Frequently Asked Questions

Do you purchase furniture for your clients?

Bluff & Bay generally does not purchase furniture on behalf of clients. We prefer a straightforward hourly design model that allows us to focus on helping you make the best selections and find the best pricing available.

Some retailers offer trade discounts or designer commissions. When possible, we extend available trade savings directly to our clients rather than purchasing at trade pricing and adding a markup. With certain trade accounts, Bluff & Bay may need to place the order through our account, but the purchase can often be made in your name using your credit card.

Our goal is transparency. We help you compare sources, pricing, lead times and delivery options so you can make informed purchasing decisions without being tied to a traditional procurement model.

Do you work with clients who live out of state?

Absolutely. Assisting clients who are building or furnishing a Bluffton-area home while living elsewhere is one of our specialties.

Clients receive access to a private project dashboard where furniture, rugs, lighting and other items under consideration are organized by room. We can review selections remotely, narrow down options together and use floor plans and renderings to help you visualize how everything will work in the finished home.

Because Bluff & Bay is local, we can also be at the house when you cannot. Depending on your project, that might include builder meetings, furniture or rug deliveries, window treatment installation, wallpaper installation or other important appointments.

How much time will I need to spend in Bluffton during my project?

That depends entirely on your comfort level and how involved you would like to be in person.

Some clients manage nearly the entire project remotely. Others prefer to come to Bluffton for a concentrated visit once we have narrowed the choices, allowing us to spend a day or two reviewing rugs, furniture and finishes in local showrooms.

We can structure the process around what works best for you rather than requiring frequent trips back and forth.

Can you help with my new build as well as the furniture?

Yes. Bluff & Bay can assist with builder selections including lighting, tile, flooring, plumbing fixtures, cabinetry finishes and other interior details.

If your builder already provides a selections coordinator or design center, we can collaborate with that team rather than duplicating their role. This is particularly helpful when builder selections need to coordinate with furnishings that will eventually go into the home.

Keeping both sides of the project connected helps create a more cohesive finished result and can prevent decisions made during construction from limiting your furniture and decorating options later.

Can you help coordinate furniture storage and deliveries while my home is being built?

Yes. One advantage of working with a local designer is having someone who understands local retailers, furniture lead times, storage policies and delivery options.

Many of the retailers we source from offer complimentary storage for clients who are building. We can help coordinate purchasing timelines so furniture is ordered at the appropriate time and ready when your home is completed.

Smaller items such as artwork, lighting and accessories may also be shipped to Bluff & Bay for temporary storage or delivery coordination when appropriate.

Our goal is to help organize the moving pieces so you are not trying to manage furniture orders, delivery companies and installation schedules from another state.

Do you handle furniture installation and final styling?

We can be as involved as you would like.

Bluff & Bay does not require clients to use a traditional warehouse-and-reveal model where an entire home is stored and installed at once. Instead, we tailor our involvement to the project.

We can be onsite for furniture deliveries, help determine furniture placement, coordinate rugs and window treatments, style bookshelves and assist with accessories and final details. Some clients want us there for most of the installation process, while others are comfortable handling much of it themselves once the design plan is in place.

You decide how much support makes sense for you.

Can I hire Bluff & Bay for only one or two rooms?

Yes. Projects can range from one or two rooms to an entire home.

You may simply need help pulling together a living room, selecting furniture for a new primary bedroom or determining how to use pieces you already own. Or you may want assistance coordinating selections, furnishings and installation throughout a new custom home.

We tailor the scope to the project rather than requiring every client to commit to whole-home design.

How are your design fees structured?

Bluff & Bay primarily works on a straightforward hourly basis at $150 per hour.

Retainers vary depending on the scope and anticipated pace of the project. For most substantial design projects, clients should expect a minimum of approximately 40 hours of design time, while whole-home builds and furnishing projects may require considerably more.

During a complimentary discovery call, we can talk through your home, timeline and desired level of involvement so you have a better understanding of the anticipated scope before moving forward.

What if I need to pause my project?

Projects can be paused when needed. We simply ask clients to be mindful that our schedule may change during that time.

When you are ready to resume, we will coordinate a restart based on current availability so we can once again dedicate the appropriate time and attention to your project.

Our flexible structure works particularly well for new construction, where timelines sometimes shift and there may naturally be periods when fewer design decisions need to be made.

What areas do you serve?

We deliberately keep our design projects within an hour of Bluffton, rather than taking on destination design projects that would take us away from our local focus in Bluffton and Hilton Head. We will go as far south as Richmond Hill, and as far north as Seabrook/Beaufort/Fripp Island.