Remember last holiday season and the one room or project that you ran out of time to finish or install before the big event? Well, we are approaching that wall with everyday in September that passes by, especially if a custom order is involved!

This is one of the most challenging seasons for designers as clients invariably plan to entertain during the holidays and at times I have found myself installing, delivering or accessorizing right up to the day before the big event.

We are planners by nature and we are equipped with a long-term view of the steps that must take place along the way to completing a project, so allow me to help motivate you to plan a little better for this holiday season:

1. Begin with reasonable expectations for the time that you have to work with: I was contacted one year two weeks prior to Thanksgiving by someone who wanted custom drapery for a company Christmas party in early December!
2. Take the time and investment to put a long-term plan into place to avoid purchases that don’t complement the plan.
3. Keep your budget in mind as you work the plan, it is easier to get more accomplished during the front half of the year before the holiday spending begins as well avoiding the additional expense of “rush” orders.
4. Custom upholstery and drapery orders should be placed by mid-September at the latest to insure delivery and installation before the holidays. With the Fall season comes holiday closures and a heavier demand for custom treatments which will affect turnaround.
5. Last of all, when it comes to the interior design of our homes remember we are in a constant state of evolution as we transition from one stage of life to another, place more focus on the foundational pieces and you’ll always have a pleasing, warm and inviting home!

Now, remember the one project that you ran out of time to complete last holiday? Today is the right time to pick that project up and finish it for the 2012 holiday season, you still have 2.5 months!