It feels like only yesterday that we were sat on the floor munching hula hoops and ham sandwiches, celebrating our 7th business birthday by writing this blog. But alas! Another year has rolled by since then and on 16th March of this month, we (Emily and Danielle) celebrated our eighth year in business.
Cue the champagne!
Whilst the urge to reflect on the early days, the highs and lows etc… is real, we did all of that in last year’s blog – which you can read here if you’re interested.
To that end, we thought we’d use this month’s entry to share a bit more about what working with us looks like behind the scenes. A process that we’re really proud of and have honed over the past eight years, that is very much designed around our core values: 1) prioritising the wellbeing of both us and our clients 2) being authentically us, always 3) professionalism at every stage of the journey and 4) always opting for what’s best – for our client, for business and for us as individuals, that is.
INITIAL HELLOS AND NICE TO MEET YOUS
Getting enquiries from potential clients never gets old! Which is why we’re always excited for the first stage in our process – a virtual meeting where we can meet you, discuss your brief in more detail and get a better understanding of the project’s requirements. We always encourage clients to share any hard requirements at this stage along with any inspiration they’ve gathered so far. This usually involves a Pinterest board or two and never fails to get us all excited!
A TAILORED PROPOSAL FROM US TO YOU
We’re big believers that transparency from the outset is important. Which is why we create a tailored fee proposal in the days that follow our virtual meeting which includes an itemised breakdown of all the project’s deliverables and projected costs and outlines how Wells & Maguire will support you throughout the project. This ensures that we have an open dialogue with our clients from the outset so everyone knows where they stand.
LET THE DESIGN PROCESS COMMENCE
Upon acceptance of the fee proposal, the design process officially begins! This is where we visit the site for the first time, start to gather ideas and refine the brief with these ideas in mind. (This is usually the bit where our brains come alive and we find ourselves texting each other at random times of day with new ideas because we’re feeling inspired and can’t switch off!)
Once we’ve calmed down (!) concept designs will be sent to you which help to build the overall design intent for your project and include design direction, layout suggestions and outline elevations aka. detailed drawings that help to bring our ideas to life.
THE BIT WHERE THINGS START TO FEEL VERY REAL
This is such an exciting stage of the process because it’s where we receive honest feedback from our clients about the initial concept designs which allows us to move forward to the detailed design stage. Aka. The bit where we gather things like detailed joinery drawings, select furniture options and start focusing on kitchen and bathroom designs.
We then arrange to meet you at a location of your choice to review the full design package, provide full samples of things like tiles and colour samples and you get to tell us the bits you love and the bits you want to tweak. Seeing how excited our clients get at this stage always gives us the biggest boost of motivation as we move into the build.
THE “WE’RE IN” STAGE
Once you’ve signed off the design, we provide you with a full itemised breakdown of costs for your approval (which – assuming that our clients haven’t requested extra work en route – reflects what was discussed in the tailored proposal we mentioned earlier).
And as soon as we hear the magic words – “we’re in” – the build officially begins!
THE HARD HATS AND HIGH VIZ STAGE
It’s not a glamorous stage by any means but if you see us wearing hard hats and high viz, you know it’s because the build has begun. This is the time where regular site visits to your home become the norm, all of the amazing contractors we work with, remind us why we love working with them so much and we ensure that every design detail is captured and flawless.
THE BIT THAT MAKES PEOPLE SAY “YOUR JOB SOUNDS SO FUN”
In the final few days before handover, you’ll find us running around your home in our socks overseeing the installation of any furniture, light fittings and artwork. This is the bit where our attention to detail comes into its own. We find the perfect place for accessories, dress beds, fluff cushions and ensure that every little detail is considered before…
HELLO NEW HOME
There really is nothing quite like the feeling of revealing a finished project to our clients. When the time finally arrives, we tend to walk you through your new home then leave you to enjoy your life there (with huge hugs in between!). Ultimately, our company ethos is living made beautiful and this is the bit where the meaning of that becomes crystal clear.
FINAL THOUGHTS
Ultimately, we’ve been doing this long enough to know that the entire process of working with us is what makes Wells and Maguire so special. With that in mind, if you’re interested in working with us, please do feel free to reach out here.
For now, to every single client that has chosen to work with us over the past eight years and to our amazing team – thank you. We feel truly honoured that we get to do what we do with you all and cannot wait to see what the next eight years have in store.
Emily and Danielle
