to do”. It’s important to note that this project had specific budgetary requirements we needed to meet and we knew we’d have to strategize and prioritize to create the most value for our new homeowners. The house needed new carpeting – for which we turned to T.F. Andrew Dream Floors – interior carpentry work and re-painting. We recommended a palette and brought in Denny Yataco Painting to do the work. Instead of replacing the banister, which they didn’t love in its current state, we suggested painting and custom-coloring the banister and spindles. A big savings and it turned out beautifully! They wanted to install custom closets so we called on organization expert, Andrea Gary. To complete the look, they’d need both hard and soft window treatments for which we provided swatches, samples and advice on direction.
Mavens for Measurements
They wanted to incorporate some of their old furniture but, for the most part, they planned to buy new. While this sounds like a shopper’s dream come true, ordering custom furniture (read: not returnable) and laying out a room to which you don’t have ready access can be a challenge…but not for us. We went three times to the new home and measured every space. We then created detailed floor plans so size and shape of the furniture was no longer a guessing game. Once we knew all the dimensions and recommended the pieces we thought were best, we could then integrate fabrics with wall colors. Easy peasy!
The Order of Operations
One of the most stressful parts of a multi-faceted home renovation isn’t just the hassle of sourcing and scheduling all the necessary players on the team, but knowing who to bring in at what point. In this case, we did the carpets first and had the painter apply color samples to the walls for review. The closets were scheduled for the end and we were on site to supervise at every stage. When the job was nearing completion, we were there to accept furniture deliveries and inspect the items to insure they were exactly as ordered. We placed each piece according to the floor plan and things really began to take shape. With the bedrooms, kitchen and family room set prior to move-in date, we knew our clients could begin their new life in comfort. Any remaining jobs can be done without inconvenience.
The Extra Mile
We believe that a new house should feel like home from the moment you cross the threshold for the first time. And what’s more welcoming than a beautifully made bed? Nothing! That’s why we went the extra mile to welcome our clients home by making their bed! We understand every stage of moving – whether upsizing or downsizing – and how to make the transition seamless and painless.
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