Onsite Install Updates on our France Project
Ever wondered what an interior design install on a project actually looks like?
I’ve always been interested to hear how other interior designers do it, so I thought I’d walk you through our France Project install and how it’s all happened so far.
We’ve been working on this project for the last 18 months, so after a lot of hard work, mood boards and drawings, sourcing and placing furniture orders as well as looking for appropriate accessories, the time has finally come to have everything delivered to the project address and begin the installation. It’s not quite that simple though, and certainly not simple when installing in a different country.
The design aesthetic for this project was “Beachy, Minimalist with a hint of Luxury”. The client would not mind me saying that she is totally obsessed with RH – a brand that has only recently come over to the UK but is absolutely perfect for creating her dream interior design style. Because they have only just launched in the UK, the prices are quite high, and you can get the product much cheaper from the US where the brand originates.
the design aesthetic for the project was beachy, minimalist with a hint of luxury and a very neutral colour palette
With a lot of land surrounded by sea and “beachy” locations within the US, the product sold in interior stores over there is very reflective of the beachy design style. So combining the cheaper prices of RH with other interior stores that sold the exact style of furniture we were looking for, we decided to ship half of the items for the project from the US to France.
The other half of items for the project were then from the UK or businesses within Europe that sell within the UK. We also worked with our cabinetry makers to make bespoke bedside tables and a bespoke TV unit, along with re-finishing three off-the-shelf products to suit the design style and colouring better.
So starting the installation, we had two deliveries, one shipping from the UK, and the other shipping from the US, both arriving in France on different weeks. The UK delivery was held by a bespoke shipping company, allowing the delivery of each item to happen as and when it needed to, checked and stored until it was ready to go. This company then drove it all over to France in one go and unpacked and installed everything they had.
The same happened within the US. The US delivery was held by a bespoke shipping company, also allowing the delivery of each item to happen when it needed to. With them also checking and storing until ready to go. They then packed this onto a vessel and passed us over to another company that dealt with everything from the France side.
The French team took over, passed the items through customs, returned the container to the port and then we moved to a second French team to actually collect the items, deliver them to the project address, unpack and install.
Fully furnishing and accessorising a three-bed duplex apartment comes with a lot of items, which is why we decided to organise for two separate deliveries to site. That and with vessel delays and customs clearance taking an unknown length of time, it would have been absolutely impossible to ensure everything arrived at the same time. So we didn’t even try to make it happen!
installing is far from glamorous, with blistered feet, broken nails and sweat running down my back for most of the day
Now four days into the install, we finally have all the big items of furniture in, certain accessories mounted and placed. It’s taken a lot of hard work – a serious number of people installing and a very patient client. But to see a project coming together that has been in the making for such a long time, is a feeling like no other.
It’s been far from glamorous, with blistered feet, broken nails and sweat running down my back for most of the day, but the hardest part is now done and the next bit will look much more like the styling and installing you see on Instagram.
There have been built-in cabinetry delays, so we’ll return shortly to finally place all of the smaller items, dress the kitchen, shelves, bar units and bedroom cabinetry. Remove all of the plastic packaging and turn this project into a home.
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I look forward to speaking to you soon,
