Telling All...Our Worst Client EVER!

Telling All...Our Worst Client EVER

A note From Bill

​The right fit between the client and the architect is so important, especially when it comes to a custom home project. All home design projects take time, but that is especially true of custom homes. We want to create a bond with our clients through trust and open communication—I can’t imagine a homeowner wanting the opposite of that. Like any relationship, the one between client and architect is a two-way street. We can get drawings done in a timely manner, as long as the homeowner is making decisions in a timely manner. Same with construction: we can get your selections delivered when you’re ready to install them, but only if you don’t postpone making those selections in the first place. 

I hate to throw any client under the bus but, in this case, I feel like I must…as a cautionary tale at the very least. And while I was warned against naming names, again, I feel like I must. 

Our worst client? Me.

Okay, maybe I’m not the worst client (although my staff may disagree), but when I was going through the process of designing and building a “forever home” for my wife and I, I doubt that I was an easy client. I’ve talked about my project journey plenty of times before, but as I near the finish line, I might as well throw in one more recap for good measure. My wife and I wanted to build a custom ranch home that suited our needs as we live into our twilight years, and this whole process—from start to finish—has been documented in our YouTube series, Design+Build Decoded (now’s a good time to catch up on episodes, by the way!). 

What was it that made me such a bad client? No, it wasn’t the constant design changes during the Design Phase; exploring all the options and refining the design with tweaks and adjustments is often the difference between a mediocre design and a great one. What is a great design for my wife and I is not necessarily going to be a great design for someone else, and that’s why going through rounds of changes is important in the grand scheme of things. And if it counts for anything, I am extremely happy with our final design, and I don’t think I would change a single thing. 
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​The thing that made me an aggravating client had to be the selections process. I started out great, deciding on windows, appliances, and plumbing fixtures in a timely fashion.  However, as construction got started, I found I had little time for selections while trying to run a business and the construction of my own home.  Items such as the final cabinet design and other selections got pushed back to the final moments.  We did have the cabinets when we needed them, but another week and we would have been waiting.

The same was true with tile, countertops, carpet, light fixtures, etc.  If I could have followed our own rules, I would have reduced a lot of stress and, quite frankly, frustration that my wife had about last-minute decisions.  I had the big picture in my mind, but more importantly, I needed to transform it from my mind and onto the drawings and selections.  Thank goodness for our designer, Renee Dion.  Without her help, I would have been lost.

​​As I mentioned earlier, this is our “forever” home, so I have no intention of doing this again.  It has been a great experience, one that helps me relate to our clients' concerns and struggles.  I can’t wait to move in; it should be awesome.  The greater question for my staff is this.  Would you take me on as a client?

watch Design+Build Decoded

until next time...

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written By: Bill Styczynski

Bill Styczynski is the president of Studio21 Architects, as well as an architect in his own right. Every month, Bill writes an article for the Studio Pages newsletter about design topics that he believes will be informative, helpful reads for all of our clients, established and potential. ​