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The process starts with a visit from our designer, who will take measurements and talk to you about what you want, what you like, dislike and your budget. She will then go away and design schemes to suit your tastes and needs within your budget. At a second meeting the the designer will explain the designs and show you samples and sketches etc. She will also give you costings for the work. At this stage you can either make final decisions based on what you have seen or think about your requirements for a while longer. If you do not want us to carry on and finish the project, at this stage you may buy the designs and schemes from us. The cost is a nominal £135 per room. You may feel a third meeting is needed to clarify any small points before finally instructing us to go ahead with the work. A 60% deposit is needed at this stage, and specially ordered furniture and fittings must be paid for in full. We will then prepare detailed instructions and drawings for any hand-made items and order materials and furnishings. The materials, drawings and instructions will be passed on to our makers who will start to make your items. Meanwhile dates will be planned and tradesmen booked for any work needed in your house, for example, decorating, plumbing, curtain tracking etc. Tradesmen will be employed to maximum efficiency and economy but we will work around your schedules as far as is possible. The last work done is usually the fitting of curtain tracks and preparing for and then hanging window dressings. Furniture may then positioned. We will need payment for the balance of the project at this stage. Large projects (whole houses and newly built extensions, for example) will incurr a project management fee. This is 9% of the final cost of the project and will be added at the end. You will be told and asked to agree to this in your initial estimate if it applies in your case. We will always tell you in your initial estimate and before you agree to our starting work, if we think we have to add any extra fees or expenses to the cost of your project. After the initial meeting the designer will usually be able to return with designs and schemes within two weeks, sometimes sooner. From taking your deposit and instructing our makers it will be (depending on the number and complexity of your items) about 6 to 8 weeks before we are able to return to fit them. If there is a lot of decorating or construction involved this period could be extended. The vast majority of projects are completely finished in 6 to 10 weeks. We do not normally accept credit cards, however we can accept a credit card payment under some circumstances. Please get in touch first if you think you may need to make a credit card payment. Credit cards are very expensive for us: it costs us between £80 and £120 to receive a £2000 payment (your credit card company charges us a minimum of 4%). For this reason, depending on the size of your project and the kind of work and service you want, we may pass the credit card fee on to you. We will always tell you in your initial estimate and before you agree to our starting work, if we think we have to add any extra fees or expenses to the cost of your project. 
No personal callers, please. We do not have a showroom and are very happy to visit you to see the room you're thinking of refurbishing . Our standard terms and conditions can be seen here. We are very flexible and will endeavour to meet any special requirements you may have. We will put any special requirements or practices in writing for you in the initial stages of any proposal or project. The interior design industry has vast potential to harm the environment. Paula Michelle Ltd are at the forefront of reducing the impact the industry has on the planet and those of us living on it! Where environmentally friendly products and materials are available for your project we will offer these to you as an alternative to the main stream. As a matter of course we source only from manufacturers who have an already established minimal impact policy on the environment. We only source furniture and accessories from manufacturers who can prove their products are made from properly managed or renewable resources and who's manufacture does not employ any child labour or exploitative practices.
We are in tune with your needs, If we use our own tradesmen we can keep a close eye on timescales and quality of workmanship and so are able to control the budget and easily fix any unforseen problems or time over-runs.
We are also more comfortable using workers we know and trust.
We can also offer you stain repellant treatment for all our newly installed soft furnishings. Again this is done by our preferred company who will visit your home to carry out the work. Remember; this will not stop your furnishings from getting dirty but will make cleaning them afterwards much easier. Most of our soft furnishings can not be washed and must be dry cleaned by an experienced or specialist company.
Some stain repellents on carpets wear off in time, and so must be re-applied according to the manufacturer's instructions.
If you'd like us to travel further we may make a charge for travel and "away from home" expenses, such as a meal or a hotel room. If you live in an area subject to parking or congestion charges we may add these costs to your bill.
We will always tell you in your initial estimate and before you agree to our starting work, if we think we have to add any extra fees or expenses to the cost of your project.
We charge extra for mood boards and detailed written summaries. Every one's needs are different and we are very flexible so please get in touch to discuss your ideas.
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