Client Education Guide
Purchasing &
The Trade Process
Everything you need to understand how we source, order, and procure furnishings on your behalf — and why it works in your favor.
What does
“to the trade” mean?
This system exists because manufacturers use interior designers as their distribution channel. A furniture maker producing hand-crafted pieces in limited quantities doesn’t want to manage thousands of individual consumer orders, answer custom-specification questions, or coordinate freight and delivery logistics. They rely on designers to handle that relationship — and in exchange, they offer us pricing that is typically 20–50% below retail, depending on the brand and our account history with them.
“The trade isn’t a loophole or a perk — it’s the distribution model. Every piece you see in a design magazine was sourced this way. It’s the standard, and it’s how beautiful rooms get made.”
— How the industry works
Our pricing &
what it covers
20-50%
below retail our trade pricing typically runs
30%
industry average designer markup above trade cost
~retail
what most clients pay after markup — at or below what you’d pay yourself
Here is what every procurement fee covers:
- Sourcing and specification — researching options, visiting showrooms, pulling samples, confirming dimensions, verifying COM (customer’s own material) compatibility, and selecting the right piece for your exact space.
- Ordering and account management — placing orders on our account, tracking production, managing lead times, flagging delays early, and coordinating multi-vendor orders so everything arrives in a sensible sequence.
- Freight and receiving coordination — arranging white-glove delivery or coordinating with your receiver, managing inspection, flagging damage before it reaches your home, and handling claims with vendors when issues arise.
- Liability — when we place an order under our account, we assume responsibility for that transaction. If a piece arrives damaged or incorrect, we handle it — not you.
- Problem resolution — managing returns, reorders, custom specification errors, discontinued items, and vendor substitutions, so you never have to make a single call to a vendor.
From selection
to your front door
- Selection & approval
We present curated options at your design presentation. Once you approve, we prepare a purchase order with full specifications: finish, fabric, dimensions, and any custom details. - Order placement & deposit
Most vendors require 50–100% payment upfront, especially for custom pieces. We collect a purchase order from you before placing with each vendor, and we hold those funds in a dedicated client account. - Production & lead times
Lead times range from 2 weeks for in-stock items to 16–24 weeks for custom upholstery or imported pieces. We communicate updates proactively and build your install schedule around confirmed ETAs. - Freight & receiving
Large items ship via freight carrier, not UPS. They require coordination with a receiver or white-glove delivery service. We handle all scheduling and ensure pieces are inspected before they reach your home. - Install & styling
On install day, pieces are brought in, assembled, placed, and styled. We handle the logistics so that the first time you see the room, it looks exactly like the presentation we showed you.
“Lead times are one of the most common surprises for first-time design clients. A sofa you love today may have a 14-week lead time. That’s not a delay — that’s how quality furniture is made. The key is starting the conversation early.”
— Setting expectations on timing
Questions clients
always ask
Can I purchase pieces myself to avoid the markup?
You can, for retail items — though we’d gently caution against it. The logistical complexity of managing freight, coordinating deliveries, handling damage claims, and ensuring the correct specifications are ordered is significant. Most clients who start this way end up asking us to take over mid-project.
For trade-only items, client purchase simply isn’t possible — these vendors won’t sell direct regardless of price. For the items you love most, access comes with the relationship.
If this comes up in your initial meeting:
Absolutely, and we can build a structure that works for you. For retail items, we can advise and you can purchase — though we’ll want to note that we can’t take responsibility for those items once they arrive. For anything to-the-trade, which is most of what you’ve responded to in our concept work, we’d need to procure through our account. We’re happy to walk you through the breakdown item by item so you feel fully comfortable.
Why can't I just see your trade price and what you're marking it up to?
Some designers show the full breakdown; others present a single client price. We approach it [YOUR POLICY HERE — either “with full transparency” or “as a single client price”]. Either approach is ethical and industry-standard — what matters is that our pricing policy is clearly stated in our agreement from the start.
What we will always show you: the full client price before you commit to any item, the lead time, the specification, and any freight or receiving costs associated with that piece. No surprises at delivery.
If a client asks directly:
I’m happy to talk through how our pricing works. We purchase at trade pricing that we’ve built over years of vendor relationships, and we present items to you at a client price that reflects both that access and the full procurement service — sourcing, ordering, tracking, freight coordination, and liability. In most cases, you’ll pay at or below what that item retails for publicly. What I always promise is that the price you see before you approve an item is the price you pay. No surprises.
How long will everything take?
Honestly — longer than most clients expect, and that’s not a reflection of our process. It’s a reflection of how quality furniture is made. In-stock pieces at trade vendors typically ship in 2–6 weeks. Custom upholstery, case goods, and imported pieces commonly run 10–20 weeks. Highly custom or bespoke items can take 6–12 months.
This is why we start sourcing conversations early and build your install date backward from the items with the longest lead times. A well-managed timeline means install day feels exciting, not rushed.
At the initial meeting:
One of the most important things I can tell you about this process is that timing is the one variable we can’t rush. A sofa you love today might have a 16-week lead time because it’s made to order in North Carolina. What we do is build your entire project schedule around lead times, so nothing is a surprise. We’ll always tell you the ETA before you commit to a piece.
What happens if something arrives damaged?
We handle it entirely — that’s what the procurement service covers. Freight damage is not uncommon with large, upholstered pieces. When we manage the order, we own the vendor relationship, we file the claim, we coordinate the replacement or repair, and we keep you informed. You will never make a single call to a vendor.
When clients self-purchase and a piece arrives damaged, that burden falls entirely on them — vendor negotiations, claim timelines, replacement coordination. This is one of the most concrete ways our procurement service protects you.
If a client asks:
If anything arrives damaged or incorrect, we deal with it. We have established relationships with every vendor we work with, and they know us. Claims get resolved faster, replacements get prioritized, and you never have to have a difficult conversation with a freight company. That’s part of what you’re paying for.
What is a receiver, and do I need one?
A receiver is a third-party warehouse that accepts, inspects, and stores your furniture shipments before they’re delivered to your home on install day. Most freight shipments cannot be delivered directly to a residence — they arrive on a semi truck with no assembly or placement service.
Using a receiver means every piece is unwrapped, inspected for damage, and stored safely until your home is ready. On install day, pieces arrive in one coordinated delivery — not in seven separate trips over six weeks. We work with trusted receivers and manage the entire relationship.
How to explain it simply:
Think of a receiver as a staging warehouse for your furniture. Everything ships there, gets inspected, and we hold it until we’re ready for your install day. That way, the first time you see your room, it’s fully finished — not half-furnished while we wait on a delayed piece.
Why is there a retainer before you start ordering?
When we place orders with vendors, we do so on our business account. We’re financially responsible for those orders the moment they’re placed — not when they arrive, not when you approve them. A purchase retainer allows us to order on your behalf without taking on personal financial risk for your project.
All funds are held in a dedicated account, reconciled against actual purchases, and any unused portion is returned to you at project close. We provide a full accounting of every item ordered.
How to frame it at signing:
Before we begin ordering, we collect a purchase deposit that gets held specifically for your project. As items are approved and ordered, we draw against it. You’ll always have visibility into what’s been spent, and anything remaining at the end comes back to you. It’s simply how the procurement process works — vendors expect payment upfront, so we need to have the funds before we commit.
What you can
always count on
Full pricing before you commit
You will always see the full client price — including any freight or receiving costs — before you approve a single item. No surprises on invoicing.
Proactive communication
If a lead time changes, a piece is discontinued, or an issue arises, you hear from us first — before it affects your schedule.
Zero vendor interactions
You will never make a call to a vendor, freight company, or showroom. We manage every relationship from order to delivery.
Full accountability
We take complete responsibility for every piece we procure — damage claims, reorders, substitutions, and incorrect specifications are ours to resolve.
“The best procurement experience is one the client never has to think about. They approved it, they paid for it, and the next time they see it, it’s styled in their home.”
— The standard we hold ourselves to
Questions Before we Begin?
We’re happy to walk through any of this in detail during our initial meeting. There’s no such thing as a question that’s too granular — the more you understand the process, the better our collaboration will be.