Page 41 - Lighting Magazine October 2018

aBove: Ziccardi speci- ed a showpiece ceiling xture that adds a glamorous touch to this bedroom while provid- ing ambient light. Table lamps on the nightstands bring added illumination at a comfortable level.
left: The Lighting Innovation crew (Ziccardi is at the front right) enjoys hosting cre- ative charitable events such as this Mad Ha er Tea Party.
that showrooms like ours ask more questions than you might think necessary so we can properly ad- vise designers on the right lighting selections. If we don’t gather this information, they may encounter unexpected problems a er the product has been delivered.”
Ziccardi advises designers work with a showroom to make appropriate selections, and then tells them to “ at out, stay o the internet! Second-guessing your selections is a huge time-waster, and designers can sometimes be their own worst enemy. If they say they want a teal pendant, a showroom will use its expertise and resources to give them four ideal teal pendant choices. We isolate what it is they want and strictly show them choices that meet the parameters of their project. But then the designer will go online all night, looking at more teal pendants. When they get too many choices, they’ll never make a decision!”
Almost daily, Ziccardi encounters designers who are unprepared for the lighting needs of their projects. “The rst thing I ask when a designer tells me they
“When I work with designers, I put together full-blown spread sheets on every aspect of the project from budget and aesthetic to colors.”
need an entry chandelier is the ceiling height. All too o en, they simply say ‘tall.’ That doesn’t help. It makes a showroom’s job much more di cult when designers haven’t spec’d the details we need to make their vi- sion come true. Instead, many rely on the showrooms to help ful ll their dreams. Showrooms need to be more brave when having this discussion. All too o en, we’re afraid of upse ing a potential client.”
Ziccardi does grassroots marketing to keep her rm top of mind with the architectural community. She arranges meetings with architects and builders, and spends time working with all of the partners in a construction project to ensure it runs smoothly. This has led to a change in the way she handles pricing.
Don’t be sHy About CHArging
“There was a time when professional interior de- signers respected other people’s time, were fully commi ed to working on a project with a showroom, and then submi ed a purchase order. Now things are all over the board. Some designers are trying to com- municate what they want on a job when they’ve got 10 minutes in the car. It was becoming frustrating that designers would pick my brain to use my knowledge, but then buy the product online from a mass e-tailer who o ers very li le — if any — service. They’re ex- pecting others to do the work for them.
“When I work with designers, I put together full- blown spread sheets on every aspect of the project from budget and aesthetic to colors. It’s a lot of infor- mation, so I’ve had to begin charging for my time just like designers charge their clients for their time. And until I have a deposit, I don’t give them full access to the information I’ve gathered. I hold back until I see
OctOber 2018 | enLIGHTenment Magazine 37
the Designer-showroom BonD