Frequently Asked Questions
Can you conduct a project entirely online?
Absolutely! We’re happy to do an entire design project from start to finish without ever visiting your premises. We use the zoom platform to conduct our meetings with clients, contractors, suppliers and more. This allows us to exchange photos, diagrams, and design concepts remotely. To facilitate remote work, we’ll ask you to take certain photos of the existing space, occasionally take some key measurements for us, send us any plans and drawings. We send you a personal design assessment document, where you can specify your thoughts, ideas and tastes on a room by room basis.
Are you willing to conduct any in person visits to our site?
Yes, as long as all physical distancing and other Covid-related protection requirements applicable to your local jurisdiction are met. This typically means that all parties must be masked, with a limit to the total number of people in the building at any one time.
Do you bill in Canadian dollars?
No, all our pricing and billing is conducted in US dollars only. If you are from Canada, we can invoice you in the Canadian equivalent of the US currency.
How do I see materials samples if the project is conducted remotely?
There are several ways we can handle this. We can show you the samples in front of our camera during a Zoom meeting. We have very high resolution 4K cameras, which accurately represent the samples you see. Occasionally for things such as paint samples, flooring samples, or tiles, we may be able to send you to a local supplier. Once we identify the make model and brand of the material/product, we can identify the nearest local supplier of that particular product so you can visit them. If necessary, we can ship you samples via courier.
What is your minimum engagement?
Our minimum engagement is 5 hours at US $150 per hour, paid as a retainer.
What does the initial design assessment entail?
We ask that you take a full-motion audio/video recording of each room. A cell phone would be fine for this, but a better camera with a larger lens would be even better. We ask that you stand in one corner of the room and pan the camera slowly around the room. Speak to us while you do this, to tell us your thoughts and ideas. We also send you a list of questions we would like you to answer for every room such as: "What is this room used for? What times of day is this room used? How many people use the room and what are their ages?" and similar question.
With Viali’s project coordination service, how much time will I have to commit to the project?
We will meet typically once a week for two hours. This assumes everything is going well and is more or less on time. If any problems arise that need your immediate attention, we may have to meet more often.
What documentation do you supply following project completion?
We provide a complete and comprehensive package of digital documentation representing all aspects of the project that we were involved in. This includes drawings in both PDF and autoCAD format, sketches and diagrams, lists of FFE (fixtures, fittings and equipment), a digital copy of all invoices and payments, etc.
Do you work on projects outside North America?
We'd be delighted to! You just need to be able to participate in online Zoom meetings, conducted in English. Contact us and we'll make arrangements for your project.
Good project coordination is just as important as good design.
