A Dream Project with a Twist

When I started my dream business, in this later part of my life, I asked myself, could I do it? Did I still have the energy, and would I be able to learn everything I needed to learn to get up to speed and get the ideal clients I wanted to work with?

Now I can answer "Yes, I can"!

Here is why:

My most recent client, who found my work on social media (yes, all that content creation is paying off ; ), wanted to book my services for a re-design of his lake home in Coeur d'Alene, ID overlooking Hayden Lake.

I took on the project as an e-design (virtual online project). It would include the designs and handling the ordering of the furniture. The project had a three-month timeline. He wanted the house to be completed and ready for the holidays. The design process was going well, but after getting only three rooms designed, everything was about to change!

The e-designs were approved, and the client loved them! After a week of not receiving a response to an email about moving forward with the furniture orders, I was concerned. I wanted to make sure we had plenty of time to get everything shipped. Due to COVID, it would take 8 to 10 weeks to get some of the items. I called the client and asked if he was ready to move forward? Then, he told me the news; a realtor approached him about selling his house and let him know how much the valuation was. He decided he couldn't turn it down. However, if he was going to sell, he wanted to get as much as possible. If he could get the number he had in mind, he could get a larger property and build his dream home. So, here is the twist - the project would now turn into a traditional interior design project. In addition to designing and decorating, I was also going to need to stage all the areas that he would not purchase furniture for. The twist gets even more tangled from here. The weather in Idaho has been uncharacteristically cold. We have only had intermittent sun (you really don't want to be selling your home in the winter if you can help it). The snow is not your friend in real estate. To get the home sold before winter comes, my client and his realtor wanted to get the property on the market within 3 weeks! It would be a real stretch, but I accepted the challenge.

I teamed up with my favorite local vendors and online companies. The ones I knew would get me everything on time. When it came to the large furniture items, the two local vendors that came through for me were The Tin Roof and Dania Furniture. I highly recommend them. If you ever need great furniture and service, look into these two companies. They have online stores as well!

Once everything arrived, I organized, sorted, and planned for each room in the home. I felt great about the deadline, and then another twist turned; my deadline was pushed up by another three days. The realtor wanted to get pictures, and a video shot even earlier due to the upcoming forecast's crazy weather. Thank goodness I was ready! I spent the next three days decorating and staging to be prepared for picture day. Here is the finished project slideshow gallery (click the photo to see the entire project):

Once I finished the project, my client, the realtor, and I were thrilled! There were seven offers in five days, and because the client understood the importance of having his home staged and decorated, the offers were all above the asking price. My client is in escrow and I am ready to start partnering with him on his next build and design. I can't wait! I am grateful for this project and wanted to share this success story. The blogs I write are usually about other people or artists or tips, but this project was a dream project with a dream client and family, and I couldn't hold back from posting it. I hope you enjoyed the slideshow. You will see more in upcoming blogs about why I used some of the items I did in the design and some tips about staging for sale.

Thanks for taking the time to read my blog. I know your time is valuable! :)

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