Our Process
From the first walkthrough to opening night — here's how we work.
Every great hospitality space starts with a thoughtful process. Over fifteen years and dozens of projects, we've refined ours into seven phases that take a project from a vision to a finished space — on budget, on schedule, and built to last. Every project is different, but the rhythm is the same.
Our 7 Phased Concierge Design Process
01 | Concept Design
Listening, learning, and shaping the vision.
We start by sitting down with you — the owners, operators, and stakeholders — to understand the why behind the project. What kind of guest are we designing for? What's the story of the building? What's worked, what hasn't, and what do you want people to feel the moment they walk in?
From there, we develop mood boards and reference imagery to establish the style direction. By the end of this phase, you have a clear creative vision everyone is aligned on — before any decisions get made that are expensive to undo.
Deliverables: Project goals + design brief · Concept mood boards · Preliminary style direction · Reference imagery
02 | Schematic Design
Translating the vision into a workable plan.
This is where the design starts taking real shape. We work alongside your General Contractor to balance construction and FF&E budgets in real time, so design decisions are grounded in what's actually buildable.
You'll see floor plans, elevations, and proposed architectural changes — along with finish, furniture, and lighting options that back up the style direction. By the end of this phase, you'll know exactly how the space is going to flow and feel.
Deliverables: Floor plans + interior elevations · Furniture and lighting concepts · Finish and material direction · Coordinated construction + FF&E budget
03 | Design Development
Finalizing the design, top to bottom.
In Design Development, every decision gets locked in. We present the final design with full furniture specifications, develop a construction set for the GC to bid out, and produce photorealistic 3D renderings of key spaces — so you can see exactly how it's going to look before a single nail goes in.
Deliverables: Final design presentation · Furniture, fixture + equipment (FF&E) specifications · Construction set for bidding · Photorealistic 3D renderings
04 | Value Engineering
Protecting the design without breaking the bank.
Once bids come in, reality has opinions. Value engineering is where we work with you and your contractor to find smart trade-offs — swapping a finish here, simplifying a custom build there — without losing the soul of the design. We've seen enough projects to know where you can save money without anyone noticing, and where you absolutely can't.
Deliverables: Cost-benefit analysis on flagged items · Re-specification of materials or FF&E as needed · Updated budget alignment
05 | Construction Documentation
The blueprint for everyone who builds it.
This is the technical phase. We produce the full set of construction documents — plans, elevations, details, and finish schedules — that the contractor and tradespeople will build from. These documents get coordinated with the Architect of Record, engineers, and any specialty consultants on the project.
Deliverables: Complete CD set · Finish schedules · Coordination with AOR + engineering · Bid set documentation
06 | Procurement
Sourcing, ordering, tracking, and delivering — handled.
Once specifications are approved, we manage the entire FF&E procurement process. That means purchase orders, deposits, vendor coordination, shop drawing reviews, sample approvals, and tracking every item from order to delivery. You get bi-weekly purchase reports so you always know where every piece is.
Deliverables: Purchase orders + invoicing · Vendor + warehouse coordination · Sample + shop drawing reviews · Bi-weekly tracking reports
07 | Construction Administration
On the ground, in the field, until you open the doors.
Throughout construction, we're on-site for project meetings, providing field art direction for finishes, reviewing FF&E installation, and answering RFIs as they come up. We make sure what gets built matches what was designed — and we lead the final installation, styling, and punch list before opening night.
Deliverables: Site meetings + field reports · RFI responses · FF&E install + final styling · Pre-opening punch list
What to expect from working with us
Every phase has a clear scope, a clear deliverable, and a clear approval point — so you always know exactly where the project stands and what you're being asked to weigh in on. We don't overpromise, we don't disappear between phases, and we don't bury surprises in the last invoice.
What we do is bring fifteen years of hospitality design discipline to projects that deserve it — whether that's a 23-key boutique hotel or a single restaurant on Main Street.
Ready to start your process?
Whether you're at the napkin-sketch stage or already breaking ground, we'd love to hear about your project.