Over the years I’ve seen some pretty amazing transformations take place in clients’ homes, largely because of the painters who changed the entire mood of the space with a well-applied change of color.
While designers work very hard towards making those transformations occur in a timely manner, at an affordable cost and without hiccups, sometimes the client is their own worst enemy. Most of you will hire a professional painter at some point in your lives, if you haven’t already.
To make the painting process as smooth as possible I have asked Lezely Lynch of Edmond, one of the painters I recommend for my clients, to share some of the things she wishes you knew– BEFORE you hire her:
“One BIG thing is that just because a room is smaller or has less wall space does not mean it will be less work for the contractor and therefore less expensive. Kitchens and bathrooms are always more labor for the painter due to so many objects to cut in around (cabinets, windows, mirrors mounted directly to the wall, doors, appliances, etc.).
Also, you would be amazed at how many times I have shown up for a job that was scheduled well in advance just to find that nothing has been removed from the walls and all of the furniture is still up against the walls! I’m not a mover and I don’t account for having to move your stuff when I figure up the bid…this is YOUR job to have it all out of the way before I arrive. I should not have to be responsible for moving your heavy, priceless, irreplaceable antique that Aunt Maude left to you, nor should I be responsible for any damages that occur to your things when I have to move them myself.”
She adds, “The clients need to be present when the paint first starts going up on the walls so that they can tell how it looks in their particular room/environment. This is also crucial when having a faux finish applied. Don’t be afraid to tell me you don’t like it. I would rather deal with helping you choose another color before I get the whole room painted than to get a phone call days after the project is completed telling me that you don’t like the color. Yes I will gladly re-paint it…no you will not receive a discount. It will be just as much work for me to paint it the second time as it was the first time. Why should I take the hit? This is YOUR responsibility.
When working through a designer there is more room for miscommunication due to the middle-man. Please communicate with BOTH of us directly so that there will be no misunderstandings. You want this job to go smoothly, the designer wants this job to go smoothly, and I certainly want this job to go smoothly. We are all working towards the same goal, so please keep me in the loop and don’t expect that your designer (no matter how good or experienced) will pick up on every single little nuance and relate it to back to me. You and your designer call the shots, but don’t underestimate the knowledge that I have accrued over the years. It can benefit all of us. “
Lezley Lynch Designs | 405.550.3970
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