Procurement is one of the least understood parts of working with a full-service interior designer. Clients understandably see the enjoyable part: selecting the sofa, beautiful lighting, fabrics, rugs and furniture.
Behind those selections is a surprisingly complex process of quotations, approvals, purchase orders, lead times, freight, receiving, storage, inspection, damage claims and installation. That process is procurement.
It Begins With the Design
Before anything is ordered, we develop the overall design and select pieces that work together aesthetically, functionally and financially. For each item we consider dimensions, finish, material, availability and lead time as well as how it relates to everything else in the room.
A beautiful chair isn’t useful if four of them won’t fit comfortably around the dining table.
Quoting and Approval
Once an item has been selected, the designer obtains current pricing and prepares it for client approval according to the agreed purchasing process. Depending upon the project, this can include the item itself as well as freight, delivery, storage, installation, taxes and other applicable costs.
Clients should understand the purchasing structure their designer uses before procurement begins. It should be clearly addressed in the design agreement. Once the client has approved an item and any required payment has been received, the order can be placed.
Placing the Order
This is where the designer’s procurement team begins working behind the scenes. Specifications need to be checked carefully: right size, correct finish, correct fabric, correct quantity, correct electrical specification and correct shipping address.
For custom furniture there may be drawings, finish samples or fabric requirements that need to be approved before production can begin. An error of one digit in a product number can result in a very expensive mistake, so procurement requires considerable attention to detail.
Lead Times
One of the most important things clients need to understand is that ordering furniture isn’t the same as buying something from a store and taking it home that afternoon. Many pieces are made to order. Custom upholstery, specialist lighting and bespoke furniture can take months to produce.
Lead times can also change after an order is placed because manufacturers are dealing with material availability, production schedules and freight. For that reason, procurement needs to be coordinated with the broader project schedule.
Receiving and Inspection
For a substantial project, I generally don’t want dozens of furniture deliveries arriving individually at a client’s home. Instead, pieces may be sent to a professional receiving warehouse.
The receiving team can accept the delivery, inspect the packaging and item, document visible damage and store the piece until installation. If something arrives damaged, the designer can then coordinate with the supplier and freight company to resolve the issue. This is an important part of procurement that clients rarely see.
Installation Day
Once the house is ready and the major pieces have arrived, we coordinate installation. Furniture is delivered, rugs positioned, lighting and art installed as appropriate, and the rooms begin to come together.
This is often the first time the client sees months of individual decisions assembled as one complete interior. It’s also why I don’t like thinking about procurement as simply shopping. Shopping is buying individual things. Procurement is managing the journey of those things from the original design concept all the way into the completed home.
Why Designers Charge for Procurement
Procurement represents a considerable amount of professional time and responsibility. The designer isn’t simply providing access to a product. We are selecting it, specifying it, obtaining quotations, documenting approval, placing and tracking the order, communicating with vendors, resolving problems and coordinating receiving and installation.
Different design firms structure their procurement fees differently. Some use a purchasing fee or commission, others a markup, management fee or combination of methods. There isn’t one universal model.
What matters is that the process and fee structure are clearly explained in the design agreement so the client understands both the product being purchased and the professional service involved in getting it successfully into the home.
The Value of a Managed Process
A beautifully furnished home may eventually look effortless. Getting it there rarely is. A managed, considered approach to procurement removes much of that complexity from the client while allowing the designer to maintain control over specifications, timing and the integrity of the overall design.
And when it works well, the client doesn’t need to see most of what happens behind the scenes. They simply get to experience the finished home.
Rebecca Duke is Founder and Principal Designer of The R Creative, a Los Angeles residential interior design studio specializing in considered interiors, residential renovations and furniture procurement.
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