We are so happy you are considering working with jabreconcept Design studio we believe clear
communication and your direct
involvement in the design are the cornerstones of a great working relationship. In that spirit, here
are a few FAQs about the design
process.
Yes, for new, qualified clients.
We are a full-service interior design firm expertly managing the process from concept to
installation. We specialize in both residential and commercial design projects. If you
are building a new home, we can work with the architect and/or contractor. We also offer
paid consultations.
Simply contact one of our offices to set up an initial consultation. During this meeting
we will discuss your budget, your design needs. We will ask questions regarding
yourself, your family, your preferences, household habits and hobbies, functional needs,
and desired outcome for your home. All of this will lead us down the right path in
defining your unique style. Our goal for every project is to realize the vision of the
homeowner.
– Beirut-Lebanon
Block M – 4th floor, Weygand Street, Beirut Souks.
South Down Town, Beirut, Lebanon.
– Paris-France
15 rue Clément Marot, 75008 Paris. France. (By appointment only)
– United Arab Emirates
jabreconcept - F.Z.E.
Office-C1-318 J-3rd floor AFZ. (By appointment only).
Our Beirut office is open Monday – Friday 8:00 am to 5:00 pm.
Our Paris-France office is (by appointment only).
Our United Arab Emirates office is (by appointment only).
Reviewing any inspiration images that you have collected, such as from magazines or
internet websites, will help us further uncover your style and direction. It might also
be a good idea to have some pictures of styles you do not like, so our designers know
what to stay away from during your interior design project.
We do not have a minimum project size.
We will create and maintain an Excel spreadsheet of your budget upon request. The budget
will include furnishings separated by room, and monthly design time fees.
Most interior design projects will take anywhere from 3–6 months depending on the size.
If you are on a tight timeline, we will do everything in our power to complete your home
as quickly as possible, but please let us know at the beginning of the process. Because
custom furniture is often built-to-order, items can take anywhere from 6 to 12 weeks to
arrive (sometimes more, sometimes less). Our vendors appreciate knowing in advance that
this will be a rush job and can sometimes accommodate our schedule, but please note that
rush charges will apply. By scheduling frequent meetings with your designer and making
decisions quickly, you can also speed the process along. Most interior design projects
will take anywhere from 3–6 months depending on the size.
Each project is unique. The first step is to setup the initial consultation, so we can
discuss exactly what you are looking for and see if we can help. We will gather all
necessary information to be able to define your style.
Over a series of meetings, we will take what we’ve learned about you and your style and
turn it into a thoughtful design for your home. We will present you with furniture plans
and color palettes to ponder, fabrics and materials to touch and see in your space, and
images of furniture and lighting we’ve thoughtfully selected specifically for your home.
If desired, we will create photo-realistic renderings with our selections so that you
can truly visualize your space before making any final decisions. We generally present
one or two rooms at each meeting, if the construction schedule allows, and we will
always discuss pricing of items along the way. We take your budget seriously and work
hard to balance special, splurge-worthy pieces with every day, cost-conscious items.
Depending on the scope of your project and the timeliness of your decision-making, this
phase can take a couple of weeks (for one or two rooms) to a few months or more (for a
full-scale design or remodel). Your feedback is vital during this phase so that we can
be sure we are expertly translating your style into the perfectly designed home of your
dreams.
Sit back, relax and let us handle this phase of your project! We will manage all of the
orders for your furniture, rugs, lighting, and window treatments, and make sure
everything arrives on schedule, in the correct finish and size, and undamaged. We keep
track of everything going into your new space with a project binder organized by room,
which includes: floor plans and drawings; images and renderings; paint, lighting, finish
and plumbing schedules (i.e. spreadsheets listing the specifications of permanent
elements in your home); copies of all proposals and fabric samples; and anything else
pertinent to your project. We can prepare a binder for your own reference if you desire.
If your interior design project has a remodeling or new build component, we stay in
constant contact with the contractors and frequently visit the job site to ensure work
is progressing on schedule and that our designs are being built as intended. We share
all of our paint, lighting, finish and plumbing schedules with the contractors, so they
know exactly what is going where. To make sure that our design intent is clearly
communicated, we provide the contractors with detailed construction drawings such as
cabinetry layouts, lighting plans, bathroom layouts, and fireplace design. If desired,
we can assist you in reviewing contractor bids to ensure accuracy and fair pricing.
Throughout this phase of the project, we will check-in with you often to address any
questions or concerns.
This is our favorite part of any project. We aim to provide a special “reveal” of a
newly designed home to our clients.
Ideally, you will spend the day with your feet up at an off-site location while we
manage the delivery and installation of all of your items into your home. We will style
your shelves, hang art, bring flowers and accessories, and have your home photo-ready
when you walk in your front door.
Before we conclude our time together, we do a final walk-through and prepare a list of
any remaining items needing attention, and we will discuss the care and maintenance of
your new finishes and furnishings. While we expect you will be thrilled with your new
space, if anything is not what you had expected, we will fix it to the best of our
ability.
Custom furniture is built-to-order, which means it can often be sized to our specific
needs, and we can choose our own finishes and fabrics.
When we build a color scheme for your home, we usually start with the fabric, with
emphasis on the upholstery pieces. Your designer will bring you lots of great fabric
swatches to choose from, as well as photos of the upholstery pieces we are suggesting.
Once furniture and fabrics are selected and ordered, the fabric is shipped directly to
the furniture manufacturer and applied to the selected item. With retail or in-stock
furniture, the fabric has already been chosen by the store and applied to the frame, and
size and finish options are limited. As a result, retail doesn’t offer the same unique
look or personal feel we might be trying to achieve.
We promise not to take it personally! Please just tell us what you don’t like and why,
and we will fix it at no charge whenever possible. It does take a little extra time at
the beginning of the design process to get to know your taste. If you are having trouble
visualizing the final outcome of your home, we can do photorealistic 3-D renderings.
These really let you “try before you buy.” We aim to make our clients very happy.
We utilize a wide and varied group of antiques dealers, to-the-trade-only showrooms,
local workrooms, and retail. It is entirely up to you whether you would like to see
items in person. Many of our clients never see the furniture until it shows up in their
home. Just let your designer know your preference.
“Shipping” (or freight) charges are incurred when an item travels from the manufacturer
to our receiving warehouse. Under the umbrella of “shipping” fees are “crating” fees
that are sometimes incurred for items that must be packed into wooden crates to be
shipped safely. “Delivery” charges are incurred when the delivery team brings the
completed items from our receiving warehouse and places them in your home.
Generally, you can anticipate about 10-15% of your total budget allocated to freight,
shipping, crating, and delivery costs.
It is not always possible to accurately quote freight or shipping costs before an item
is ordered. Most likely we had not charged you for freight or shipping yet. If there is
a new charge related to the item, the invoice will say “upcharge” with an explanation.
We make every effort to focus our time on activities that are mission-critical to
getting your home completed on schedule and to your desired outcome. On monthly time
billing invoices, we clearly detail by date what room and what item within that room we
are working on, but if it seems we’ve gotten off course, your designer will be happy to
discuss options with you. The hours spent on your project will be higher in the very
beginning (during the design and ordering phases) and at the very end (during the
shipping and installation phases). You can keep hours down by making decisions quickly
and avoiding making changes to items already selected. Please speak to your designer or
Melanie if you have any concerns.
While every project is different, after over a decade in business, we can give you an
accurate estimate of what you will need to spend to achieve your desired outcome. We
will also work with you to create and stick to a budget based on your project’s scope of
work. Some things to consider when creating a budget include how involved in the design
process you want to be, how quickly you can make decisions, and if pursuing a remodel,
how involved in project management you would like us to be.
We do not have a standard mark-up. Instead, we make sure that our prices are never above
the retail cost, that they are fair to you as our client, and that they fit your budget.