A Guide to Purchasing Furniture & Decor through Alyssa Designs & Co.

When it comes to starting a design project, many people have questions about how the process works, especially if they've never worked with a designer before. At Alyssa Designs & Co., we want to provide you with a step-by-step understanding of how we handle the selection and purchasing of furniture and decor for our clients. It's important to have this knowledge before starting a design project, as most of the products we offer are customized in some way, making the ordering process a bit more intricate than simply placing a phone order or shopping online.

Getting Quotes:

If you come into the Alcove Interiors studio, we help customers find furniture from our top vendors, and can often show you catalogs ad fabric samples in the studio to help your decision making process. For Alyssa Designs & Co. full design clients- we work collaboratively to choose every element of your design project together - based on budget, style, dimensions, and performance.

Once all the selections and designs are finalized, we reach out to our furniture vendors to confirm pricing for the furniture items you have selected. While we are mindful of pricing throughout the design process because we know our vendor’s furniture inside and out- this final pricing quote is the most accurate. To initiate the ordering process, we require full payment from our clients for the items. Since many items are custom and vendors usually require upfront payment, we need payment in full to proceed. Since we have accounts directly with our vendors, we are able to offer our clients competitive pricing. Our goal is to always get your price to 25-30% BELOW full retail!

Payment Process:

We want to assure you that nothing is ordered until we have received payment for the specific item, and the payment has been successfully processed in our account. For example, if you pay via credit card, it might take 2-3 days for the transaction to be completed. Once the payment is received and processed, we will initiate the ordering process for your selected items.

Freight, Delivery & Installation:

We order furniture directly from our manufacturers, and it is shipped to our local warehouse. We partner with an insured receiver in Grand Rapids that has the necessary equipment and manpower to handle receiving, warehousing, delivery, and installation. This is a standard practice among designers, and a key component in providing our clients with a white glove experience.

Upon the arrival of your furniture piece, our receiver inspects it for any damages. We are notified with a picture and a report that all is in good order, and then we store the item until the rest of your furnishings are ready. The cost of receiving and storage, as well as delivery and installation is included in your invoice for the product(s). Additionally, we estimate freight or shipping charges based on our experience with vendors, and this is also included in your product invoice.

Comparative Pricing:

We understand that some of the products we offer through Alyssa Designs & Co. may also be available from online retailers (though this is very rare!). While we strive to remain competitive with these retailers, it's important to note that they often have greater buying power than residential designers, so their prices may be lower. On a case-by-case basis- we will work with clients to ensure the best pricing is offered for your project; internet sourced products will be the responsibility of the client and will not be invoiced through Alyssa Designs & Co.

Custom Products:

At Alyssa Designs & Co., many of the items we offer involve some level of customization. For upholstery, we carefully hand-select fabrics that will work best for your project, allowing us to customize details such as trim options and finishes. We have trusted sources for upholstery that ensure great construction. Window treatments are always custom, and we either take measurements ourselves or involve a professional installer. We provide detailed quotes that encompass all the necessary elements, including fabric, labor, hardware, and more. Casegoods, such as cabinets and tables, often come with various options for finishes or details, and customizing these pieces may extend the delivery time.

Lead Times:

It's important to understand that lead times vary from one manufacturer to another, and unfortunately, we have no control over them. However, we can check stock availability before placing an order. If an item happens to be out of stock, it may take longer to receive than initially expected. When we provide you with an estimated time frame, we are relaying the information provided to us by the manufacturer. Freight routes to Grand Rapids are much less frequent than Amazon Prime- and we do our best to anticipate the schedule, though we have no control once your orders are placed.

Buy It Yourself:

While we strive to offer competitive prices, there may be instances where we can't match the prices offered by other retailers. We kindly request that if you choose to purchase items from another source, you inform us as soon as possible to avoid unnecessary efforts in searching for sources and obtaining quotes. It's important to note that if clients decide to buy products themselves, we assume no responsibility for the purchase, procurement, returns, damages, or any other aspect related to those items.

At Alyssa Designs & Co., our goal is to provide you with a smooth and transparent experience when it comes to purchasing furniture and decor for your project. We value your trust and aim to make the process as straightforward and enjoyable as possible. Should you have more questions, please feel free to reach out to our team. We are here for you!

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