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Frequently Asked Questions

Functionality You Will Love

1. Why use an Interior Design firm? Can’t I do this myself?

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• EXPERTISE: We have an education and deep understanding of design principles, spatial arrangements, proportion, furniture selection and quality, and color expertise which achieves a cohesive and well-balanced space.

• TIME AND STRESS: Designing, planning, executing and styling spaces is time consuming and overwhelming. We listen to your needs and wants, then execute with calm precision, allowing you to remain focused on your life’s priorities.

• BUDGET: We will manage your investment dollars every step of the way, helping you make informed decisions about where to allocate your resources. With our pricing agreements with suppliers, you will receive higher quality products for your investment dollars.

• PROJECT MANAGEMENT: We will oversee the design and installation of your selections, coordinating with contractors and managing timelines and budgets.

 

2. What’s the difference between Interior Design and Decoration?

 

If your project includes just the furnishings, light fixtures, and some accessories, then “decoration” is the appropriate service for your needs. Many trained designers also offer interior decorating services. If your scope of work includes construction documents and specifications with a concept, a budget, and drawings, you are looking for a trained interior designer.

 

3. When should I hire an interior designer?

 

We suggest hiring an interior designer before or around the time of hiring an architect, builder or general contractor. Knowledgeable designers enhance the project and ensure that you receive the end result you dream of. We’re here to guide you and be your advocate through the process.

 

4. What’s the reason for bringing in a designer early in the construction or design process?

 

It’s like making a movie without a director; there’s no one holding the full vision and no one sharing information with the team in a way they are used to processing the information. With a designer on board, you will have someone taking charge of all the decisions, someone who knows exactly how all of the pieces in your very large project puzzle impacts the next, and someone who can, and will, take all those pieces and create a beautiful home.

 

5. What role do you play in our project?

 

Our team is your unbiased expert resource, your advocate who is the liaison between all your various services: architect, contractor, and trades people. We communicate the information on the who, what, where and how of your home to the appropriate parties.

 

6. How do we express your style?

 

We dig deep before we start because we want to get to know you on a deep and intimate level. To get there, we set up meetings with the intention of establishing direction through inspirational elements. In those meetings we ask lots of questions and listen carefully to your answers. Your answers tell us who you are, and what you care about. Your answers tell us what you love, what’s sentimental to you, and what you want to express about yourself. After we get to know you, and through detailed consideration, we integrate images that communicate our ideas into a new vision for your home.

 

7. Can we shop together?

 

That’s generally not part of the process when we work with clients. Our experiences have indicated that clients are less satisfied with the process and end result when they “overthink” every detail and purchase. The key idea when working with an interior designer is having one person steering the ship in order to arrive at the design destination. It’s very easy for clients to get overwhelmed, frustrated, and distracted with the thousands of purchase options. Not to mention, it also increases design fees quickly. If the original design vision is executed seamlessly and efficiently, clients are happier with the experience and results.

 

8. What if I see something online that looks similar to what you specified for less money? Can I buy it myself?

 

Because you have hired us to execute a design vision, it is best if ACSI provides all items to assure efficiency and a quality end result. While it’s tempting to do your own shopping, in the end, it is difficult to achieve a positive experience. It is quite difficult to complete a puzzle involving hundreds of pieces if a few pieces are removed. If you prefer to do your own purchasing, you are responsible for delivery, storage, installation, freight damages and time spent coordinating any services. In our experience, clients end up frustrated when they purchase items themselves. It is better in the end to let professionals handle everything. It rarely actually saves the client money.

 

9. Now that I’m thinking about renovating, I occasionally watch HGTV shows; does your process overlap with what I’ve seen?

 

Calling it “Reality TV” is really a bit of a misnomer to me, because it’s not reality. You’re seeing results, not a process, and process is a big part of any design practice. Reality shows are based on months and months of pre-planning, which is probably the only place where the processes do overlap, but they can’t show that prep work in thirty minutes. So, what you see is the big, flashy and fabulous reveal. But it’s not real time and it’s not real life. For your home to have the big reveal certainly is possible, and it certainly is our goal, but based in real time, which is often six month or more.

 

10. Do you markup furniture purchases?

 

When anyone purchases a product, multiple hands have touched it and each one is compensated. Vendors and manufacturers typically have a business model that is either Retail or Trade. Retail vendors focus on marketing, mass production, and wide distribution and not necessarily quality or service. The average retail markup is 300%. Most of these products are of lower quality but not necessarily lower prices. Trade oriented vendors focus on offering higher quality products to a smaller niche market: designers. There is less marketing, less mass production, less distribution. These vendors do not sell directly to end users; they are not designed for that level of scale/mass.

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Although ACSI’s financial documents and purchasing agreements are not available for client review, clients can rest assured that purchasing items sourced through ACSI will render higher quality, more original, and optimally priced pieces for the home. If a retail item is specified for the project, ACSI will recommend the client purchase that item directly.

 

11. What if I want to do most of the work and just need an overall plan?

 

Consider one of our Designer for a Day packages.

© 2025 by A Classical Studio Interiors. 

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