paulina carcach studio

We suggest hiring an interior designer before or around the time of hiring an architect, builder or general contractor. Knowledgeable designers are able to enhance the project and ensure that you receive the end result that is in your dreams. It's best to have all contacts on board from the start. We’re here to guide you and be your advocate through the process. Think of us as your trusted advisors, acting on your behalf, to guide you through making all of the design decisions required to build or redesign your home. We draw upon the relationships we’ve cultivated with multiple architects and builders over the years and help select the right team for your project.

Our team is your unbiased expert resource - your advocate who is the contact between all your various services: architect, builder, contractors, and trades people. We communicate the information on the who, what, where and how of your home to the appropriate parties.

With a designer on board, you will have someone taking charge of all the decisions, someone who knows exactly how all of the pieces in your project puzzle impacts the next, and someone who can, and will, take all those pieces and create a home that is breathtaking in every way.

During the discover in Step 2 we center you in the discovery process, learning about your likes, dis-likes, loves and aspirations, as we begin exploring what your space can become. Because we want to get to know you on a deep and intimate level. To get there, we set up meetings with the intention of establishing direction through inspirational elements. In those meetings, we ask many questions and listen deeply to your answers–because your answers tell us who you are, and what you care about. Your answers tell us what you love, what’s sentimental to you, and what you want to express about yourself.

That’s generally not part of the equation when we work with clients. Our experience has shown us that the key idea of working with an interior designer is to have one person steering the ship. This lets the original design vision be executed seamlessly, effectively and in a way that is truly service oriented for the client.

It’s tempting to do your own shopping to save money, but in the end, we find that it costs our clients in scale and quality mistakes which means that they end up buying items twice and experiencing frustration from the extra costs. If you prefer to do your own purchasing, we may not be the right designer for you as we offer full interior design services.

If you want to do your own purchasing, that is fine as long as we know that prior to beginning the project. We ask that you show us your selections before purchasing, and if we don’t believe the item fits, we’ll let you know. You are responsible for delivery, installation, freight damages and time spent coordinating all of the services.

The budget is where the realistic picture of your project begins, and we won’t start a project without one. A budget is a map that shows us how we can do the best job for you. We will walk you through the process of budgeting based on our extensive experience with interior design. We find that our clients may know how much they want to invest, but may not know what is a reasonable budget for furnishings and fees for a project like yours. We guide you through this process. What you choose to invest in is your choice. Our goal is to work within your investment range with a reasonable scope-of-work.

Communication is everything. Expect status updates and progress reports regularly. Our weekly memos allow us to share information in an organized fashion so you have the project status information available at-a-glance. For high-profile clients who prefer only to be involved in the “big picture” ideas, our firm works closely with your Management Team, or Relocation Specialists to streamline the process of collaboration.

Each project will vary based on the individual scope of work. For interior decoration and minor renovations, the general timeline for project completion is approximately nine to fifteen months from the initial Design Consultation to the Big Reveal. New construction and extensive renovation projects may take one to two years to build.

We are based in San Francisco, California and we work with clients in the San Francisco Bay Area, Nationwide and Internationally.

We elevate your ideas - through our lens - to a level beyond your expectations and imagination. We don't assign a cookie-cutter look because each client has different tastes and different requirements for the lifestyle they envision. Not every item specified needs to be custom or one-of-a-kind – but we believe a few key pieces should be made especially for your home. We provide the guidance required to allocate your design dollars wisely and strike a balance of ready-made and custom designs based on your needs, wants, and wishes.

That's fantastic! We love reusing or re-purposing pieces you already own and love. We'll take inventory of the furnishings and art in your collection and factor these items into our new design plan. Then, we supplement the design with new furniture and accessories in order to create a home which truly reflects you and your family.