Interior Design SERVICES
Downtown Seattle and Western Washington
CUSTOM CONTEMPORARY INTERIOR DESIGN SERVICES
For Your Downtown Seattle Condominium and Apartment
While every project is unique, Belltown Design’s time-tested approach to interior design will not only help you to create a space that reflects your personal story, but also keeps your project on track with clear communication every step of the way.
The most important take away is that we will be at your side for all design related inquiries that may arise during construction – you’ll never have to deal with unexpected construction questions alone. With our commitment to excellence and attention to detail, you can trust us to deliver results that make your dream interior a reality.
The Total Transformation — Remodel, Furnishings and Décor
Interior Design to transform your entire condo or apartment.
Let Belltown Design help make your condo feel brighter, more spacious, and up to date without the mess and expense of moving walls. We’ll work within your existing floor plan, taking care of every aspect from reimagining how the furnishings flow, to creating clever built-ins, to selecting all finishes for construction, fixtures, appliances, furniture, and décor.
For every room in your home, from kitchen to bath, living room to dining, bedroom to den, home office, and more - we’ll finish the space with accessories to suit your style!
*If your layout would benefit from moving a wall or two, don’t worry, we can help with that, liaising directly with a structural engineer or architect to make sure that all decisions are architecturally sound.
Ready for a complete transformation of your interior space? We’ll do it all!
Our goal is to provide you with results that exceed your expectations with as little stress or worry as possible! We meticulously manage every design detail to ensure a seamless process, guiding you through each step. This includes all necessary AutoCAD documents and a comprehensive design package that allows you to receive construction bids from your preferred contractor or use ours! This serves as a blueprint to guide the project through the building process.
The Interior Style — Furnishings and Décor
Invent your condominium or apartment without the mess of renovation – includes furniture selection, paint color, lighting, wallpapers, window treatments and more.
Ready to imagine your space?
All new furniture and art, wall colors, accessories, lighting, window treatments, house hardware, we’ll carefully curate every element, so you end up with a truly personalized interior that tells your unique urban-living story. From concept to completion, we’ll have an ongoing dialogue to ensure we capture the essence of your vision. We’ll showcase the things you love from your own collections and elevate them with our resources, hand picking furniture and décor needed to bring your interior to life. Once you approve every item, we take the reins, handling the entire process from purchasing to overseeing shipping, tracking and final installation.
All you need to do is enjoy the results!
The Customized Condo - Custom Built-Ins and Casework
Create more usable living space in your Seattle condo with smart storage design.
Small urban spaces deserve built-in storage!
In a small space it’s important to put every square inch to good use. Whether you need closed storage to hide stuff away, open storage to showcase décor or collections, or a dual-purpose home office and guest room design solution that works better than the conventional desk / daybed, we help you plan and execute built-in storage that’ll truly optimize your space.
We team with the best cabinetmakers and cabinet companies in the Seattle Metro area, and oversee your personal storage needs and aesthetical choices during the cabinet / built-in design and installation process.
Yes, it can be an investment, but it’s a game changer that’ll make your small space live large!
“We could go on and on about the beauty and function Belltown Design brought to our home.”
"We could go on and on about the beauty and function Belltown Design brought to our home. We discussed lifestyle and familial background with Paula, and the importance of representing this in our home interior. Paula took this all to heart and when selecting design elements from wallpaper to lighting and artwork,
made sure that there was significance. Belltown designed custom built-in cabinetry in the entryway, kitchen, and bedroom solving long standing problems with clutter, and from the start we told Paula that we didn’t want to live in a museum and how important it was that our home be comfortable and livable. She provided a look and feel that nailed what we had discussed!"
Lisa N. and Jack S.
Frequently Asked Questions
Sometimes! We totally understand that timing is key, and while we often have a short waitlist, we’re all about making things work for you.
After our Discovery Call, we delve into a Pre-Project Strategy Meeting to take place on-site. We walk through your space and chat about your goals and design preferences, offer our recommendations, develop a scope of work and a suitable budget, along with an ideal timeline. This in-depth session typically takes about 2 hours and sets a robust foundation for the journey ahead. Your insights and preferences are captured in a written summary sent via email and followed up with a face-to-face Zoom Meeting.
We love creating an overall vision to infuse unity and harmony throughout your home. This can be implemented over time or all at once, based on your pace and preference. If you're leaning towards a room-by-room approach, we suggest projects that encompass at least a few rooms. Why? It's all about developing a full-home vision and maximizing efficiency, which ultimately reduces cost. Designing multiple rooms simultaneously tends to take less time and be more cost-effective than doing them individually.
We excel when we're involved from the beginning, creating a cohesive plan. Currently, we don't take on one-room 'tie it all together' projects. They can be time-intensive despite the smaller scope, and we aim for rewarding experiences for both clients and our firm.
We suggest the contractor handles construction-related purchases for warranty and accuracy. Once we receive payment from you, we take care of all furniture, decor, and art item purchases. No need for you to handle any purchases yourself.
The beauty of our process is that you can add on to your scope of work during your project or whenever you're ready. Your vision, your pace!
We discover exclusive finds from our trade-only vendors, peruse the Seattle Design Center, unearth gems from our favorite vintage dealers, create balanced and diverse design with our retail providers, collaborate with artists near and far, and embrace the convenience of online shopping globally. By purchasing from a diverse array of vendors, we ensure that your design is uniquely tailored to your individual space; no project is the same.
The amount of time needed to design your project depends on the scope of work and level of detail. Bathrooms and Kitchens require more specifics, so they always take longer. While every project is different, Design Phases 1 and 2 takes from thirty to ninety days depending on how long you need to make your decisions, and revisions of Design Phases 1 and 2 will come two to three weeks later. We help you to be efficient, but we never rush our clients.
The exciting moment of furniture installation is typically 6 months after we begin to order items. These time estimates ensure a smooth process, allowing us to bring your vision to life with precision and care.
Absolutely! Whenever possible, we love incorporating existing pieces especially those that hold special meaning for you. Whether it's a family heirloom or a cherished find, we'll look for ways to seamlessly integrate it into the design. If there are instances where existing pieces might affect the overall style direction or furniture layout, we'll discuss it openly. Sometimes, if a particular piece doesn't fit in one room, we may wish to repurpose it and find a perfect spot for it in another room, maximizing the potential of each item.
It's worth noting that having existing pieces doesn't necessarily mean lower design fees. Incorporating them into the design scheme takes the same amount of time and effort as working with new pieces. Your space should reflect your personality, and your existing pieces play a crucial role in achieving that.
We're a 'cost-plus' firm, which means we handle both interior design services and retail for procurement of items for your interior design ie furniture, lighting fixtures, area rugs, window treatments, accessories and more.
We determine two distinctive pots for your overall budget. These are:
A. Design Fees for each project are quoted within a flat fee structure and payments are scheduled over the duration of your project. Even though the flat design fee is most equitable for the client, we are flexible, so if you prefer hourly, we've got you covered.
B. A Labor and Materials Budget is usually determined from the start. It a rough estimate to cover everything for your project – labor, materials, construction, installation, assembly, freight, furniture, art, all items that go into your space.
Every project is unique, so let's discuss!
Including both design and construction it’s best to allow at least three months of time for a small kitchen or small bathroom project. Realistically, if you are hoping to remodel a year from now, it’s time to begin your design process now so that everything and everyone is ready in time.
We take care of everything related to interior design, while the contractor manages all aspects of construction. We collaborate closely with the contractor to ensure your design is accurately translated. Occasionally, we handle orders for specific design-related building materials such as tile, hardware, and lighting fixtures. We've found from past projects that when clients manage their own projects, it tends to require more designer time, ultimately costing more than having the design or construction team oversee it. However, we absolutely love when you're involved!
When we create a purchase invoice for your approved items, we typically include the cost of shipping and delivery. However, occasionally, shipping, delivery, and installation may be invoiced separately, and at the time of order we estimate manufacturer’s lead times and freight costs. Items are shipped from the supplier to our warehouse where we receive, inspect, and inventory the item, and store it until delivery. We hire movers to assemble and place everything in your home.
1 week – Inquiry, Discovery Call, Schedule Pre-Project Strategy Meeting
1 - 3 weeks – Pre Project Strategy Meeting and Summary Zoom Meeting
1 - 2 weeks – Contracting Period
3 - 5 weeks – Design Phase 1 – Design Focus
Image exchange, design style definition, develop concept, color scheme, materials palettes, draft initial floor plan with dimensions, render potential layout options, and space planning
- 1 week – client sends feedback for Design Phase 1
3 - 5 weeks – Design Phase 2 – Development and Details
Review client feedback, further develop layout and elevations, create color map, refine materials selections, create electrical plan, order samples, create specification sheets, create preliminary purchase orders, create presentation, design meeting with client
3 weeks – 2 years – Design Phase 2 until all drawings and selections are finalized at client design meetings and materials purchased.
1 - 6 months – Wait for contractor availability
1-16 weeks – Purchase items, ship items to local warehouse, replace/repair damaged items, schedule installation once all items have arrived
6 months – Furniture installations typically happen 6 months after we begin the first round of purchases
3 - 36 months – remodel or new construction. BTD answers questions as needed and offers alternatives with client approval of final decisions.
Communication: Communication is ‘everything’ when it comes to interior design. Emailing is our preferred communication style as it keeps us up to date and provides reference in writing. It is always best to schedule a phone call or Zoom meeting ahead of time, and we will only use texting in a pinch. We’ll email you with status updates and invoices, yet, most likely, we will see you in person, the best means of communication.
- Efficiency: Our tried-and-true process along with our less than glamorous policies allow us to efficiently design and execute your project behind the scenes. To streamline design hours, we aim to limit communication as much as possible to in-person design meetings or one large all-encompassing email rather than multiple emails.
- Purchasing: We purchase and track all items once we receive your approval with payment. When items begin to be purchased, you will receive an update on their timeline when the items are due (typically 4-16 weeks depending on the manufacturer, from the date we receive your check for approval). When we reach out to vendors for progress reports prior to due dates, we are either not given an answer, or the answer may be unreliable so we avoid checking with vendors on ETA’s unless items are past due. Items are delivered to our warehouse, inspected, replaced/repaired if needed and then stored until we schedule your installation. We avoid partial installations.
- Construction Involvement: Once all design documents are approved about 85% of our work on your project is complete. Of course, we are always standing by throughout construction and we periodically check in by email or site visit and alert you of your options if something can’t go as planned.
- Customization: While our process is the same, the outcomes are specific to the client. Working with different people and different styles make our job fun and rewarding while leaving you with a space that is truly all your own.
Ready to get started?