Building Long-Term Client Relationship From the Ground Up
Here at Carson Design Associates, we pride ourselves on pairing creative thinking with sound business strategies to help our clients become more productive. Successful interior design requires skillful balance of business savvy and artistry, as well as a keen listening ear to ensure clients’ needs are met. This was certainly the case for our redesign of the PNC Center common corridors and points of entry.
Not long ago, we were asked to review and propose some carpeting design concepts for PNC Center. The space we were asked to look at is in a highly-trafficked area of the building with a corridor stretching nearly the entire length of the second floor. The carpet was old and did not tie together well with connecting spaces. The space was both long and angled, with multiple areas for entrances and exits. Passersby were confused as to where the floor would lead them and needed to quickly determine how to get to and from their business space, conference space, hotel space, and city transportation.
We were brought in to propose new designs for carpet, but saw a greater need to communicate ease for those passing through. Designing a floor that connects business, hospitality, and leisure together was a challenging opportunity to serve the needs of many, including our client who was on a limited budget.
A good carpet will take a room (of any size) to the next level, from standard to luxury. It’s those small details that cannot be overlooked. Carpet is not an afterthought for us, it is a highly-valued decision that will impact the longevity of the look and feel of the interior. With the extremely broad range of selections, preferences get narrowed down based on the way the carpet looks, the way the carpet holds up under-foot, and the requirements and budget for the client. Our team was careful to first select options that fit a large space, stand the test of time, and build trust in identifying future design needs. We ended up selecting a modern look from Patcraft for installation that allowed us to work with the additional finish materials surrounding the space in the PNC Center. The colors gave the space a more refined look and broke the long corridor into sections.
Our client was extremely pleased with the designs we presented, which were practical enough for regular usage and unique enough to make it a topic of discussion.
With any refresh, we need to be mindful of installations affecting design decisions for the rest of the space. Once the carpet had been installed, the client wanted to continue the facelift by focusing on the walls and furniture. The plan was to originally replace parts of the storefront in the lobby area. Instead of just focusing on that one project, we assisted the client in their strategic budget planning for 2019 and 2020 by significantly reducing the amount of new storefront. We showed how we could save enough money for the client to focus on replacing furniture and buying new artwork.
From this point forward, we created packages for them to use if they needed additional design work. Again, we pride ourselves on our ability to balance artistry with business savvy and this project was no different. We worked hard to serve the primary needs with a carpet refresh and then established a trusted relationship that led to us redesigning their interior signage, an office space, and new furniture selections.
These are partnerships we value and actively seek out. We strive to serve the needs not only of the client, but the needs of those using the space. Our design partnerships are about working to establish a process that transforms built environments into places of enhanced productivity and creativity. The collaboration to rethink PNC Center’s common areas was an incredible experience for our team and we look forward to continuing our work with them.
Feel free to reach out to our team of experts for design collaboration and ideas in your next interior redesign.
