What does “turnkey” interior design service actually mean?
Design: Time & Place Interiors / Photo: Gloria Kilbourne
The word “turnkey” gets thrown out a lot in the interior design industry. But what goes into that description?
Ask various design studios, and you might get different answers.
To me, turnkey service is crafting a seamless experience where my trusted providers and I handle all the back-end logistics. It means sparing my clients the hassle of managing the many moving parts of a design project.
Interior design is an involved, high-touch effort, and how you experience the process as a client makes a big difference.
Ideally, you should not only have a beautifully designed space, but also enjoy a service that feels luxurious, discreet, and effortless.
And you can only experience that if the designer you’re working with has a professional operating system behind them, with processes that anticipate issues and a structure that helps resolve snags that inevitably come up. You don’t want problems spilling out onto your own hands, leaving you with the responsibility of cleaning up the mess. That’s why you hired someone to begin with, right?
So, I decided to share what a turnkey, luxury project looks like for my typical full service interior design clients in New York.
Read on for a glimpse into what’s involved!
- Ksenya, founder of Time & Place Interiors
Professional execution of all moving parts
Design: Time & Place Interiors / Photo: Gloria Kilbourne
The Conceptual Design phase of a full service project is collaborative and exploratory. But after that concludes, my clients should barely have to lift a finger until I deliver their finished space.
Once my clients approve the final design scheme, I take on procurement of all furnishings, finishes, artworks, window treatments, floor coverings, and accessories.
I handle product ordering, often working with dedicated vendor reps or account managers who provide custom quotes and shipping arrangements. I update expenditures to manage the project budget, expedite deliveries, arrange Customs clearances for imports, and monitor product lead times.
This process grows in complexity with custom designs, as fabrics, trim, and finishes change hands between manufacturers and fabricator workrooms.
Plus, I take on responsibility for resolving any order deficiencies: claims for damage replacements or missing parts, restorations of antiques, reselections of back orders. With behind-the-scenes finesse, I solve problems while my clients sleep: in some cases, they don’t know an issue even occurred before I’ve already resolved it.
And naturally, when construction is involved, the responsibilities grow in multitude: I oversee the project timeline, material specifications, product installations — coordinating between the general contractor, vendors, and my client.
Trusted service providers equipped to address deficiencies
Design: Time & Place Interiors / Photo: Gloria Kilbourne
All furniture orders first go to a local receiver, where they’re inspected for condition and warehoused until it’s time for a grouped installation at the client’s home.
I’m in daily communication with the receiving warehouse staff about delivery timelines, tracking links, and condition reports.
If an item arrives with damage or missing parts, the receiving staff alerts me so that I can address the issue with the vendor, arrange a replacement or organize repair with a restorer, and recuperate my clients’ costs for those remediations.
Using a receiving warehouse also avoids my clients having to chase down endless deliveries, deal with returns or replacements, or handle moving in furniture — which is especially cumbersome in NYC buildings that require insurance coverage.
Imagine an alternative scenario where a piece of furniture is shipped directly to a client’s home but gets damaged in transit (shit happens!):
The shippers are calling the client, leaving voicemails about scheduling the delivery, possibly requiring that the client be available to meet the delivery staff within a 4-hour time period that’s announced the day before
The client is too busy or is traveling, and doesn’t open the package in time to notice and report the damage; the manufacturer’s claims deadline is missed
Once the damage is discovered, the client must be available again for pickup of the original damaged furniture PLUS accept a second delivery of its replacement
Meanwhile, two packages are cluttering up the client’s home: one broken + one replacement
It’d be a BIG headache! Using the receiver redirects all these plausible issues to the right service providers who are fully equipped to address them.
Truly “white glove” deliveries and installations
Design: Time & Place Interiors / Photo: Gloria Kilbourne
Once all items arrive safely to the local receiving warehouse, I organize installation at my clients’ home.
I share COIs (Certificates of Insurance) for any party that will be delivering or installing with my clients’ property management company, as needed. And I reserve freight elevator access with the building staff.
White glove delivery means that custom pads are installed under rugs, furniture is assembled and placed in just the right positions, chair leg tips have protective felt pads added, lightbulbs of the right temperature and brightness are placed into lamps. Books are arranged on shelves, linens are pressed, and accessories are styled. (White gloves themselves aren’t actually worn… I wish.)
There’s no need for my clients to hire a handyman: I line up and personally oversee electricians, art handlers, and window treatment professionals. I ensure discretion of my clients’ privacy and security of their personal belongings.
Before any installer leaves, all packing materials and waste are removed, so the client’s home looks spotless.
When my clients return to their newly designed space, it should be properly “turnkey,” with all items in place and ready for use. Now there should be the big “WOW” factor!
Full service interior design should feel luxurious
Time & Place Interiors offers residential interior design services for discerning New Yorkers who seek both a beautiful space and personalized, discreet, and effortless service. Founder Ksenya Malina brings her blended background in art and business to manage projects that are not only designed creatively but also run efficiently. Use the link below to schedule a free 20-minute information call with Ksenya to discuss design possibilities for your own space:
