5 Ways to Avoid Overwhelm in Showrooms
Being productive while shopping for your remodel or renovation is all about narrowing things down as much as possible so that you don’t need to look through every single option.
Make Appointments Ahead of Time
Great showrooms are usually busy, so it’s best to give them a heads up and let them know you’re stopping by. If you call ahead, they should have a salesperson available for you when you walk in. We tend to work with the same salespeople at our preferred vendors’ showrooms because they’re amazing. They tend to be organized, detail-oriented, and are great at trouble-shooting. All these traits make a renovation run much more smoothly.
If you’re clear about what you’re looking for ahead of time, a great salesperson will often have options pulled before you arrive. This makes the selection process as efficient as possible because you’re not walking through an entire showroom and getting overwhelmed with all the options—many of which may not be appropriate for your project.
Have a Clear Idea of What You Want
The reason I’m usually in and out of showrooms in 30-60 minutes is because I usually know what I’m looking for when I walk in so I spend less time wandering aimlessly. It’s kind of like when you’re shopping for shoes—if you know you need a pair of black Chelsea boots you can kind of ignore everything else in the store that doesn’t meet that criteria.
Be as clear as possible on what style you prefer, the level of maintenance you’re comfortable with, and where this material or finish will be installed.
Take some inspiration photos with you if you’re not 100% sure what you want. Remember, salespeople can be super helpful, but they can’t read your mind. They can only help you as much as you help them.
Take Relevant Samples You Already Have
A material or finish might look fantastic in a showroom, but not when you think of it in context of everything else that may be in the room. For example, If you’re looking for a backsplash tile, try to take samples of the finishes that will be adjacent to it, like the countertop and cabinet.
When flooring is being replaced in one room, it’s great if you have a sample of the flooring it will be installed adjacent too. This is especially important if you’re installing a luxury vinyl plank next to hardwood. You don’t want these finishes to clash or like you tried to match them but failed.
Know When You’ll Need the Product
When you are in the middle of a project that’s already under construction the time to make choices is limited. Talk to your contractor about decision deadlines so you’re not the cause of a construction delay (yikes). This is why we start the design and selection process well before construction begins—it allows the client to have more options, since lead times aren’t as much of an issue. Ideally, your contractor will provide you with a construction schedule before your project commences so you already have this information on hand.
If your cabinetry is getting installed next month, it doesn’t make sense to look at cabinets with an 8 week lead time because waiting on that delivery will delay the entire project. A tight deadline means that you should only look at things that are in stock or that can get to the job site pretty quickly. If the timeline isn’t an issue, you can look at items that are non-stock or made-to-order. Just know that it’s going to take longer to get these products. Be aware that often these items have stricter return policies attached to them or aren’t returnable at all unless it arrives damaged etc.
If You Have a Budget Constraint, Be Honest About It
You might not know what you’re willing to spend on something until you see it, but everyone has a threshold. If you have no intention of spending $60/sq. ft. on a backsplash, no matter how beautiful it is, let your salesperson know up front. Again, it’s all about narrowing things down.
The more you can figure out before you even get to the showroom, the easier your life will be and the quicker you’ll be in and out of the showroom feeling confident that you made some great decisions. If you’re looking for some showroom guidance, we’ve worked showroom visits into Boutique Consultations with great results!
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