Harmonia Designs ~ F.A.Q.

What services do you provide?
Do you have a "signature style"?
What services DON'T you provide?
Can I hire my own contractors and architects?
Are you bonded and insured?
Do I need to sign a written agreement?
How do you charge for your services?
What if I have a low budget?
How should I prepare for the free consultation?
What can I expect from the design process?
Are you looking for new artisans to collaborate with?
Do you accept clients who live beyond Philadelphia?

What services do you provide? Harmonia Designs offers a range of creative services, including:

budget analysis and project coordination
layouts, conceptual designs, and space-planning
the sourcing, procuring, and arranging of art, antiques, furniture, and accessories
the recommending of art, color, lighting, fabric, furniture, flooring, window treatments, wall coverings, countertops, fixtures, and accessories
custom framing, custom lighting design, custom furniture design, and custom kitchen & bathroom design
helping couples who have conflicting tastes compromise on a design solution
we also provide our own custom art for sale

Do you have a "signature style"? While we lean towards "eclectic modern, with an exotic twist", Harmonia Designs can decorate your home in any style that you desire, ranging from rustic to sleek, funky to formal, and traditional to contemporary.

What services DON'T you provide? Harmonia Designs does NOT personally provide the following services:

house cleaning, landscaping, or heavy lifting
the installation of light fixtures, cabinets, sinks, tiles, floors, or wall-to-wall rugs
any form of painting, wall papering, demolition, carpentry, plumbing, or electrical work
obtaining or submitting permits of any kind, or the creation of detailed architectural plans (our plans are for presentational purposes only)

Can I hire my own contractors and architects? Yes. In fact, while we can recommend various artisans, we strongly encourage our clients to directly hire their own contractors and architects for us to collaborate with and instruct as per the design proposal.

Are you bonded and insured? Yes, Harmonia Designs is not only a fully insured, Limited Liability Corporation (LLC), but we can be bonded if the project requires it.

Do I need to sign a written agreement? Yes. A signed written agreement is excellent to have, for it not only lays out the project's scope, budget, and time-frame, it helps avoid any potential misunderstandings along the way. In addition, you may also be required to sign off on specific authorized purchases during the design process.

How do you charge for your services? Because we evaluate each project on a case-by-case basis, Harmonia Designs may charge for our services in one of the following ways:

an hourly rate
per square foot
a flat fee, with the design process charged in phases

A materials retainer may also be required during the design process, and used to procure various items on your behalf. (This retainer would be a percentage of the project's total estimated budget. Any other authorized items that may be needed to complete the project beyond the initial retainer will be funded solely by the Client as the project progresses.)

We accept cash, checks, and money orders.

What if I have a low budget? We love creative challenges, but sometimes our results can only be as good as the quality of the materials purchased, and the skill of the contractors hired. Therefore, it pays for you to take pride in your project by investing as much as you can afford. However, if you have a low budget, instead of skimping on quality, Harmonia Designs can prioritize your purchases and help you develop a long-term plan which will lay the foundation for future work.

How should I prepare for the free consultation? Please consider the following so that our initial time together can be more fun and productive:

think about your budget, timeframe, and practical needs
what impressions DON'T you want your space to make, and why?
what colors, styles, and textures do you like or dislike the most, and why?
imagine yourself in your ideal setting, doing the things you would like to do more of
look at magazines and clip out the rooms and accessories that appeal to you the most
review your lease, as well as any home alteration policies and floor plans that you may have
if your home is a little disorganized, try straightening up a bit so that we may see the existing furniture and space
find at least three personal items that truly represent who you are, such as clothing, heirlooms, or souvenirs (don't censor yourself, just go with your gut instinct)

What can I expect from the design process? Since every project is different, the following outlines what you can roughly expect from our time together:

• Consultation Phase: Harmonia Designs will visit your home for one free half-hour in order to assess your situation and determine your needs.

• Agreement Phase: Once you hire Harmonia Designs by signing a basic written agreement, a deposit will be required to reserve our services. Upon receiving the deposit, we'll then conduct an in-depth interview, take photos and measurements of the rooms in question, and determine what existing items you wish to keep.

• Proposal Phase: After the interview, Harmonia Designs will then follow up with a general proposal where various decorating schemes will be presented and explored. (Upon approval, you'll be required to sign off on a detailed outline that would establish the exact schedule, budget, materials, and services required as per the proposal.)

• Possible Reconfiguration Phase: IF any structural, electrical, and/or plumbing alterations are needed, an architect will be hired to create drawings that would disclose these changes to contractors and possible approval committees. Upon approval of the plans, various contractors will be hired, and instructed on how to proceed by Harmonia Designs.

• Shopping Phase: After you approve the proposal, you may be required to give Harmonia Designs a materials retainer, which we'd use to procure various authorized items on your behalf. (While some of our clients like to accompany us on our shopping trips, others prefer to let us to handle everything alone. Regardless, it's crucial to plan ahead and coordinate the various phases because specially ordered items may take a few months to arrive.)

• Set-Up Phase: Harmonia Designs will not only oversee the various contractors, we will oversee the final set-up in order to ensure that the rooms come together as planned.

Are you looking for new artisans to collaborate with? Yes, we're always on the lookout for new talent, such as: painters, sculptors, metal workers, glass blowers, mural artists, film directors, gallery planners, furniture makers, upholsterers, landscapers, architects, contractors, audio/video engineers, Feng Shui experts, organizers, and real estate agents. Please contact us for details.

Do you accept clients who live beyond Philadelphia? At this time, Harmonia Designs is only accepting clients who live within 30 minutes of the Philadelphia metro area. However, depending on our schedule, and on the nature of the project, we may consider other locations.