One of the questions we have on our firm’s contact form asks potential clients how important sustainability is to their design project. This has been a great way for me to track general leads vs sustainability-interested leads over the last few years.
For the first few years after I “announced” that we were a sustainable interior design firm, I had a question with a drop-down menu. The question was: How important is sustainability to you on this project? The options were as follows:
- Not at all
- I have heard of it, and am open to learning more
- I would be on board so long as it doesn’t cost more
- Very important – it is why I found you
It has been interesting over the last few years to gauge these answers, and let them help guide me on my initial Discovery Phone Call.
I have since changed the contact form to ask if sustainability is important, and it is a yes or no answer now.
I want to share today that many people who answer that sustainability is ‘very important’ to them often have little idea what that means when applying it to their remodel or furniture project.
Allow me to tell you about Dave. Dave has a second home in the mountains of Colorado, and he lives full-time in another state. He answered my question with a “very important,” answer. On the discovery call, I always say “I am excited to see that sustainability is important to you, can you tell me more about what it means to you and what you are looking for?”
To this, Dave informed me that indoor air quality was the most important factor, and the second factor would be carbon footprint. (My little green heart was happy to hear this!)
Flash-forward to our first in-person meeting, where we walk the job and I don’t hold any advice back. We begin discussing materials, appliances, etc. for this whole-home remodel. Dave lets me know that he has been envisioning a large, gas range along the back kitchen wall, with an oversized vent hood to create a dramatic and rustic focal point. He also tells me that because the family brings their dogs with them on vacations, it would be great if we could install a Luxury Vinyl Plank throughout the home.
“Oh boy,” I think to myself, “This is interesting…“
I kindly do my best to let him know that while a gas range would certainly give that rustic flare, recent studies have found Carbon Dioxide levels to be up to 6x higher in homes with gas cooktops, even when the appliance is turned off. I also let him know that at an elevation of 9,800 feet above sea level the gas stove would be very inefficient. He had no idea. He is still considering gas, but now that he knows the impact, I have the opportunity to show him a gas option and an induction option at our design presentation, which comes in at a lower cost.
Now for the LVP flooring. Yes, there are GreenGuard-certified or FloorScore-rated vinyl plank options, so technically we can meet his needs here. However, vinyl plank flooring will exist forever, and never decompose. It has a useful interiors lifespan of about 10 years at best, and to get an option with indoor air quality certification we need to add a few $$ per foot to our budget. How was I going to talk him into hardwood, instead?
It turns out that dollars and budget numbers can really help here! When I showed him the materials cost of the higher-end LVP vs a reclaimed 3-1/4″ American Red Oak, that was enough to change his mind. As we all know, that hardwood will last for ages and we can finish it with a green finish. It can then be re-finished for generations to come.
What I hope you take away from this:
We often need to approach this topic from different perspectives to really help our clients understand the impact of the selections and options we bring to the table. They hire us because we know better than they do, and once we find the right way to present the information, it can be very simple to guide them toward the better option.
Until next time,
–Megan
