Downs Design Group, Inc.
3 employees
19 years in business
About this pro
Our core values keep us focused on whats most important to our clients whether they are designing or staging a space.
Our process is detailed and streamlined so we can move through the process as quickly or slowly as needed by out clients. We respect our cleints budgets and help them how to best value engineer their project without compromsing function or creativity. We are happy to talk over the phone or come out and meet with you in your space. If your going to invest money into the process and the desifgn materials you should have a firm that can truely guide you through the process, the design tools you'll receive with your design plan and how to implement and procrue those design elements.
We enjoy the people, the creativity and the process of transforming a space. There are a lot of details in every design whether its one room or one office building and we pride ourselves in leading the process and giving our clients the confiedence to have exactly what they want within the budget they have to work with. We have been doing residential, commercial, retail and hospiatlty for nearly 20 years and it never gets old - we love it because every project is different and new!
see our work at www.downsdesigngroup.com
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Credentials
San Francisco, CA 94124
Email verified
Phone verified
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oey Lang from Downs Design Group helped us transform our 1951 San Francisco house into a cozy, comfortable retreat that we wanted all along. Joey helped us pick the furniture, floor and wall surfacing materials, paint, and accessories throughout a three-bedroom, 2000 sq ft house. Joey is really great with details and he has an amazing eye for the design. Working with him was easy, and although it took a while for the entire project to complete (about 9 months), we couldn't be happier with the result. Joey was also great about incorporating low cost items or our existing furniture, where budget did not allow for higher end items. Early on, in the project, Joey clearly understood the color and the style we were going for, so the items that he was proposing usually were right on spot. If you are looking for a designer, no matter if the project is big or small, I would highly recommend Downs Design Group's services.
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FAQs
What is your typical process for working with a new customer?
Meet and analysis the space and define the SOW - scope of work
Provide a fixed cost based on work to be done and deliverables for the design
Set up the digital portal used for communication example:https://downsdesigngroup.com/clients/sample-portal
Define meeting schedule
start time-line
perform field measure for areas being designed
have programming meeting to determine use and client style preferences
define budget / go through budget development process if client is unsure of what design elements could cost
send out status updates via portal every two weeks
provide clear and completely transparant costs
What education and/or training do you have that relates to your work?
bachelor of fine arts (BFA)
Interior Architecture & Design
Academy of Art University
San Francisco, CA • Fall 2006
Bachelor of arts (BA)
Fine Art – Emphasis in 3-Dimensional Design
Notre Dame de Namur University
Belmont, CA • 1990
Do you have a standard pricing system for your services? If so, please share the details here.
A cost estimating sheet along with a client approved SOW is used to come up with an exact finite cost based on work needed for the design fee. The materials are a cost plus a percentage.
How did you get started in this business?
Have always had an interest in Architecture and design and have been around it my entire life.
What types of customers have you worked with?
All types. Good design is really more like insurance. If you are going to invest money in your home making mistakes can cost a lot. We not only keep you from making decisions that are dated but we help you evaluate other trades needed to implement the entire vision. We do consulting to complete turnkey designs in both the residential areas of paint decore and wall paper to KIT/BATH design and/or just specification for the the contractor. We also do commercial office spaces up to 100,000 square feet.
Describe a recent event you are fond of.
I personally love cars and was able to attend the Mecum's auction down in peable beach. My first design love was 3-D design for autos.
What advice would you give a customer looking to hire a pro in your area of expertise?
I would say really scrutinize their flexibility to adapt to how you would like your services provided with regards to creative ideas you are currently liking. Understand the procurement process and all the details of it and how many revisions you get before being asked for additional design fees. Also, get a good understanding for parts of the process that can be frustrating to clients with regards to end of life schedules for products, post install warranty support and overall functionality of the proposed design & the materials being specified for the design. A good designer not only listens but can guide clients through the process to show them what I like to say is "A more successful way" In addition their staff should have a can do attitude as well.
What questions should customers think through before talking to pros about their needs?
Look through catalogs and websites to get a feel for what things might cost. Remember that the sources we use should be able to customize pieces to get a more unique look, feel and sit for furniture. There are many sites that can provide limited assistance - and that may be all you need but online services are not giving you the 1:1 thats necessary. A good room design may have 30 different design elements from 30 vendors and each one of those elements can take 20 steps to get them from a bid to installed. If you miss something from an online or automated service you may just end up eating that cost or spending hours to get it rectified. A designer is your advocate and your guide and should be able to show you more than you can get from a catalog and safe guard you from mistakes that waste your time.