Today we’d like to introduce you to Annabel Joy and Jen Dulac.
Jen and Annabel are former teachers who met while working at a Boston-based full-service interior design firm. eDesign intrigued them because the busy lives of the firm’s clients made scheduling in-person meetings challenging. The flexibility to collaborate online seemed like it would enhance the client’s experience, but no existing eDesign platforms seemed to set up for this type of relationship building. Enter Trim Design Co., a boutique eDesign service, disrupting the industry with their model of radical collaboration and unparalleled customization.
Trim Design Co. is the only eDesign firm incorporating vintage and artisanal items into every design, creating homes steeped in individuality, because authentic spaces are achieved only when the words that describe your home are synonymous with the words that describe you. Trim’s secret ingredient? It’s co-founders. A millennial and Gen Xer creating beautiful spaces, neither too trendy nor too traditional, but always “so you.”
Jen lives in Marblehead, MA with her husband and three daughters where she moonlights as a top-notch estate sale sleuth, master chef, and mixologist. Annabel lives in Boston with her husband and French Bulldog, Mona. Like many elder millennials, she’s addicted to podcasts, owns too many plants, and enjoys avocado toast.
Has it been a smooth road?
Learning how to build a website, navigate SEO, and master a variety of software programs was certainly a challenge. In retrospect, it all seems worth it because by doing it ourselves instead of hiring it out, we maintained creative control and feel empowered to make any tweaks or improvements to our site and processes as we evolve. Thankfully, there are so many resources available now, like podcasts and youtube tutorials that helped us make it through. Interestingly, technology was our biggest challenge yet also our main source of support- it was through online communities that we found encouragement and affirmation as we struggled to DIY a sleek website.
We’d love to hear more about your business.
Our online interior design process uses email and software platforms to provide exceptional design service streamlined for your busy lifestyle. With e-design, you can now access high-quality interior design without leaving home.
When you sign up for an eDesign package you’ll receive:
-A design board, containing images of proposed furnishings and decor
-A 2D rendering of your design, visually depicting what your space will look like with the furniture and decor in place
-A floor plan showing a bird’s eye view of the room layout
-A shopping list with links to the products as well as purchasing information and detailed set-up instructions
-Exceptional service and communication (you’ll always hear from us within one business day!)
We conceived Trim Design Co. with a mission to reimagine the designer-client relationship and fuse the best aspects of the full-service design experience with the convenience of online collaboration. We like to think of ourselves as disrupting the eDesign landscape.
We believe in “Radical Collaboration” with our clients. This grew out of hearing many stories from people who had felt that they couldn’t advocate for their preferences because they weren’t “the expert.” At Trim, we invite our clients to give feedback throughout the design process, removing any awkwardness a client might be feeling about speaking up. Since we charge a flat fee rather than billing hourly, our clients will never worry about being charged more if they ask for revisions of their design while the project is in process.
We’ve created a new model that fuses the convenience of eDesign with the attention to detail and customization of the traditional, full-service model. It’s the best of both worlds without the downsides, like the impersonal experience offered by big eDesign companies or the heavy financial and time commitment required by full-service design.
Right now, design firms that exclusively do eDesign tend to focus on volume, quickly executing a high number of designs at a low cost to clients. To do this, they rely on a fleet of designers who speedily design rooms filled with ready-made pieces from companies with a large stock of inventory. For us, interior design is all about making a home one-of-a-kind and ensuring it is an extension of our client’s personality and lifestyle. We take on fewer clients, so we can delve deep into collaborating with them and nurture that designer-client relationship. We even offer in-home consults for local clients, and we include vintage and artisanal items in all of our designs.
We take a holistic approach to design, collaborating with clients to create not just a design for a pretty room, but a lifestyle and a space that evokes specific emotions. By sourcing one of a kind items, and using our shared background as educators to listen keenly to our clients’ goals and struggles, we translate their story into a design that is highly functional for the way they live on a daily basis and provides them with a peaceful refuge from life’s chaos. Being a multigenerational team (millennial and Gen X) we are uniquely positioned to understand and help our clients achieve an ideal design that’s neither too trendy nor too traditional.
We’ve traveled to a combined 30 countries, experiencing a wide variety of cultures which have informed our eclectic, collected aesthetic and given us a deep appreciation for traditional craftsmanship around the world. If you scroll through Instagram or Pinterest today, the same styles appear over and over again. Through our travels, we have encountered so many different materials, textiles, and adornments which we love to incorporate into our designs to create sophisticated spaces that are truly one-of-a-kind. Our signature blend of high-low and ready-made with handcrafted pieces allows us to design bespoke spaces for our clients that set the trends instead of following them.
Is our city a good place to do what you do?
Boston is a great place to launch a company like ours, because it’s a young vibrant city with a population that is eager and willing to embrace new technology, yet the historical atmosphere of Boston also resonates with our passion for vintage items. In addition, we draw inspiration from the many creatives working and living in Boston, whose work we like to showcase in our designs.
Pricing:
- Partial and Full Room Designs are all flat-fee packages based on the square footage of the space (prices range from $1000-3500; all pricing details clearly listed on our website www.trimdesignco.com)
- Space Planning (furniture configuration) is available for $450 per room
- Kitchen Finish Selection is $1000
- In-Home Consultation $250 for 2 hours
- Phone Consultation $125 for 1 hour
- iPhone Camera Coaching $100 for 45 min
- We also offer a complimentary 20 min phone call to answer any questions about our services and all eDesign packages are 20% for the month of September to celebrate our official launch.
Contact Info:
- Address: 450-B Paradise Rd. #458 Swampscott MA 01907-1335
- Website: trimdesignco.com
- Phone: 703-405-0936
- Email: info@trimdesignco.com
- Instagram: @trim_design_co
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/trimdesigncompany/
- Other: https://www.pinterest.com/trimdesignco/
Image Credit:
Simone Audesse
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