Stokes Kennedy Design
Your Investment
Explained.
A Complete Guide to What You're Paying For — and Why
We believe transparency is its own form of luxury. Before you commit, you deserve to understand every line of your investment — what it covers, why it's structured the way it is, and what you receive in return.
Where It Begins
Two Conversations.
One Clear Path Forward.
Getting to know each other happens in two steps. First, a brief virtual call to confirm we're worth each other's time. Then, a substantive working consultation in your space — where the real work begins and you leave with a complete picture of your project.
01
First Step
Virtual Discovery Call
Fee
Complimentary
15 Minutes · Virtual
A focused 15-minute video call with SK — no pressure, no pitch. This is a mutual fit conversation. We confirm that your project scope aligns with SKD's model, that your budget is in the right range, and that the working relationship makes sense. If it does, we schedule your full consultation. If it doesn't, we'll say so directly and point you in the right direction.
🎯
Scope Check
We confirm your project is a full renovation, new build, or full furnishings project — the only scope SKD accepts.
💰
Budget Alignment
We confirm your investment range. If it's not aligned with SKD's minimums, we'll tell you clearly and respectfully.
🤝
Mutual Fit
We are selective about who we work with. This call gives both of us the chance to decide if we want to move forward.
Then
02
Second Step
Design Consultation
Consultation Fee
$300
90 Minutes Minimum · In Person · On-Site
This is a working session, not a presentation. SK comes to your space, walks every room, takes photographs and measurements, and has a real conversation with you about what's possible. You'll leave with a clear sense of direction — and within a defined timeframe, you'll receive a comprehensive proposal detailing exactly what SKD can do for your space and your budget.
📐
Space Review & Measurement
SK walks every room in scope, takes detailed measurements, and photographs existing conditions. This becomes the foundation of your design.
🏛
Architectural Assessment
We assess what's working, what isn't, and what's possible — including structural opportunities and constraints.
💡
Initial Design Direction
SK shares initial ideas, spatial concepts, and directional thinking for your space. Nothing is set in stone — this is the beginning of the conversation, not the end.
🎨
Aesthetic Discovery
We discuss your taste, your reference points, what you love and what you'd never live with. This shapes the design direction before a single board is built.
💰
Honest Budget Conversation
We talk through what your budget can realistically achieve and where SKD's process fits within it. No vague answers — real numbers.
📋
Scope & Timeline Preview
We give you a preliminary sense of project phases, timeline, and what the full engagement would look like.
What You Receive After the Consultation
Following your on-site visit, SKD prepares and delivers a comprehensive project proposal and investment package — a curated document covering the design direction we'd take, an honest breakdown of your investment across all phases, what your budget can achieve, and a clear path to moving forward. This is a real deliverable, not a brochure.
Is the $300 Applied to My Project?
Yes. Your $300 consultation fee is credited in full toward your Phase 1 design fee when you move forward with SKD. It is not a separate cost — it is the beginning of your investment. Given the scope of a full SKD engagement, it is also the smallest line on your proposal. What it buys before that is SK's time in your space, a thorough site assessment, and a complete written proposal outlining exactly what your project could be.
01
Phase One
Concept & Design
This is where your space is born on paper — and where every detail is resolved before a single wall is touched or a single order is placed. Phase 1 is thorough, methodical, and non-negotiable in its structure. The consistency of this process is exactly why the outcome is so reliable.
Billing Method
Flat Rate per Square Foot
Why Flat Rate?
Same process. Same standard. Every client.
Design Fee
Residential Full DesignPer square foot of designed space. Covers the complete two-part design process from discovery through finalized design presentation.
$12 – $18per sq ft
Commercial Full DesignIncludes brand alignment, traffic flow analysis, and commercial code review in addition to full design development.
$15 – $22per sq ft
Revisions to Locked SegmentsOnce a design segment is approved and locked, reopening it requires a signed revision authorization.
$175per hour
Why Flat Rate?
Our design process does not change based on who you are or how complex your taste is. Every client receives the same rigorous process across 3–5 progressive design segments. Because the service is consistent, the fee is consistent. You are not penalized for having a refined vision, and you are not subsidizing someone else's simpler project. The flat rate is the fairest structure we know.
How Phase 1 Is Structured
I
Part One — Design Direction
Layout, Concepts & Budget Plan
The first half of Phase 1 is about establishing direction. We develop space plans and layout concepts, explore the design narrative for your home, and build a clear budget plan aligned to your approved investment. Every decision made here sets the foundation for everything that follows. You approve and lock each segment before we advance.
→Space planning & layout concepts across all rooms in scope
→Design narrative and aesthetic direction established
→Preliminary budget plan aligned to your approved project investment
→Segment-by-segment approvals — nothing advances without your sign-off
Then
II
Part Two — Design Development
Materials, Furnishings & Build Details
With direction confirmed, we move into full specification. Every material, finish, fixture, furniture piece, and build detail is sourced, selected, and documented. This is where your design becomes a complete, actionable plan — ready for construction and procurement the moment you approve it.
→All materials and finishes sourced and specified (tile, stone, flooring, paint, wallcovering, hardware)
→Full furniture and furnishings plan — every piece in every room
→Fixtures, lighting, and plumbing selections documented
→Custom millwork and build details drawn and specified
→Complete design package prepared for construction and procurement
Final Deliverable — What You Receive at Presentation
Phase 1 concludes with your Design Presentation Meeting — a formal review of the completed design package. Your final deliverable includes: a Finalized Design for every room in scope, a complete Material & Furniture Specification document, and a General Project Plan outlining scope, sequencing, and the path into Phase 2. This is a complete, actionable design — not a mood board.
Phase 1 Payment Schedule
At Signing
Due before design work begins
60%
60% of your Phase 1 design fee is due upon execution of your Service Agreement. Work begins immediately upon receipt.
Within 60 Days · Before Design Presentation
Due before or at Design Presentation Meeting
40%
The remaining 40% is due within 60 days of project commencement — at or before your Design Presentation Meeting. This meeting marks the delivery of your completed design package.
Non-Refundable After Presentation
Following your Design Presentation Meeting, Phase 1 fees are non-refundable in full. This protects the significant creative work already invested in your project — weeks of design development, sourcing, specification, and professional expertise that exists only because of your engagement.
02
Phase Two
Construction & Procurement
Phase 2 is where the design becomes real. SKD takes the field — coordinating every contractor, managing every order, overseeing every delivery, and protecting your project from the chaos that derails most renovations. These two parallel tracks run simultaneously, each demanding the same level of precision and care.
Billing Method
Hourly
Why Hourly?
Time is the variable. You pay for exactly what your project requires.
Phase 2 Rates
Construction Management (Residential)All on-site oversight, contractor coordination, design management, and client communication.
$175per hour
Construction Management (Commercial)Intensified coordination, code compliance oversight, phased occupancy planning, and trade sequencing.
$225per hour
Procurement Coordination (Residential)All ordering, receiving, quality inspection, storage coordination, and vendor management.
$95per hour
Procurement Coordination (Commercial)Commercial-grade sourcing, bulk order management, trade pricing negotiations, and FF&E tracking.
$125per hour
Why Hourly for Phase 2?
Construction is unpredictable by nature. A renovation that takes 12 weeks on one project may take 20 on another — not because of poor planning, but because of the realities of contractors, supply chains, and site conditions. The hourly model means your fee reflects your actual project. You are billed monthly with a detailed time report so you always know exactly where your investment is going.
How Phase 2 Is Structured
I
Part One — Construction Management
Present. Collaborative. On Track.
SKD works closely alongside your general contractor throughout the build — receiving regular progress updates, making consistent site visits, and keeping the design vision aligned with what's happening in the field. Our role is collaborative by design: we are the bridge between the construction team and the finished space you approved in Phase 1.
→Regular site visits & progress reviews. SK makes consistent visits to the job site to review progress, verify work against the design plan, and maintain alignment between construction and the approved design.
→Contractor communication & updates. We work alongside your contractor, receiving regular updates as needed and staying informed on progress so nothing falls through the cracks between visits.
→Design oversight & field guidance. When conditions in the field require a design decision, SKD provides direction to keep the project moving — documented and communicated to you.
→Plan updates & change documentation. Any scope change, substitution, or field revision is documented in writing and communicated to you. Nothing changes without your awareness and approval.
→Budget tracking. We monitor spend against your approved budget and flag any meaningful variance so you are never caught off guard.
→Appliance coordination & warranties. We coordinate the scheduling, delivery, and placement of all appliances and compile warranty documentation on your behalf.
→Client updates — weekly summaries & bi-weekly calls. A concise written summary with photos delivered each week. A scheduled video call with SK every two weeks to review progress, flag any open items, and keep you fully in the loop.
→Punch list & construction close-out. We work with your contractor through the final punch list to confirm that construction meets the design standard before Phase 2 is closed out.
Hard Materials & Slab Selection
Tile, stone, and slab selection isn't something we do by catalog. For materials that matter — countertops, feature stone, large-format tile — SK accompanies you to the slab yard or showroom. You make your selection in person, with guidance, with context, and with confidence. These are materials you will live with for decades. They deserve that attention.
Running Simultaneously
II
Part Two — Procurement
Ordered. Inspected. Ready.
While construction progresses, every furniture piece, fixture, and material specified in Phase 1 is being ordered, tracked, received, and prepared for installation. Procurement runs in parallel with construction so that the moment the site is ready, everything is already in place. You do not wait for a sofa after your renovation is done — it has been waiting for your renovation to finish.
→All furniture orders placed & managed. Every piece specified in Phase 1 is ordered through SKD's trade network at trade pricing. Lead times are tracked and flagged in advance.
→Hard materials sourcing & delivery. Tile, stone, flooring, wallcovering, hardware, and specialty materials are sourced, ordered, and coordinated for on-site delivery during construction.
→Fixture & lighting procurement. All plumbing fixtures, lighting, and electrical components are ordered and tracked against construction milestones.
→Quality inspection on receipt. Every delivery is inspected by SKD before it is accepted. Damaged, incorrect, or non-conforming items are refused and replaced — before they ever reach your home.
→Storage coordination. Items that arrive before the site is ready are stored, tracked, and protected. Your furniture is on our ledger and in our care.
→Full procurement ledger. A living document tracking every item ordered: vendor, lead time, delivery status, cost, and confirmation of receipt. Available to you at any time.
→Vendor & warranty management. All vendor relationships are managed by SKD. Warranty documentation for every product procured is compiled and delivered to you at project close.
What This Means for You
You are never managing a contractor, chasing a delivery, or wondering where your sofa is. SKD runs both tracks — construction and procurement — with the same standard of care. The result is a site that's ready and a home that's fully furnished at the exact moment Phase 3 begins. That's not an accident. It's the plan.
03
Phase Three
Installation & Implementation
This is the moment everything comes together. You check into your hotel. We check into your home. When you return, nothing is unfinished, nothing is missing, and nothing is left for you to figure out. You walk into a life — not a project.
SKD Installation Fee
$1,000 / Day
Accessories Budget
~10% of Total Spend
Billed When
Due in full at Phase 2 close-out.
How Phase 3 Is Structured
I
Part One — Installation
Every Piece. Every Room. Every Detail.
SKD oversees the full installation of everything procured for your home — from the largest furniture pieces to the last folded towel. We coordinate every person and every delivery that comes through your door during this phase, managing the sequence, the timing, and the standard to which it's all executed.
SKD Installation Fee
Installation managementSKD's flat daily rate covers the full oversight and coordination of all installation activity — furniture placement, soft goods, styling, outfitting, and reveal preparation.
$1,000per day
Estimated installation durationMost projects require 2–5 days depending on scope and square footage. Your estimated days are confirmed at Phase 2 close-out.
2 – 5+days typical
→Full furniture installation & placement. Every piece in its exact intended position, assembled, dressed, and styled.
→Art hanging & picture installation. Coordinated with professional picture hangers. Every wall is addressed with precision.
→Complete soft goods installation. Drapes, bedding, throw pillows, blankets, rugs — all in place and composed.
→Full kitchen & dining outfitting. Plates, glassware, silverware, serving pieces, cookware — unpacked, placed, and ready to use.
→Linens & bath outfitting. Every towel folded, every bed made. You come home to a hotel-standard finish.
→Professional photography. Your completed space photographed at reveal quality — yours to keep as a permanent record.
→Formal reveal & walkthrough. SK walks you through your completed home, room by room, at the moment of reveal.
Additional Installation Costs — Outside of SKD's Fee
SKD's daily rate covers our professional oversight and coordination. The people who physically move, mount, and install are billed separately as part of your project investment.
—Movers: For transporting and placing large furniture pieces throughout the home.
—Artisan installers: For wallcovering, specialty tile, stone, and custom material installation.
—Picture hangers: Professional art hanging for galleries, oversized pieces, and precision placement.
—Handyman & finish labor: For mounting, assembly, touch-ups, and any last-mile installation details that require a skilled hand.
Then
II
Part Two — Implementation
The Finishing Layer. The Lived-In Feel.
A perfectly designed and installed home still needs a final layer — the small, considered details that transform a space from beautiful to personal. SKD sets aside an accessories budget to source and curate everything that wasn't pre-specified but is essential to finishing the home from top to tail.
Accessories Budget
~10%
of total project spend · collected before Phase 3 begins
SKD collects approximately 10% of your total project spend as a dedicated accessories budget. This fund is used in full on your behalf to source and purchase the finishing details that complete your home. Any remaining balance is returned to you at project close.
What this typically covers
✦Hooks, hardware & organizational details
✦Bedside décor & personal vignettes
✦Bedding, throws & textiles
✦Framing & filler art
✦Candles, trays & tabletop objects
✦Small plants & botanicals
✦Bathroom finishing details
✦Kitchen counter styling
✦Entryway & transition space details
✦Any finishing touch that makes it feel like home
Why This Budget Exists
No design plan, however thorough, anticipates every detail a home needs to feel finished. The accessories budget is what allows SKD to respond to the space as it actually exists at installation — not as it appeared on a floor plan. It is the difference between a space that looks complete and one that feels like yours. Every dollar spent from this budget is documented and accounted for. Anything unused is returned.
The Non-Negotiable
You are not permitted on-site during Phase 3. This is not a rule we made to be difficult — it is the condition that allows us to do the work at the level we do it. Every room, every surface, every drawer is addressed. When we are done, your home is complete. The reveal is the result of that.
Outside of SKD's Fees
The Other Costs
You Should Know About.
SKD's design fees, hourly rates, and installation days cover our professional services. They do not cover the cost of the things themselves. Below is a clear picture of the additional costs every client should plan for — so there are no surprises.
Furniture & Furnishings
Varies by scope
The largest variable in any project. All furniture is sourced through SKD's trade vendor network at trade pricing. You will receive a complete furniture plan and cost estimate at the end of Phase 1.
Finishes & Fixtures
Varies by scope
Tile, stone, flooring, wallcovering, paint, hardware, plumbing fixtures, and lighting — specified in Phase 1 and procured through SKD in Phase 2.
Construction & Labor
$600–$1,200 / sq ft
General contractor, subcontractors, electrical, plumbing, millwork, carpentry, drywall, and paint. SKD coordinates all labor — you do not manage contractors directly.
Artisan Installers
$95–$175 / hr
Specialty installers for wallcovering, tile, stone, picture hanging, and custom material installation. Coordinated and managed by SKD during Phase 3.
Movers
Client arranged
Moving existing furniture or personal belongings out of and back into the space is coordinated by the client. SKD can provide vetted mover recommendations.
Miscellaneous & Contingency
10–15% of budget
Every project has unforeseen expenses — a discontinued tile, a delayed delivery, a structural surprise. We recommend clients set aside 10–15% of their total budget as a contingency reserve.
Minimum Procurement Commitment
65%
of your agreed project budget
When SKD accepts your project, we turn down others. We schedule our team, our vendors, and our full creative capacity around your timeline and your vision. The 65% procurement minimum exists because we are as committed to your project as we are asking you to be.
We seek clients who are ready to fully transform their spaces — not exploring the idea of it. Agreeing to this commitment means agreeing to complete your project. It protects your timeline, supports the team dedicated to your home, and ensures the design we create together is the design you actually live in.
This is not a policy. It is the foundation of a partnership built on equal investment — yours in your home, and ours in your project.
Plan Your Investment
Estimate Your
Project Investment.
This estimator gives you a directional sense of your SKD service fees based on your project details. It does not include furniture, finishes, construction, or other third-party costs — those are outlined in the Other Costs tab.
Investment Estimator
Enter your project details to see estimated SKD service fees.
Phase 1 — Concept & Design (flat rate @ $15/sq ft)—
Phase 2 — Construction Management (estimated hourly @ $175/hr)—
Phase 2 — Procurement Coordination (estimated hourly @ $95/hr)—
Phase 3 — Installation (— days @ $1,000/day)—
Estimated SKD Service Fees—
65% Procurement Minimum (of your budget — separate from fees above)—
Rough construction estimate (not included in SKD fees, for planning only)—
These are estimates only. Phase 2 hourly totals vary based on actual project duration and complexity. Your exact Phase 1 and Phase 3 fees are confirmed in your Service Agreement based on final approved square footage. Phase 2 is invoiced monthly based on actual hours. All numbers shown are for planning purposes only and do not constitute a quote or guarantee of cost.
What to Expect After This
01
You sign the Service Agreement
Scope, budget minimum, and procurement commitment are confirmed in writing. Phase 1 design fee is invoiced.
02
Design begins
SK opens the project, schedules discovery, and your 3–5 segment design journey begins. You will be informed at every gate.
03
You approve the design
Once the final segment is locked, no further changes are made to the design. Construction and procurement begin from a complete, approved plan.
04
We handle Phase 2 entirely
You receive weekly updates. You attend bi-weekly calls. You do not manage a single contractor or vendor.
05
You check out. We check in.
When installation begins, you leave. When it's done, we call you back. What you return to is a finished home.
06
You join the SKD family
Project complete clients receive annual anniversary touchpoints, holiday gifts, and priority access to future SKD availability.
Stokes Kennedy Design
Full Renovation · Full Furnishings · Nothing Less