Our Process

Every Olive + Cedar Design project is individually scoped, but our process provides a clear path from the first conversation through design, implementation, and completion.

Discovery

Every project begins with a complimentary, 15–30 minute in-person Discovery Consultation. This is an opportunity to meet, talk through your project, and discuss your goals, inspiration, anticipated timeline, investment expectations, and the level of design support you’re looking for.

From there, we’ll determine which Olive + Cedar Design service best fits your project and whether we’re a good fit to move forward together.

Project Assessment

For clients ready to move forward following Discovery, the next step is a paid Project Assessment, billed at the designer’s current hourly rate.

Depending on the project, this may include walking the home or construction site, reviewing architectural plans, discussing existing conditions, taking necessary measurements, and further defining the scope and level of design involvement needed.

The Project Assessment gives Olive + Cedar Design the information needed to develop a project-specific Scope of Work and professional design fee.

Concept Development

Once your project begins, we establish the overall design direction through inspiration, color, materials, architectural character, and the feeling we want the home to carry.

This early phase creates a clear visual foundation before individual selections and design details are developed.

Design Development

With the overall direction established, the design begins to take shape. Depending on your project, this may include space planning, floor plan review and development, cabinetry and millwork design, furniture layouts, lighting and electrical planning, plumbing fixtures, paint palettes, material selections, furnishings, and other details specific to your Scope of Work.

Each decision is considered in relationship to the home as a whole, creating an interior that feels connected, layered, functional, and anchored in warmth and texture.

Design Presentation & Refinement

Your design is presented as a complete vision rather than a collection of individual decisions. Depending on the project, presentations may include digital design concepts, floor plans, furniture layouts, specifications, and in-person material and sample presentations where key finishes and selections can be seen and experienced together.

Client feedback is incorporated through the revision rounds included in your Scope of Work before selections are finalized.

Documentation & Implementation

Once the design is approved, we prepare the information needed to carry the design forward. Depending on your Scope of Work, this may include specifications, schedules, product information, approved selections, and other design documentation for your project.

For new construction and renovation projects, Olive + Cedar Design may collaborate with builders, contractors, craftsmen, and trades throughout construction to help maintain the approved design direction as the project moves from plans to reality.

For furnishing projects, implementation may include product procurement, vendor communication, receiving and delivery coordination, installation, and final placement.

Completion & Final Styling

As the project reaches completion, the final layers of the home come together. Depending on your Scope of Work, this may include the installation and styling of furnishings, artwork, textiles, accessories, and finishing details.

The result is a home that feels complete, comfortable, collected, and ready to be lived in.

The Goal

Our goal is to create a home that is beautiful, functional, and deeply connected to the people who live there. A home filled with warmth, character, natural texture, and lasting appeal, designed not simply to be looked at, but to be lived in and loved.

Please Note: The steps and services outlined below represent the overall Olive + Cedar Design process. Not every phase, deliverable, or level of support is included with every project. Your specific services, deliverables, site visits, revisions, and level of project coordination will be clearly outlined in your custom Scope of Work and professional design fee based on the needs and complexity of your project.