As architects and designers, we learn to harness the elegance of constraint—prioritizing the essence of design over the noise of excess. Each decision, no matter how swift, must honour the core narrative of the space, aligning with its intended function and spirit. In the end, it’s not about completing the project but crafting an experience that resonates, even amidst the ticking clock.

When racing against tight deadlines, I’ve learned to keep things efficient without sacrificing quality. I start by crafting a detailed design brief, so we’re all on the same page from the get-go, minimizing those last-minute revisions. I rely on specialists for different tasks and keep regular check-ins with the team and clients to catch any issues early. Using project management tools and 3D modeling also helps me speed up iterations, ensuring we stay on track and bring the vision to life smoothly.

To maintain top-notch quality under time pressure, I focus on clear priorities, efficient time management, and delegating tasks to my team effectively. I streamline decisions, use trusted vendors, and ensure constant communication to avoid delays while keeping the client’s vision and quality standards at the forefront.

I find working with trusted partners is the best support you can get. Working with good trades and suppliers and supporting them consistently ensures good karma.

The best interior designers I worked with were those that knew and cared about each contractor on the project and knew exactly what each should be doing along the way of the process. Effective communication, good and swift decision making, being reasonable with their expectations, and always being available on site. Those designers that were too prideful in their position and chose not to finesse the relationships nor care about the process made a mess of jobsites and cost clients and contractors a lot of money and wasted time - they often were the first to blame others rather than take responsibility as well. Over time, it was easy for me to know which type of designer was right to work for and which ones were absolutely wrong.