For those worried about thefutureof the design industry, a largely consistent message is emerging from designers across the country. People have been home for however many weeks or months, often staring at their walls, noticing they need new sofas, or perhaps that an overhaul of the entire house is in order. Clients are ready for designers to return to work, and most are sympathetic to how they need to do it.
“I’ve had three new clients in the last 10 days,”Leslie JenkinsofJenkins Interiorsreports from Dallas. “People want to spend money, but they’re respectful of limitations.”Alex Alonsois similarly busy with his Miami design firm,Mr. Alex Tate. “Clients are really valuing whatever time we have together with the city opening up. Everyone just wants to look at pretty things! We’re six feet apart, in masks and all that good stuff, but virtual presentation is not something anyone is raising their hands for.”
The luxury of square footage has taken on new meaning, as large office spaces and workrooms allow for teams to return to work sooner. “It would be different if we were on top of each other,” Jenkins notes. “But with guidelines in place, our office is a good safe space to be.” In New York, a hub for U.S. design—and for the past several months, the epicenter of thecoronaviruspandemic in the country—it’s a different story. “We are so far from that,” saysYoung Huhfrom her home in Westchester County. “We have no plans for contact with clients.”
设计过程可以强度nsely emotional during the best of times, with designers called to act as therapists, vendor liaisons, and project managers. These days, the new terrain of managing the expectations of clients, staff, and workrooms can be even more sensitive to navigate. Sustaining momentum, Huh adds, is a challenge. “There can be so many vendors for just one piece—the trim, the fabric, the upholstery, the frame—and now we’re really struggling with response times. It’s like herding cats through quicksand.”
“Showroomsare blocking out huge windows of time to accommodate appointments,” Alonso says. “It’s a high touch process, and the delay right now is usually on the trade side.” Jenkins relates. “You can’t just run to the design center and grab samples anymore. It used to take two hours to prep for a meeting, now it takes 14.”
In most cities, smaller local businesses are learning to operate in ways that larger companies with nationwide guidelines cannot. That’s somethingPeter Dunhamin Los Angeles knows about. He really leaned in to keep his design firm, textile line, and showroom,Hollywood at Home, running throughout the crisis. “I was our acting shipping manager, sorting fabrics for ‘emergency’ orders,” he says. “I couldn’t possibly put anyone else in that position.”
It can’t be easy for manufacturers struggling withlayoffsandhealth restrictionsto perform normally, but as designers across the country start to see movement, they’re desperate to maintain contact with producers. “What’s been missing is the personal connection we all need for inspiration,” says Huh. “Now we’re finally getting clients to a point of excitement.” As Alonso puts it, “Get in touch! We need to make sure we have somewhere to send our checks!” Both designers emphasize that the changing tide will require sensitivity and patience.
As attention turns to purchasing and installation plans for the first time in months, Dunham is readying his team for new ways of functioning.Vintage, he says, is a great resource. “There’s no production involved, and fun things are coming up as people sell their unnecessary items. The live auction world has really stepped up as a service.” Logistically, an impending Napa Valley install raises a host of unprecedented concerns. “How will we get up there? How many people do I bring? Do we drive, and if so, separately?” Dunham rattles off. “We can’t have 40 people rushing in on the last day. There can’t be vendor changes at the last minute.”
That said, clients are not expecting immediate perfection, Dunham says. “It’s not an excuse to get sloppy, we just need to plan the time to do it properly. They’re quite grateful for anything we can do for them right now.”
