WE'D LOVE TO HEAR FROM YOU! LET'S MAKE THIS EASY...
PRINCIPAL DESIGNER:
Courtney Otte, Allied ASID
EMAIL: COURTNEY@THEMODERN-HIVE.COM
OFFICE HOURS: M-F | 9AM - 5PM
If you are reaching out to inquire about a new project, please fill out the form below. If you are reaching out for a different reason, please send an email to Courtney for the quickest response.
QUESTIONS?
We have answers:
Do you act as the general contractor to implement the design?
For the most part, no. We are not licensed as a general contractor in the state of Nebraska and therefore will not act as a general contractor for our clients remodel or new build projects. Rather, we can assist our clients by connecting them to reputable contractors we often collaborate with. We act as a project liaison to help our clients through the construction process while also ensuring the design is implemented properly and answering any construction design related questions that come up during the project.
For our furnishing projects, if the project requires skilled trades such as a painter, carpet installer, carpenter etc. we are happy to facilitate scheduling of these trades in the space with our trusted contacts. However the client will be responsible for vetting any trade that enters into their home and will also be responsible for paying trades for the work completed.
Do I 'have to' purchase furnishings from you?
The short answer is yes! We are committed to providing our clients with quality assurance that would be expected from this level of service and providing our clients with procurement of specified items is our way of ensuring superior service. More on that in the next question!
If we spec it for you, we will purchase it for you. This is particularly true for room transformations or projects that would include selections of furnishings, textiles such as wallpaper or fabric, light fixtures, and any decor we spec for a project.
Depending on the project type and the way the contractor typically works, we may also want to be the purchaser for tile, carpet, countertops or cabinets.
How far in advance should I contact you for my project?
Our firm is often booking out anywhere from 3-5 months consistently before we can begin a new project. If you are considering us for a new build, the right time to hire us is when you're about 75% done with your home plans (or about 5-6 months before you plan to begin construction.)
If you are considering us for a remodel, the right time to hire us is approximately 6 months before you want to start knocking down walls.
For room transformations and furnishing projects, the right time to hire us is really anytime, just keep in mind furnishing lead times are approximately 15-20 weeks out, sometimes more.
What are the benefits of purchasing products from you?
At the end of a project, our desire is for our clients to be beyond satisfied! The benefits of purchasing products from us is that it makes it so incredibly easy for you!
Procurement may "look easy" but it's not. This is why we have a dedicated team member whose job is to keep a steady hand on all procurement related tasks.
We handle it all for you: submitting purchase orders, reviewing orders for accuracy, tracking production progress on products, tracking shipments, arranging shipments with our receiving warehouse, inspecting furnishings and goods before they are delivered to ensure they are in good condition, filing a claim if there is product defects or damages, we get rid of the plethora of boxes and trash from products, storing products for you until the project site is ready for installation, assembling furniture on your behalf and installing the product in your home according to the design plan. We handle all of the logistics saving our clients time and effort!
Do you mark up products you sell to us?
Yes. This is a complex answer so we will break it down into the numerous reasons why this is our business model.
Our business model allows us to create relationships with vendors enabling us to leverage buying power and secure competitive pricing for our clients. We work closely with reputable suppliers and manufacturers, allowing us to provide our clients with either the same pricing as what you can find through larger name retailers, and sometimes even better pricing. While we won't always be the 'cheapest' option our prices are often given to the client at or below retail and our clients can rest assured that if we can save them money, we certainly will. If something goes awry with a product, we will be able to support the client through it and stand behind the product because of this model. We would never want to leave a client hanging with a defective product; if you work with a designer who isn't marking up product, you run the risk of being out on your money AND product.
For furnishings, textiles, light fixtures, decor etc. there are minimum advertising prices that products must be sold at and we cannot simply give a client our cost, not only because it goes against our vendor agreements and we'd run the risk of loosing our vendor account, but we also must be a profitable business. But is that double dipping? No, the reason we have this two tiered approach is never to overcharge clients as we do provide clients with fair pricing at or under retail prices, while also maintaining the highest level of expertise and quality you’d expect from us making the entire process easy for you.
You can rest assured you will be receiving a high quality result. At the end of the day, when our clients choose to support our small business in this way, it helps us to thrive. Not only does it provide you with the best service possible, you also support a small local business and our employees, their families and livelihood instead of a chain store. If you plan to spend the money anyways, what better way to spend your investment and support a local small business at the same time?!