Okay, so I had a bit of a temper tantrum. My husband calmed me down and helped me realize that a professional, as arrogant as they may be, would be very important in our project. We had to get it right, and we had to do it on a tight budget. An architect would be crucial in achieving that.
That was the rational, at least...
We eagerly awaited some of the architect's drawings and were finally called for a meeting about two weeks later. As we sat at the table, I began to wonder if what I was seeing was a joke of some kind.
There were about 5 proposals, one more hideous than the other. My husband and I have since buckled over laughing at dinner parties over some.
Just to describe a few of the brilliant ideas...
1. As you entered my house there was a floor to ceiling window that didnt have a view but provided substantial light. That window was designed to be closed and new walls put up to create a 1meter x 60cm 'room' for my beloved dog Eva. Why not just lock her in the closet?
2. A second bathroom to be placed in the current hallway requiring us to walk through the bathroom to enter the bedroom and vice versa.
3. Our favourite, the second bathroom located directly next to the 1st bathroom with neither having direct access to a bedroom. This one was the most tragic as it happens to be the architect's M.O. We went to a friends house he designed and they have two bathrooms one next to the other, and neither attached to a bedroom. If that were not bad enough, both bathrooms are on the other side of the house relative to the bedrooms. They have been in the house for less than a year and are already making plans for a new remodel...GET THIS...to bring the house back to its original design. They say the new floor plan is unlivable. WoW.
So needless to say, my husband and I decided NOT to continue working with this architect. We told him that we didn't believe that he shared our vision. Because he was a family friend we offered to pay him for his time up until that point. BIG MISTAKE. He sent us an invoice for 8,000 euro!!!!
Fortunately my husband is a lawyer and we were able to do the calculations of what we owed him based on the Italian standard of pay for labor and we calculated that he was entitled to 500 euro. BIG DIFFERENCE!!! We contacted the architect and brought all of the relevant documents and informed him that we were under no circumstances whatsoever going to pay him 8,000 euro for his work and that it has a market value of only 500 euro. He was offended and said he would rather take nothing than 500 euro for his work. That was fine by me...Haven't seen or heard form him since.
Let that be a lesson.
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I would be happy to add you. Can you tell me a little more about yourself? Also, what link I can share with others that they can benefit also benefit from?
Thanks MADS.
Retainers. Well, I have a lot to say about designing without benefit of a retainer. A smart architect would have shown you his work via a portfolio and also invited you with "in home visits" to jobs completed. Because Design is so personal and it requires a shared vision between client and architect or client and designer, it is in the best interest of the design professional to show client's their body of work. If you hire Richard Meier as your architect, you know you are going to be getting all white walls.
Once you know the capabilities of your architect, it becomes much easier to sign off on a retainer. In essence, you know what you are getting, you "got to dig it"! If you can not relate to his work that he has shown you, then don't waste your time waiting for drawings. It just creates bad vibes when you are disappointed with what he has furnished, you just lost time waiting, and he hands you a big bill. I can't speak to his amount he is asking for, but I could never invest "drawing time" for a "potential client" without benefit of a retainer. It is not a productive use of time for either professional or client. By the time the client is done seeing my product and my body of work, and I am handing them my retainer fee, I know that (as Sally Field said in her acceptance speech, "You like me, you really like me!"
For example, I absolutely adore Kenneth Brown's body of work. Amazing, talented Interior Designer! His style resonates with me so personally, that I could move into any of the homes he has designed and feel absolutely at home. That's when you know, putting down a retainer is worth it, for a designer to develop a home of your dreams.
I agree with you 100% And we are at fault for just jumping into working with him as well. But this guy was a piece of work. Aside from the fact that he wanted to be paid under the table for all his work, we had already agreed to design a project with materials to be no more than 20,000 euro. His plan called for materials at about 50,000 euro. He did this to increase his percentage by increasing the overall cost of the project. He also purposely filed our house as 'High noble' when it is only 'Low noble' to also increase his percentage (architects are entitled to higher percentages based on the importance of the property. I dont know if it is the same in the States).
And honestly, if you did drawings for a client and then they suddenly decided to not work with you (ie not pay you), would you just walk away and never contact those clients again for payment? No, you would insist that there was an agreement and you did your part so they should do theirs. This guy didnt even bother to contact us again because he know he was wrong.
Fortunately my husband is a lawyer and we were able to catch all these things before they blew up.
This points up the common problem about hiring a professional:
Many people don't know how to do the research, and only find out when they are already IN the relationship that they do not LIKE the person or their work.
Better to learn about researching pros and take the time to do the interviews and look at work BEFORE calling a meeting.
Here's a guide:
http://www.kitchenartworks.com/remodeling.htm
Peggy
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