Frequently Asked Questions

At David Coulson Design there are a myriad of questions that we must field from clients on a daily basis. For your information we have provided answers to some of the most common of these questions as we co-operate with you during the design and building process.

Q. Don't you have to be a licensed architect or certified interior designer?

A. No licensing or certification is required to engage in "preparing technical submission[s] [defined as "preliminary studies, plans, designs, drawings, specifications and contract documents, as well as other documents"] for, or administering construction contracts in, the erection, construction or development of: ...Detached single or 2-family dwellings...and Alterations, renovations or remodeling of [detached single or 2-family dwellings].

Q.Why do I need a Residential Designer?

A. You don't, IF you are willing and able to spend the time required to acquire all the necessary knowledge and cultivate all the necessary sources to do what you want to do economically and effectively. A skilled Residential Designer can save you a lot of time and money in many ways, by doing things like:

• Documenting the history of an old house and providing information on its likely original configuration, architectural details, mechanical and lighting systems, paint colors and furnishings
• Helping you define your family's inventory of what you need and want in a house
• Taking you through the project-planning process
• Assisting with cost estimating and development of a project budget
• Serving as a "database" of design ideas and problem solutions from other successful projects
• Producing conceptual and/or construction drawings in however much or little detail is required to define the project
• Identifying sources of (and purchasing on favorable terms) hard-to-find materials, furnishings, antiques and other products needed for the realization of the design
• Providing a resource of information on technological products and modern materials that can improve the "live-ability" of your house, and integrating the best of these into the design
• Interfacing new and old aspects of your project (e.g., fitting your favorite existing architectural detail or major piece of furniture into a new room design)
• Helping you communicate with contractors and vendors, and avoid costly design and custom-order changes.

We feel that a talented Residential Designer's fee should be viewed as an investment, not an expense; it provides a financial return by lowering the overall cost of your project, plus other valuable benefits: superior up-front planning and budgeting, a fully integrated design, few or no false starts, faster project completion, and a greatly reduced time-and-effort commitment for you.

Q. How do you charge for design and consulting services?

A. There are a number of options, each of which is more appropriate for some types of services than for others. These options include:

• Hourly fee and reimbursement of expenses
• Fixed fee for defined scope of work
• Percentage of project cost
• Commission applied to purchased goods and/or materials

For any proposed project or service, we will explain the choices and you can pick the arrangement that works best for you. On larger projects, combinations of fee structures can be advantageous and add flexibility.