Finishing Touches

“A couple of years ago we implemented a fairly unusual clause in our contract meant to solve one of the most frustrating design issues we run across: final-stage accessorizing and styling. I generally like a minimal amount of accessories and objets d’art in our projects, and I want what little is there to have some special design or personal significance to the client. But by the end of projects, clients are often fatigued. Good accessories often come at a price, and it can be a hard sell to ask a client for another five figures to buy them right at the time they are expecting things to wind down. Additionally, it puts a lot of stress on us as designers to thoughtfully select these objets for an entire house in a matter of weeks. In an effort to solve this problem, we restructured the way we think about our retainer. Before this, it was fairly insignificant relative to the project’s overall cost. It acted more as a ceremonial exchange to formalize the official start of the project. The new clause significantly increases it (the amount varies in proportion to the size and budget of the project)—the retainer now acts as a bank of funds that allows us to source accessories throughout the project. Sometimes clients get a little bit of sticker shock upfront, but I think this change in our contract has significantly improved the quality of our finished projects in addition to reducing stress around the office.” —Joshua Rice, Joshua Rice Design, Dallas

https://businessofhome.com/articles/what-unique-clauses-do-you-have-in-your-contract

Photography: Lacey Land