Hiring the right interior designer is crucial for a successful home renovation, and Wendy Glaister of Wendy Glaister Interiors shares invaluable insights on how to navigate this often intimidating process. With a wealth of experience, Wendy emphasizes that a designer should be your advocate, helping to save you money and reduce stress throughout your project. She discusses the importance of clear communication and mutual respect between designers, contractors, and clients, highlighting that a positive working relationship can significantly impact the outcome of a renovation. Listeners will learn about the different billing practices in the design industry and why it’s essential to ask the right questions before making a hire. Ultimately, trust your instincts and ensure that you're comfortable with the designer you choose, as this can lead to a smoother and more enjoyable home transformation experience.

Finding the right interior designer can often feel like navigating a complex maze for homeowners, especially those unfamiliar with the design world. This conversation with Wendy Glaser, an award-winning designer, delves into the intricacies of the designer-client relationship and highlights the importance of mutual respect and understanding. Wendy emphasizes that hiring a designer isn't just about aesthetics; it's about finding someone who can advocate for your needs and preferences throughout the renovation process. She shares her insights on the critical first steps to take when searching for a designer, such as researching their online presence and portfolio, and understanding their communication style. Wendy's anecdotes shed light on the emotional dynamics that come into play during home renovations, underlining the necessity for clear communication and collaboration among all parties involved, including contractors. As they discuss the financial implications of hiring a designer, they stress the value of investing in a professional who can save you from costly mistakes, ultimately making the renovation experience less stressful and more rewarding.

Takeaways:

• Hiring an interior designer can be intimidating, but they are your best advocate.
• Research potential designers online to find one that aligns with your personal style.
• Open communication and mutual respect between designers and contractors are essential for project success.
• Homeowners should trust their instincts when choosing a designer for their renovation.
• Be cautious of designers who treat contractors or clients disrespectfully, as it can lead to issues.
• Understanding the billing structure of your designer can help avoid unexpected costs later.

To get your questions answered by Eric G give us a call in the studio at 833-239-4144 24/7 and Eric G will get back to you and answer your question and you might end up in a future episode of Around the House.

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Information given on the Around the House Show should not be considered construction or design advice for your specific project, nor is it intended to replace consulting at your home or jobsite by a building professional. The views and opinions expressed by those interviewed on the podcast are those of the guests and do not necessarily reflect the views and opinions of the Around the House Show.

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It's around the house. Yes.

But if you have a designer who walks on that job site and they speak in an inappropriate or disrespectful way to anyone, I would run far, far, far, far away because it's going to cost you a ton of money. Errors will be made. People won't communicate because they don't like to be talked to like they're nothing. No one likes that. And yeah, you can tell.

I feel very strongly, though.

When it comes to remodeling and renovating your home, there is a lot to know.

But we've got you coming.

This is around the house. Welcome to the Round the house show, the next generation of home improvement. Thanks for joining me today.

This episode is brought to you by our friends overdose at Monument Grills. If you're looking for a brand new barbecue but don't want to spend a lot of money, check them out@monumentgrills.com.

and today I have one of my favorite designers out there, award winning designer Wendy Glaser from Wendy Glaser Interiors. Welcome back to around the house.

Thank you, Eric. I really appreciate the invitation to join you again. It's a lot of fun, these conversations.

This is always a blast. And you have so much great information for people out there. And I think we can tackle today one of the biggest fears of homeowners out there.

And that's really how to find an interior designer that's right for you.

I think it really is intimidating. I would say 90% of the people that I work with have never worked with an interior designer before.

And I've heard so many times just on the intro call, I don't know. I've never worked with a designer before. I'm not sure how it works. Can you explain? So there's a lot of education involved and then. But there's a lot.

There's a lot to think about. It's a, it's a big investment, and there's sure to be challenges along the way in any renovation.

So you have to think about a lot of different things.

But I also say that interior designer is your number one advocate to save you money in the long run, because doing things two or three times cause you didn't think it through and you didn't know any better but your designer could walk you through the process is something that's gonna elevate that project and make it a lot less stressful for you as well, because, well, you've got a professional on your side.

Yeah, it's cute. I work for a lot of people who have really great skill sets and things that I don't.

So, like accountants or farming or an entrepreneur in a totally different area, scientists. And they say, wendy, how do you do it? And I say, if you put me in your chair at your place of employment, I would just cry. I would just cry.

I'd want to give up and walk away. Like, I'm in this every day in my life. And so I see what's out there, and I've learned a lot of things the hard way.

If not, like, when, early in my career, then I continue to make errors because I am human and also in my own home. And so it's just, we just need each other. Right. Like, I am never going to be a CPA. Thank God. My neighbor is. I love her. I helped her with her kitchen.

She helps me with my books.

So, yeah, we hire professionals for everything else.

And that's an important part of it, is just getting somebody in there to help guide you down the way, because you might see this brand new product out there or a brand new way of doing things, and it doesn't. Because it's new doesn't mean that it's going to be the right way for your application, or it's something that's just untested.

So sometimes it's better to use something a little more reliable. Because you want it to last.

Well, yes, because it's a huge. Like I mentioned, it's a big investment for almost anyone who's doing a renovation or a home from blueprint.

It's an investment, and you want to make sure that the things that you choose will last, that they fit your lifestyle and the way your family lives.

If you have pets, if you have children, if you have a pool, or if you like a very, very quiet environment, if you like fitness, if media is your big thing, it's just you need an advocate, just like what you mentioned. You need an advocate who can help you accomplish those things and choose the right material. Things like that.

Yeah. And they're also there to help you visualize the next thing I want to talk about. What are the first steps? Like, where should you start?

If you're going, okay, I need to hire somebody. Cause I'm over my head already. Or you're thinking you are what's the first step in your mind?

I think. Oh, in my. Well, I think if you're a consumer and you're starting to look for an interior designer, everybody goes to Google first, right? Yep.

So I would say you need to look at that website and see how does that designer communicate who he or she or the firm is? What do they value? Do they have a very tight aesthetic? Do they have a wide variety of projects and styles in their portfolio?

Do they communicate some of the same values that you have? Do they do projects for normal people? I have my mind. Wendy, do you still work for normal people? Like, what do you mean? What's not a normal person?

Is it only celebrities or is it like the rest of us who are doing a great job in life but aren't in the limelight? So I think that's the first place where you get a sense of who the designer is and whether or not you might gel with them.

I'd also say their Instagram account's pretty important because that's a little more, that's a little easier to share on a daily basis, maybe not on their feed, but certainly in stories. Who are they? What are they doing? How involved are they in their projects?

Do you see them on job sites or are they only posing for lunch with champagne? That's important. And then I think two reviews are critical because that will give you a sense of what were other clients experiences.

Do they mention that the designer listened? Do they mention that the designer made it look like their home? Or is that not important to you?

Are you after a very specific aesthetic and you just want to achieve that? Because not everybody wants, like, their best friend designer coming in to do things. They just, they'd like a little more distance, but get it done.

So I think you can do a lot of research up front, just online, and know who you're going to be calling. And I think that might give people a sense of calm a little bit, too. Like they're not just calling someone out of the blue.

They have some context for the conversation. I don't know if that helps.

But, yeah, I. There's such a mix of designers out there. Out there, right? There's so many different people out there.

It's just like the people out there that are doing the projects themselves. As far as a homeowner tackling, there's just this wide mix.

There's some designers out there that are really good at one or two styles, and you go on their website, and as long as it's that they are in their zone but if you get them outside of their comfort level, you know, they're not so good with it. And there's others out there that you jump on.

And it's such a wide range from, you know, almost guardrail to guardrail on style that they can handle it. So you really start to get a feel of at least what project they're comfortable taking on.

And once they've completed, because that's the ones that are on the website.

Yeah. And there's a designer for everyone. It's just a matter of finding your fit and what are your priorities and how do they align with those priorities?

Exactly. Exactly. You brought up a question that we were talking about earlier, that where do they make their income and how do they make their income?

Because theres a lot of different things that you see designers do. Myself as a designer, ive been a brand ambassador. Ive done stuff like that. Its depending on how they charge. What are your recommendations with that?

Well, I think especially in the last few years, theres a difference. Well, when we look at the things that youre a brand ambassador for specifically, Eric, those are things that you use.

Yes.

In your everyday life, you're not just saying, you're not saying see this skin cream?

Yes, absolutely.

Like, it is very specific and you use them, test them, try them, believe in them before you say something. And it's in the context of your work and everyday life and projects.

But there is something that sort of developed recently where more than designers, they're like influencers in the space of design and they're not doing client work like multiple projects and jobs and clients and contractors and subs and vendors. They're more about, they're making money on their brand ambassadorship types.

Yeah, very true. Very true.

It's not that that's bad because that's valuable and it's, it's fun. Especially like if you're the DIY person and you want to try a cool new peel and stick wallpaper or you want to try any tile thing and it's cool.

But if you're taking on a really serious project, you want to know that your designer is only a brand ambassador for things that they use in their home, in the homes of their clients. In full disclosure, I've only done one brand ambassadorship so far, and I'm in the middle of that now. And it's for zip water.

And it's because I studied them for three years before we did this partnership, and then they put it in my home so I could use it all the time and be able to speak about it confidently, but also because I'm sitting from my kitchen, so I'm looking at my kitchen well, I know what it does for me in my everyday life. So I think there's a distinction there. And it's not that one is better than the other.

It's just that as a designer, if you need somebody who, like you mentioned, wants to advocate for you and what you need and want in your life and in your home, not, is not just trying to sell whatever to get another level of commission, that's where some of the your integrity comes into question a little bit.

Contractors out there, there are so many gate contractors out there that are licensed, spawned, insured. They're trained. They do so well. There's also contractors out there that aren't licensed, spawned, insured and don't know what they're doing.

And there's the same thing with designers, too. There's people on tv that call themselves designers that can't draw a stick figure on a piece of paper, let alone do any kind of a draft on anything.

And they call themselves a designer so they can be an influencer. That's the part of working through this part.

First part of the process is making sure you're finding the person that has the skills and the ability to help you and get your project across the finish line.

Yeah, I will.

But now, 18 years later, I know a lot more than I did then, and I can protect clients now because I've made errors, mis, poor judgment, what you could call it whatever you wish.

And the rate accelerated so fast, 40% or more, that it's just where maybe before you could say, oh, well, it doesn't really work, and I don't really love it. You can't really do that now because you're talking thousands and thousands of dollars at this point. So it's just, it's industry knowledge.

I also think it's really important that your designer respect and appreciate your contractor, and then the contractor respect and appreciate the client or the designer, because when that relationship is great, it is life changing. The job goes so much more smooth. You problem solve way in advance together. You actually do the plans together. Each party runs things by each other.

It's a team. It's a real team. Everybody stands together arm in arm to make sure that it works out great.

If you have a designer who does not respect the contractor or their subs, because these guys go to work every day together. The contractor feeds skilled subcontractors every month to do the right thing, and those subcontractors feed their families on that.

So it's a live and die kind of thing.

But if you have a designer who walks on that job site and they speak in an inappropriate or disrespectful way to anyone, I would run far, far, far away because it's going to cost you a ton of money. Errors will be made. People won't communicate because they don't like to be talked to like they're nothing. No one likes that.

And yeah, you can tell I feel very strongly about, I do, too.

I have a name for them, too, sometimes. There's the superhero designer, theres the superhero contractor.

And what I mean is that theyre the ones that come into the meeting and it could be the designer or the contractor, could be either one. And they come in and have a meeting and they catch an error and they go back to the homeowner misses Smith. You should be happy I was there.

I caught designer x trying to do this that would have cost you $10,000.

And they throw the other person under the bus playing superhero, trying to build their the relationship up with the client to get that relationship more solid than it was. And everyone loses when you have that superhero in the room.

Well, isn't that like elementary school? Like being a tattletale?

It is, dude.

What happened to adulting?

Right? But it happens, you know, it happens. And you're just like, are we doing this? Yeah.

Yes. And it's just so sad. I had, when I, when I first graduated Modesto junior college. It's community college. I had a BA and I went back for design.

And my very first big job out of there, I had the opportunity to work with a contractor. He was like a wild west guy, way out in the middle of farmland. And he, this is, it was wild west, okay.

He put like a shipping container in front of the house and design as he built just to. And so I was a threat. I wasn't a threat, but he thought I was a threat. It was really hard because I had no confidence.

And finally I just said I would never talk to you like that. I wonder why you think you can talk to me like that. I think we need a sidebar. And he's like, sidebar?

I said, yeah, from now on, if I'm doing something and you don't like it, obviously I don't want to frustrate you or any of your team. Just say, hey, Wendy, can I talk to you about this thing?

And go like this, and I'll follow you over there, and you can tell me what you think or what you need or if I'm doing it wrong or whatever, but have some compassion. And it was really neat, actually, because we ended up being really good friends. And I've gotten to do some really incredible work with him.

But it was very tough going in the beginning. It was very struggle.

I had a contractor that I absolutely loved. I would do a project tomorrow with him.

We still keep in contact, even though I'm not doing projects like that anymore, but, like, something would be damaged or something would get messed up, like a cabinet door. And he would. He would send me a text and go, hey. I slid the cabinet door in the back of my truck when the homeowner wasn't looking. It's damaged.

Can you get me another one?

And he was the guy that was protecting the homeowner from any issues that we already had handled but didn't need to drag them through the mud because it wasn't a decision, it wasn't something that was going to change the eta of the job site. But he had it managed, and his job was to just keep it quiet going. That door is missing. We have another one coming.

So they wouldn't be looking at a damaged door that had a break or a crack, wondering, am I going to do this?

He would just go in and make it so smooth of a process, his guys would always go, oops, let's get that outside real quick so we don't get anybody upset. And then we could handle it as professionals, and nobody was getting all worked up over a lot of wasted energy.

Yeah, it's, again, it's a lot of money. And so if a client sees an error on the job, they just hone in on that instead of realizing, oh, wait, this is a great team, and they've got me.

And when they leave, it will be perfect because it will. But in the moment, it just degrades the feeling of trust in the team. And that isn't good because it's not a real thing either.

It's just a construct of that moment in time when you see an error or a flaw that will absolutely be corrected. So it's nice to have a friend looking out for you, for sure.

But I think part of being a great designer is also the manage of emotions of the job site as much as the design. Right. Because you're trying to make sure that the client and everybody's working together.

There's a lot going on and managing expectations as well as the entire project.

Yes.

My big joke is when I'm done with this profession, and I don't know when that will be because I love doing it and I want to keep working, but I could be the ambassador for the United States to the UN, because you have to be so careful. Right. I know you know this, and the way you come off and the way you present yourself and the way you.

Your face looks when you receive news that you may or may not love. And I always joke with clients, like, there's not enough Botox in the world to handle this one, because it matters. It matters. And people believe.

I believe 90% of communication is nonverbal. That's the data, and you have to really be composed. I'm very bad at poker, but I'm much better on the job site. It's just.

Yeah, and then if a client gets upset and you need to figure out how to calm them down or. Because when you're. When you're doing someone's home in particular, we're talking residential.

There's upheaval if they're in the space while you're doing the work. But life is very difficult. There are highlights, and it can be fun, and there's joyous things to appreciate about it.

But on balance, you're going to have challenges almost every day of your life, greater or lesser.

And when that kind of life pressure comes into a home that's being renovated, emotions can be very high and sometimes volatile, and especially depending on the client personality. Some are more combative.

Some feel like, I had this one client, and something must have happened when she was little, because anytime she feels like a choice, either hasn't been offered to her that should have been, or a decision is being made without her complete involvement. She. You can see her, like, fast. The smoke and the anger, and just like this, and you just. And again, it's gonna be perfect when we're gone.

I am not gonna let someone fail you in the moment. It's just, oh, very hard. Very, very hard.

I had one that was so bad, and I'm gonna make sure not even say the city and state or anything on this where it was, because this is how bad this one was. I was literally doing the walkthrough. Cabinets were being installed, walls were being painted. Husband and wife. And we walk into the laundry room.

The husband had just made changes right before the cabinet order was placed and had worked with the contractor to make some changes in there. And she comes in, hadn't seen it, is instantly mad, and he goes, isn't it beautiful?

I made some changes, and I watched her give him a right hook and a left jabez at the meeting, and I'm like, guys, I gotta go. Cause I'm gonna have to testify in court or call the police. And I'm at it.

And I called the meeting, and it's like, I rarely have I ever had that happen. But I was like, I'm gonna have to call the authorities here in a minute because I'm not sticking around to watch felonies, guys. I'm out of here.

But that was one of those.

And that's one thing I learned in my years of design, that I learned, at least, is whatever personal trauma they're going through at that point of their life is going to be two x five x ten x of whatever that is because of the stress of a remodel, new build, or whatever they're doing, it's going to get amplified.

Yeah. People really don't like change, and they don't like upheaval, and they don't like. And I don't like it either.

I had all new floor put in two years ago. Oh, my gosh. It was miserable. And it was great reminder, you know, what my clients are going through.

So now I'm trying every year, every other year to just do something so that it stays fresh and I stay respectful of what people go through, because it's so hard. Even if you're not living in it, you still see it and the job site one day and there's nobody working there, and you fall apart because it's. It's.

There's a lot involved. There is, for sure.

I wanted to ask you, what's your take on how designers bill and how the project goes? Do you have any favorite ways of doing that, or is there anything that people should watch out for, at least ask questions about?

If so, in the design community, I've noticed there are two camps in how you should build and all the coaches telling people how to be good designers and how to run good businesses and how to do this and that. They are very judgmental. There wasn't a good un word for that one, Eric.

No, there's not. Not that we can use on the radio.

So some designers will bill by the hour, and some designers will bill by the project.

The designers who bill by the hour, if they're seasoned, they know approximately what it will cost in terms of their fees to design a kitchen, to design a master bath, to do a whole house, get job renovation based on square footage and the level of finishes. They'll know, but that's one way.

Another way is by the project, and it's like the hourly way because they've done it long enough, or they've been coached with a very aggressive opinion about what you should be making for this or that or the other.

I bill by the hour because every client is different, and their decision making processes are different, and their communication styles are different. It's just true. Everybody's different.

That's my favorite way as well.

And that's where I jump on the camp, because I always look at it and say, the person that's really good as a homeowner making decisions shouldn't have to pay the price for the other person that went through twelve renovations. Twelve, you know, revisions of the plan and went back to revision one at the end. They shouldn't pay the penalty of them in the average price.

No, it just seems more fair.

And the way I do my billing, too, it's almost probably feels excessive to some clients, but it's almost like getting a statement from your attorney every single, and it's like in 15 minutes increments, everything is accounted for, and then you get an invoice every 30 days. And we use Houzz pro, and it goes straight to their email inbox.

And if they want, they can pay online or they can send a check, whatever's easier for them. But it's just more consistent that way for me. I just. I was never really comfortable with buy the project.

And a lot of designers also make money by purchasing everything themselves with their designer discount, putting the markup in and selling it to the client to be installed in the home. I do not do that.

I don't either. You and I are stuck the same page here.

When I was just starting and I didn't know anything, this wonderful lady, Mary Hale at Pedrosian's Modesto, was so nice to me, and she spent a lot of time with me, helping me figure things out, because I didn't even know what I didn't know. But one thing she said was really important. Wendy, do not buy the tile and the slabs. Let the tile setter buy the tile.

Let the slab fabricator buy the slabs. You don't want to be taking food out of their kids mouths. That's how you form relationships. So I took the advice, and that's what I've done.

Clients buy plumbing direct from our local plumbing expert, Sean, that we just love. At Abe's, it says, little family business. He answers the phone. If I need help, it's great.

They buy their lighting from our local store at Phillips lighting home. And Carrie and her expert staff know all about it. So if something doesn't come the right way, they send it back and they handle it.

They warehouse it for us till it has to go in. Same with flooring, same with tile. Pacific shores bar slabs. It's just we have a team. A rising tide lifts all boats. Being greedy gets you nothing.

Except no.

And you're actually not doing a disservice. You're doing a disservice to the client.

Yeah. Because I. I know my friend Carrie, who's a lighting designer who owns Phillips. She knows more about lighting.

She's been to light ovation twice this year. I know what I want it to look like. She knows how to get it there. Yeah. And I respect that. And I feel like the client needs to also.

So they buy direct from her. Things like that. I just. Well, it's those kids in school or such know it alls. They're like, oh, I know that. I like. They weren't even fun.

They weren't the most creative. They were difficult. I don't want to be that kid as either. I like working with all my friends who are amazing at what they do and know the top.

At the top. At the top. Even like Valley fireplace, where we get all of our fireplaces. Johnette know everything they need to. Everything about fireplaces.

I don't have to guess or hope that I'm making the right call with a $5,000 gas insert. Thank God.

So, yeah, and the other thing I think that's missed, too, that people don't realize is that as a designer, if they're buying it now, they're involved somewhat with the warranty process down the road forever. Whatever. Forever. And now that you could be in between the plumber and the homeowner going, well, okay, I'll come swap it out.

But it's got to be $1,000. And the homeowner's going, well, it's under warranty. And now you're stuck in the middle.

Of that vest to hear you say that. I know. We had an instance like that with appliances.

There's a sub zero refrigerator that we put in a client's house that she purchased from Bordonas, our sweet little place out in Oakdale, family owned, third generation. It was, it was. This does not happen typically with sub zero, but it was a lemon.

And Bordonas worked on sub zero for two years and they swapped it out for a brand new one. That never happens.

No.

And if I'm a one and done, doesn't care who I am, sub zero wolf doesn't care who I am, speed queen, monarch, they don't care. I am nothing to them. But the people who buy a volume and really know their business, that's value to the client. I feel like. I feel like I'm going.

Sorry. No, no.

But they can call up the district manager of whatever company. We got a problem.

I need somebody over here tomorrow to come look at it and all of a sudden it's getting taken care of and it's just a smarter way to go.

And I know I've got right now some designers out there listening and screaming, saying how wrong we are, but I'm sorry, this is just the way it is in our opinions. But there's so it's a smart way to go.

They're like, I had these two gals and I really enjoy. They got to know a lot. We were working on a habitat for Humanity project. They are never at peace.

And they buy it all, they get it off build or wayfair, whatever, blah, blah. And some, some stuff comes in damaged and some stuff doesn't ship bright. And I'm just like, oh, you guys, I don't know how they function.

I don't either.

Yeah, I need, I'll tell you what.

I have seen some online purchases where homeowners have bought stuff online even recently that have been just absolutely nightmares. And it's so much easier to buy local with your local person.

I know somebody that ordered tile off that big W website out there and it showed up shrink wrapped from upS. The box of tile with the cardboard around it shrink wrapped and they shipped it that way. Oh, no, no. Packing shrink wrapped on the outside of the box.

It came off the pallet, stuck a UPs label and shipped it. And it was a very fluid, kind of crinkly box by the time it got there. But I'm like, who's thinking here, folks?

There's no way that's going to make it down the street, let alone anywhere else. And we're seeing a lot more of that with these companies out there that are online, companies that are not dealers for a product.

They just are buying it from a dealer out there, they're putting it online and there might not be packaging. Heck, you don't even know if it's the real thing when it shows up sometimes.

Yeah.

If you're a DIy kind of person and it's fun and you're not living and dying on deadlines, and you don't have tens of thousands of or hundreds of thousands of dollars at stake, and you have the time and emotional bandwidth to play. Great. That is awesome. You know, I. Good. I, I can't wait to see what you find on those big sites and that you're happy with.

Or the some, sometimes they'll do, influencers will do like faves and fails and all that. Great. But in my life, in reality, with 30 open projects all over the country, that cannot happen. I cannot. Can you see? I can feel the heat. Uh uh.

I need smart friends who know what they're doing, who will take care of their part and collaborate again as a team. Everything's better with friends.

Amen. It's just like yesterday I was down ordering wallpaper. I went down to my local store, looked through the books, touched and saw it.

Yeah.

Ordered it for my house. You know what I mean?

That's how you do it online is so scary with, with looking at a screen, and I can adjust the color of it just by changing the settings on my monitor so you're not really sure even what you're going to get.

Agreed.

So it's awesome.

So I wanted to talk a little bit about reviews, too, because this, you mentioned it earlier, but reviews are one of those things that even the best designers will have a snarky so. So review at times, and it doesn't mean they're a horrible designer.

No, it's. I would just say, on balance, what do the reviews look like? Because we all know this is regular life. We're all doing the best we can.

Sometimes you get to work with lovely people. Sometimes people don't have any grace at all, for whatever reason. And no job is going to be perfect. It will never happen.

There will always be something that happens on a project. And some people are gracious and some people just want to just. Yeah, it's satisfying to them to do that. And I think that's sad.

And I'm sorry for whatever happened in their life that they thought that would be a great way to approach everyday living. But there are those people.

And so you can't, I totally agree with you can't base your total understanding of a human being by one bad review if there are many that say, oh, she's the most arrogant, entitled little, and I don't like her, and don't ever work with her, and she wastes your money. She's never heard of stewardship, and she treats people like crap. Okay, don't hire her.

Exactly. And I saw one the other day that I was looking through in another city I was going through, and I'd heard they were back designing again.

I looked at the reviews, and I was like, ouch. There were no punches pulled on those. And it was 70% were that way. And I'm like, ouch. There's your warning sign.

Yeah, well, it takes all kinds to make.

And one thing I wanted to talk about before we wrap up here in a little bit was a homeowner that's starting a project needs to take ownership of their decision making process, because many times, you're the one as the homeowner that's dictating the cost of the design fees of the project. Right. If they're increasingly indecisive or after every design meeting, they go to their friends and redesign it by committee.

And maybe it's the sister, it's the aunt, it's the best friend who maybe might not have the best ideas. They can cost you a lot of money in this process.

Well, yes. I think there are a lot of people who. Everybody does a remodel for a different reason. Right, Eric?

Some people do it because they need a zero threshold shower now in their bathroom. Some people do it because their kitchen is sad and all the appliances are breaking. Some people do it because it's a flex.

Right.

And so all those different motivations come into play. And if you're confident in yourself and you know who you are, you're a certain kind of client.

If you are insecure and a little bit fearful, you're another kind of client.

So that's why I think the relationship with your designer and I being able to trust and believe in your designer is so important, because if you can do that, it will save you a lot of time and money. The most expensive thing that you and I are aware of on job sites is change orders.

So if you've designed the whole thing, you've worked with your architect, your contractor, and your designer upfront, that's how you save the most money.

All that mega value engineering comes into play from the beginning to like windows or to the kind of foundation you want to put on, the kind of roof you want to use. Is it smart home or not? But if you, if you allow the voices of other people to color your perception of how things are going.

It's the little weed in the wind. A little. And it's hard because I don't think it comes from a bad place. I think it's because people are insecure.

But it is very challenging, and I think sometimes designers take it very personally. Oh, so and so doesn't like what I do. So I'm gonna go forget her or him or.

It's really about insecurity, and it's really about other things are at play. So if, as designers, we can distance ourselves from that. I have families I've designed for, and it's designed by committee, designed by family.

We couldn't even. And yes, it was much more expensive, but it's what they needed to feel good, and. And that's fine.

Whatever they want, it was their prerogative, but, yeah.

And the other thing is, too, is that all the decision makers need to be there. Right. As part of the process. If it's a household that has multiple generations in it and people have their own thoughts or things are in it that are.

That are part of the process, but you need to make sure that, as a homeowner, you're bringing all the people that are part of that process into the process, and so they feel like they're getting hurt as well. It makes for a smoother project.

Yeah, I agree. I agree.

I've seen it where it's like one in a team of the two spouses, the one is always the one who shows up at the meeting, and then every time we leave, we go totally the opposite way and backtrack and do something new. But if we'd all been there together, it would have been a lot faster, probably.

Exactly. Exactly.

Yeah.

You and I are on the same page on a lot of this stuff. It's funny. What other tips do you have? When we're starting to run a little short on time, but we got a little bit more to go here to. To.

To wrap a bow around this. But there's so many. I don't want to make this sound at all negative. Hiring that designer is a positive thing, but it's such a.

For homeowners, it should be as much of an emotional hire as a financial hire, right?

Yes. So to protect against someone just jumping on the bandwagon for me, I do the initial consultation.

I follow it up with a design summary that I email within five business days. They need to read through that whole thing, and then they need. I ask them, think about how you felt when we were together.

Does my design summary reflect the things that you want to accomplish? Does it make you feel like I really heard you? Because if there's a disconnect, you don't want to work with me.

You need to feel really good about whoever you're bringing into your home because you need to have conversations that you might not even have with some of your closest friends if you really want this house to work for you the way you need it to work for you. So.

And I think some people are intimidated to have that kind of, like, to explore how comfortable they really are with this person before they invite them into their home to spend hundreds of thousands of dollars. Don't feel like you have any dumb questions. There's no dumb questions. There should be no judgment at all.

There should be education and explanation provided with grace and patience and just very conversational and matter of fact. There should be no condescension coming from any designer. If you do have a question, that's your.

And they say a lot in, well, my frame of reference is, like, domestic violence recovery, but they, they'll tell you things like, people tell you who they are and they do.

Like, you need to listen because you don't want to go down the road, blow up your house, and then realize, oh, my gosh, this person doesn't care about me. My family, they're, they're bad stewards. They don't manage their business well. So I. It's an interview. It's a job interview for the designer.

And if they don't treat it like that and they have no humility and they're not kind, for me, I would say, no. This is the last part.

When I first started, there was this lady who did window coverings, and she said, wendy, you are never going to be successful in this business. You're just too nice. People want to be told what to think. Okay? And there are people who want that.

There are people who want an affect, who want glamour, who want to be able to say, so and so did my house. And if that's valuable to you, that's not wrong. It's just so. I wouldn't be your girl, but it's just what you really want in the long run.

And it seems if you're not getting along through that first part of the process, that's your warning sign, right?

That maybe there's a disconnect there for one reason or another, that if that's a honeymoon period out of all of it, if you're starting out to the initial design process and we've got oil and water bouncing heads. Maybe that's just not going to work.

Just make sure that when you sign the contract, you read it really carefully because some designers contracts are pretty open ended. If it's not working for you and it's not working for me, that's fine. Some are pretty.

Yeah, there's a lot of legalese in there and you got to watch out.

That's actually a good, good.

That's actually a really good point to maybe grab that contract with the contractor, the designer and that stuff and bring it over to the family attorney to give it a quick once over to make sure that everybody's cover.

Absolutely.

It's few hundred bucks. She's pay is probably going to be the cheapest few hundred bucks you spend on a project.

Agreed.

There we go.

Nobody likes to be trapped.

And nor should they be. Unless there's really not. It's. It's. If it's not working, figure out a way to either fix it or part ways. Right?

Exactly. Agreed.

All right, Wendy, so how many. Thanks for coming on today. How do people find out more about you if they're listening right now? Going, I gotta have Wendy on my project.

Where do they find you at?

It's wendyndyglasterinteriors.com is my email address. And the website is Wendy Glaster. It's g l a I s t e r. Interiors, plural. Because if I only did one interior, I'd have no website.com.

and you can also find me on instagram. But it's just. It's always so much fun to spend time with you, Eric, I really appreciate you inviting me back and talking about this, because it is.

It's tricky.

But you just be confident, ask the questions you want to, and listen to yourself and how you're feeling as you respond to that person standing in front of you. And if you don't feel good about it, don't go forward.

Exactly. And they're going to be your guide, your tour guide through a beautiful remodel or new construction project.

And it'll be gorgeous when it's all said, done, Ben. Cause you've hired the right people.

That's right. Listen to your gut.

Exactly. Thanks, Wendy. Appreciate it. I'm Eric G. And you've been listening to around the house.