As part of our Three-Step Design Process, we are taking you on a tour through projects that are currently in progress. We love getting to share an inside look at who we’re working with,  why they wanted to hire an interior designer and how we are working with our clients to create forever spaces that elevate the way they live.

Step One: Consultation + Intake

Q: WHO IS THE CLIENT?

Our clients are a hip young couple in Dallas with a toddler. They had lived in their home for nearly a year when we came onto the project and they were having difficultly finding furniture they loved, while putting together the cohesive look they desired.  Needless to say, they were in search of the right firm to help take their living spaces from empty rooms, to livable luxuries.

Q: WHY DID THE CLIENT DECIDE TO HIRE AN INTERIOR DESIGNER AND WHAT IS THE SCOPE OF WORK?

Just like the search for the right hair stylist, finding the perfect designer and approach can be a challenge. Our clients ultimately decided they needed to work with a full-service firm not only to get their desired end result, but for the hands-off experience while the project was in-progress. Home projects are a ton of work! And our clients knew they needed to bring in experienced professionals to help nail down and execute their vision.

A couple main priorities were the formal living room and home office. The formal living room often makes the largest first impression…and we all know first impressions are everything. We tackled furnishings, window treatments and artwork, bringing our full-service approach to each space.

Step Two: The Design Phase

Here’s where we took everything we learned from our clients at our consultation and intake process and put all that information and our creativity to work for our clients. We started really getting to know who they are, their vision of their home and how they tend to “do life” in each room. Then we started by gathering inspiration from our clients in the form of a Pinterest board and began to collaborate on the design between our offices.

Q: WHAT IS THE INSPIRATION BEHIND THE NEW DESIGN?

This is a contemporary house, putting the right bones behind our plans for a modern design, full of playful pops of color and pattern. After getting to know the ins and outs of how our clients live in their space, we created a vision of a modern design full of life. Their finished space would be equal parts sophisticated and artistic, giving their home the ultimate cool factor.

Our clients had clean style, but wanted their space to make an impact. Every item we selected for them brought a punch — whether the subdued, but interesting art, or eye-catching sofa and wallcovered ceiling. We wanted their space to feel like an art gallery, putting their personalities on display through stunning furnishings.

Q: WHAT WAS A UNIQUE DESIGN CHALLENGE AND HOW IS PULP SOLVING THE PROBLEM?

Our client loved the desk we selected for her home office, but has a desktop computer which meant cords on cords. We worked with the vendor to add a panel and grommet to the back that would provide a space to tuck away all the unsightly cords. Everyone knows the frustration of trying to control the chaos of electronic cords, so we went the custom route to create a solution, without compromising on style. A win, win!

Step Three: Install + Execution

Q: WHAT WAS THE CLIENT MOST EXCITED FOR AND WHAT DO THEY LOVE THE MOST?

Our clients were blown away with our level of detail and professionalism while keeping the process light and fun. They were so excited to get to sit back and let our team take the reigns on design and logistics. Having a team in place to handle everything from vendor coordination to install allowed our clients to enjoy the finished spaces that much more! We gave them a vibrant blue sofa, which was met with some hesitation at first, but they completely fell in love after seeing it installed in their home. A flair for the unexpected success story!

Stay tuned for the final reveal!

We know the importance of customization when it comes to selecting furnishings that our clients will love for years. There’s only so many boxes you can check when you shop at big box retailers, which is why we love going the custom route. Sometimes this means finding the perfect upholstery, and other times it means designing the whole thing, from start to finish.

In the midst of the design phase of our Nod to Nautical project, our client fell in love with the idea of a blue velvet sectional. She wanted a sleek and modern look that was still livable for a family with young kids — this type of sofa was few and far between from a retail standpoint! This is where having experienced designers with a vision and plenty of resources come in. We hit the drawing boards and created a plan to make a fully customized sofa, down to the cushion fill and legs.

Inside the Custom Furniture Design Process

THE INSPIRATION

The living room itself created some constraints due to the long and narrow layout — we needed to create a piece that fit the scale of the room, but had plenty of room for the whole family to gather for movie nights, games and some quality time. Our clients have a great sense of style, so we wanted to give them something that was on trend, but classic. And of course, it had to be a rich blue velvet!

THE DESIGN PHASE

It all started with detailed measurements of the space. We considered everything down to our clients’ height for proper seat depth. We took our measurements and scaled everything out so they could visualize what the final result would look and feel like. Customizing a piece of furniture doesn’t just mean it will look how you want. The furnishings we design are specific to the individual client and their desired experience.

That being said, we dreamed up a sectional that was as well tailored and customized as a suit. At the end of the day, our clients have two young children, so the upholstery had to be rich and beautiful, but durable enough for the wear and tear of kids. Say hello to soil and stain resistant velvet!

With a piece this customized, seat tests were in order. We brought our clients in to test out a variety of cushion types, ranging from foam to feather wrapped, to determine the most comfortable. We gave them the opportunity to feel out the options so their final piece would be exactly what they wanted.

THE EXECUTION + INSTALL

Customization takes heightened attention to detail, especially for a project of this degree. We kept close eyes on the workroom process, ensuring every little detail was executed with precision and perfection. The process can be intensive, but having something that you can’t find anywhere else makes all the work more than worth it.

Seeing the sofa installed gave our client the exact look, feel and function they never knew they could have. Set against dynamic neutrals, the sofa brought the perfect pop to the space and is certainly a conversation piece. Love this space as much as we do? Tour the entire project!