One Designer's Determination to Give Clients Beautiful Bargains
I’ve always loved a bargain. Ask anyone who knows me and they’ll tell you I can’t pass up a good flea market, garage sale or estate auction. Sometimes the best bargains the hidden gems: the ones that have the least curb appeal are the ones that make my imagination run wild with the possibilities. Maybe it’s because I see potential that others don’t, or maybe it’s because I’ve learned to be creative through the years to fit my big design dreams into a small budget. Or maybe it’s both.
As a design and color consultant, I utilize this same approach for my clients’ projects. Dream big and make the most of every cent of every budget.
While some designers don’t like to talk about money—or even disclose fees—for fear of appearing crass, I think it’s important to be as upfront and open as possible. Plus, I’ve never been one to buy into that school of thought or put a high price on snobbery. Who wants to scare off potential clients?!?
Instead, I have a three-pronged approach to making my (very colorful!) services as attainable as possible for potential clients:
• Affordable Service Rates (posted very clearly on my website!)
Whether hourly or on a per-project basis, our rates are very competitive and, of course, there’s always room for a bit of negotiation.
We offer discounts for large-scale or multiple projects contracted at once and are also happy to create custom packages. For example, a recent DIY staging consultation for a full-home makeover with all color and material selections for the entire home: conducted for just $3500 as our "Full-Home Flip Plan".
• Wholesale “To-the-Trade” Discounts on Products
Decorating industry professionals receive trade discounts through a variety of product vendors. Our discounts, which can range from 5-30%, are then shared with our clients in full. So unlike you may experience with some designers, the price we pay is the price you pay. By using Color Me Happy Home as your personal shopper, not only will you save money on your furnishings, artwork and décor accessories, but you will also be confident that you acquire the best possible selections for all your space.
• Alternative Payments by Bartering
Yes, bartering, as in: trading, swapping or otherwise exchanging goods and services in lieu of currency. It’s a long-lost skill that was commonplace since the dawn of man until only a few generations past. Just like the trading posts that once lined the Appalachian Trail, on occasion we accept payment by this non-traditional means.
While we keep current with the latest on-trend colors and home décor, we also value this old-fashioned approach to transacting. Our hope is to open the possibility of affording our services—which we realize, while competitively priced, many people would consider a luxury—to a larger pool of potential clients.
Items we accept for payment via bartering include goods, such as antiques, art and electronics and services such as landscaping, painting and salon services.
As a color consulting and home design firm, I believe our main product is actually “happiness”. And money can’t buy happiness. By enlisting our services, you will save the stress of project management and the anxiety of second-guessing yourself or enduring expensive do-overs. In the end, a thoughtfully designed space, painted in the perfect colors of God’s rainbow, however, can give you peace and go a very long way in helping you find your happy place.
