Consolidated choices and open choices
A variation is any modification that affects a decision already formalised: layout, finishes, lighting, furnishings, systems solutions. If the choice had been approved and is now called into question, it constitutes a variation. Refinement concerns elements intentionally left open. If we propose two finishes for a chair with final selection reserved, choosing between them falls within normal workflow. If chair and finish had already been confirmed and subsequently both need changing, the workflow stops and requires revision. A suspended choice is planned into the process. A variation interrupts it.
The chain reaction
An interior design project is a system of interdependent decisions. Modifying the layout of a room means rethinking the electrical system, revising the lighting scheme, adapting any bespoke furniture already designed. Changing a floor finish may imply a different thickness, requiring adjustment of screeds, thresholds, junctions with adjacent rooms. Those who do not manage a construction site daily rarely perceive this interdependence. A request that appears contained can propagate through the project, involving:
- works already scheduled or underway;
- orders dispatched or being processed;
- delivery and installation timelines;
- coordination between trades;
- direct and indirect costs, visible and hidden.
Replanning, reordering, partial remakes, additional coordination: these items do not appear in the initial request but emerge in cascade. Variations that arrive late, particularly those affecting structural elements or orders no longer modifiable, can prove irreversible or require economically significant interventions.
Consolidation points
A project passes through phases with varying degrees of openness. Before site commencement and order dispatch, the margin for modifications exists and is manageable. As the process advances, certain decisions consolidate and reopening them carries proportional consequences. The passages that mark consolidation are:
- the order of bespoke furniture;
- the definition of structural solutions and commencement of related procedures;
- the closure of systems design;
- the dispatch of surface and finish orders.
We require formal approvals at the end of each major review. These moments represent the windows within which decisions can still be revised without significant impact. When a request arrives out of phase, we evaluate it together with the client, presenting implications transparently. The final decision rests with the client, and it is an informed decision.
Formalisation
A variation request activates a defined sequence:
- assessment of impact on the project as a whole;
- identification of viable options;
- estimate of costs and timelines;
- presentation of the complete picture;
- written approval before proceeding.
Documentation records the intervention and its effect on related elements. Drawings, schedule, orders, specifications are updated according to our coordination method. A variation is a project event: it requires analysis, coordination, formalisation. The operational complexity it entails is systematically underestimated by those requesting it.
Second thoughts and unforeseen conditions
Client-side variations often arise from reconsiderations of furnishings, colours, finishes. When the motivation relates to taste, we try to offer a less contingent perspective, helping evaluate the choice beyond the immediate reaction. When a concrete functional need emerges, we assess together which direction makes more sense. Clarity in the initial phases serves to reduce second thoughts in later ones. Technical variations derive from conditions that emerge on site:
- structural limitations not detectable before demolitions;
- updated regulatory requirements;
- adjustments imposed by actual conditions.
The process is identical, but communication includes the technical context that generated the necessity. Decisions between options remain with the studio, with client approval where required. The objective is to integrate the variation into the project language with the greatest possible harmony. Supply variations, linked to availability or delivery times, are rare. We plan equivalent alternatives for critical elements, but share them only if the problem arises.
The cost of changes
The cost of a variation is communicated before proceeding, integrated into the payment structure, together with its impact on aesthetics and timelines. Work advances only after explicit approval. For modifications of negligible magnitude, in the order of fractional percentages of the budget, we apply common sense and confirm directly. For more significant impacts, dedicated approval is required. The threshold is clear: below 0.5% of budget we proceed, above 3-4% formal confirmation is needed.
System update
When a variation comes into play, we align all parties involved. Updating documentation is our responsibility:
- drawings and executive details;
- site schedule;
- orders and specifications;
- communications with suppliers and trades.
We use sharing systems that guarantee access to the current version, with modification history. We avoid outdated documentation on site, orders based on obsolete specifications, misalignments between parties. The systemic view of the project allows us to absorb the impact of variations, contain them without propagating damage, protect schedule and coherence of outcome.
Flexibility and rigour
Our approach is founded on balance between openness and method. The client can reconsider their choices. Every modification is managed through a process that contains its effects and makes its consequences transparent. Fewer subjective variations during works, lower the extra cost, better the result.
