Why we do not charge commissions on supplies
In many studios the margin on supplies is part of the compensation. The consultancy appears inexpensive, while a share, typically between 10 and 15% on every order, sits hidden in the prices of furniture and materials, so the real investment is higher than it appears and the client discovers it late, or not at all. We have chosen differently, because whoever entrusts us with a project must be able to count on decisions taken in their interest, the financial ones included.
The fee as the studio’s sole compensation
Our compensation is the fee agreed in the proposal and written into the contract, and that is where the studio’s financial return ends. We apply no margins on supplies and receive no side payments from companies, showrooms or artisans. The terms reserved for the client prove better than those of commission models, and every entry in the shared documents allows them to be verified.
Trade discounts passed to the client
With suppliers we work on terms that a private buyer, alone, would struggle to obtain:
- list discounts reserved for studios, particularly when we buy directly from the company rather than through shops or agents;
- particular conditions on production timing and methods, above all in complex projects or large-scale supplies;
- a different negotiating position, tied to the number of projects we manage and the visibility of our work: publications, network of contacts, continuity over time.
These advantages pass to the client in full. In our quotations we show the list price, the discount applied and the net price reserved for the client, and depending on product and volumes the saving against an independent purchase falls, indicatively, between 10% and 25%. The client is free to compare these terms with other offers.
Invoices and payments
For supplies the rule is a single one. Suppliers invoice the client directly and payments go from client to supplier, without passing through the studio’s account, which neither resells nor re-invoices. Double accounting steps and ambiguity around the flow of money disappear, administration lightens for everyone, in step with the project’s payment structure. For residential work of small and medium scale, we know no clearer arrangement.
Working tools for financial transparency
Transparency lives in the everyday working tools. The shared budget shows every supply at its updated net price, and alongside it a folder of quotations keeps the complete document for each entry, with list price, discount, payment terms and notes. The client consults it whenever they wish, and misunderstandings die before they are born, because every entry is verifiable and has its place in the whole.
Zero conflict of interest
Companies and suppliers will at times offer bonuses, rewards or retro-commissions. Discounts obtained in negotiation go to the client in their entirety, while unexpected recognitions are returned or converted into a further advantage for the client. We choose suppliers for quality, reliability, seriousness in after-sales and coherence with the project, with no financial return in between, and when a problem arises we stand without hesitation on the side of those who will live in the space.
The distance from the commission model
The commission model carries familiar dynamics, such as commissions eroding the promised discount, the incentive to grow the spend in order to grow the margin, invoicing loops that add cost without adding value. Our way of working keeps its distance, with readable numbers, defined responsibilities, traceable decisions.
Who this approach works for
Transparency also defines whom we work with best. This model is conceived for those who want full access to every item of spending without handling it personally, for those who delegate knowing there are no hidden interests, for those who have known opaque practices and finally seek clarity. As a guarantee, the contract expressly forbids the studio from receiving commissions on supplies. We also know whom it suits less, those who look only at the lowest price, those who use our work to seek more aggressive terms elsewhere, those who expect the discounts of commission models together with a fee designed for those who renounce those margins. The balance has to hold for everyone, client, studio and suppliers.
What transparency sets free
When the numbers are in order, the conversation returns where it belongs, to the quality of the project. Suspicions, misunderstandings and mid-works surprises fall away, and what remains is a frank design dialogue, where choices are discussed on their merits and the numbers stay in the background.
