Designing on my own......

[rktect_007]

Hello All,

Lately I have been thinking of starting a new 'type' of design firm in Denver. I am currently a project manager/head designer for a medium size high end residential design practice. To date I have designed all interiors and color/material selections for each project for the last 2 years. I have over 10 years experience doing this. Needless to say, I am not completely satisfied with my current job and feel like my abilities are overlooked entirely by my firm due to thier stance on quicky, cookie cutter designing.
So I have been pondering with the idea of starting a "room at a time" design firm. I got this idea from a dream, go figure. ARCHITECTURE FOR THE MASSES! This idea would allow me to meet with homeowners with small to med. sized budgets who only have enough resources or desire to modify one existing room in thier home at a time. For example, remodeling a master bath or redesigning an existing fireplace area. Because of the limited budget, I can focus on designing a great small space within the envelope of thier home w/o major remodeling.
I know this sounds like a typical interior design firm, but I would have a design/build orientation for my new company. I have also been a contractor.
I just feel like I could do so much more for homeowners with limited budgets and creativity, but high hopes. I suppose it's simply one step up from them going to Home Depot and doing it themselves. But i have done so many designs and have such great ideas, that I feel it's time to venture on my own and take a risk.
Any thoughts about this, or does it seem unstable and too risky?
Any comments would be greatly appreciated.
Thanks

[Architorture]

i don't know if i would go to an architect if i was only redesigning one room in my house unless i had a substantial amount of wealth...

and really...what can you do architecturally at the room level 'for the masses'?

[grogers]

Dude:

You're blowing it. You are targeting such a small niche market for your services that your chances of going out on your own and making it are very slim unless you have done your homework and can make a living on about 0.01% of the room addition market design fees.

If you are an architect, you are leaving alot on the table. All your education and experience is being reduced to room additions?? Come on, I'm sure you can do better than that!

My firm does a lot of "cookie cutter" housing too. We look at this type of work as our bread and butter because it keesp our wallets full. We also take on custom home commissions, commercial projects and religious facilities and allow everyone in the office to exercise design creativity.

If you have a good, profitable idea, utilize the principal of your firm as a mentor. I'm sure they will recognize a good idea if they see one. Your promotions will follow. If they scoff at your ideas, they are either wrong OR RIGHT. That is where an entrepeneur must make a decision to be further mentored or cut ties.

Don't totally discount thier opinion. They must have some good business sense, or you wouldn't have a job.

[SDR]

I know what it's like to have strong architectural / furnishing / lighting ideas and wonder what to do with them, and not to have an employer who is interested in any in-house "competition." I'd be interested to know what you learn from the transition ahead. . .

SDR

[jrtm76]

What do you have to lose? Nothing!!
Abraham Lincoln tried 6 times to be president and lost 5 times.

I will advise to get a good marketing package together, nice website, do lots of advertisement/marketing.

It will be a lot of hard work but at the end all the earnings and profit will be YOURS!!!!!!!!!

[cast]

I would think you are going to be eating your fees. To really design something special, as you know, it takes a lot of time. Add your fees to the budget of just one room and no one is going to want that kind of extra cost in the budget. Design costs usually have to be spread across a larger project for clients to swallow it.

[fairie]

I don't know if you are still following this thread since it has been a couple of months... But - if you are... I must say that I think you have a great idea. I may not be as experienced as most of you that are replying here, or as you are yourself... but this is actually something that I have thought about a lot myself. I do believe that there is a market for a room at a time design. I bet there are a million people thinking of refinishing their fireplace or their flooring or their trim and millwork. Which, by the way, can all be quite architectural. So, I say go for it. You won't become a millionaire with this company, but it could very well be extremely rewarding and challenging.

So, just to give you a positive outlook... That's my opinion...
Melissa

[LeCorbusier]

CAST HIT THE NAIL RIGHT ON THE HEAD.

[nancyjb]

I wish you lived in San Diego, as you are the kind of person I am looking for. I want to explore adding a room on my house, and I don't know whether to go up or out. I don't even know where to start so I am searching the internet to find an (inexpensive or student) architect to give me ideas.

I have a contractor, I need a plan.

So, to me, your idea sounds good, but of course, the problem will be the price as someone like me won't want to spend hundreds of dollars on a design.

Good luck!

[LindaP]

Yeah -- this sounds like a good idea to me! But it really is quite a niche. I am just not sure the demand is going to meet the supply here, or really, if the wallets of those that make up the "demand" in this situation will pan out.

But hey -- if you have nothing to lose -- try it...