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Full-service interior design · Marin · San Francisco · Los Angeles · Miami
Full-service interior design, from story to reveal
Full-service interior design means one studio takes your home from the first conversation to the final installation: space planning, interior architecture, furniture, lighting, art, ordering and installation. At The Scale Collective, Sara Alexander and her small team handle every step for homes in Marin County, San Francisco and beyond.
You bring your story. We craft the vision for how you want to live, then carry every decision, order and delivery, until the day you walk into a home that is finished and unmistakably yours.
Begin your project
Beverly Hills penthouse
What full-service design includes
Six parts of one project, handled by one small team. You make the decisions that matter; we carry the rest.
- I
Space planning
Measured plans and furniture layouts for every room, so each piece is chosen to fit.
- II
Interior architecture
Layout, ceilings, lighting plans and custom millwork, drawn for your builder.
- III
Furniture, lighting & textiles
A curated collection for each room, including custom and trade-only pieces, with samples to touch.
- IV
Art & objects
Art and sculptural pieces chosen for scale and story, from emerging artists to collectible works.
- V
Ordering & logistics
We order, track, receive and inspect every piece, so you never chase a delivery.
- VI
Installation & reveal
Everything is installed and styled at once, down to the art on the walls.
One designer, start to finish
Sara Alexander leads every full-service project herself, from the first walk-through to the reveal. Trained in architecture, she starts with the plan and the proportions of each room, then builds a collection of furniture, materials and art that tells your story.
“When we work on both the interior architecture and the interior design, we have more control over the process, and we can create more dynamic interiors as a result.”
The difference
Full-service design vs. doing it yourself
| Full-service | On your own | |
|---|---|---|
| Planning | Measured plans and layouts for every room | Guesswork, or a plan drawn by each vendor |
| Sourcing | Custom, trade-only and artisan pieces, curated to one story | Retail catalogs, one piece at a time |
| Seeing it first | Renderings of each room before anything is ordered | Imagining it from photos and swatches |
| Orders & deliveries | Ordered, tracked, received and inspected by us | Dozens of vendors, deliveries and returns to manage |
| Install day | Installed and styled at once, a finished reveal | Rooms that fill in piece by piece |
Six phases, one story
- I
Your story - II
The concept - III
The plan - IV
The options - V
The final design - VI
The making & reveal
Full-service projects
“Over the past five years, we've worked with the Scale Collective on three major projects, and couldn't be happier with the results.”
Questions about full-service design
What does full-service interior design include?
Full-service interior design includes space planning, interior architecture and millwork, furniture, lighting, textiles, art, ordering and logistics, and installation. The Scale Collective manages each of these from the first visit to the final reveal, so the whole home is designed as one story.
How is full-service design different from decorating?
A decorator styles the rooms you have. Full-service interior design starts earlier, with the plan, the layout and the architecture of each room, then carries through furniture, art and installation. The result is a home where every piece fits because the room was designed for it.
Do you work with our architect and contractor?
Yes. The Scale Collective joins your architect, engineer and contractor early on a remodel or new build, provides interior drawings, and stays involved through construction so the finished rooms match the design.
Can we keep furniture and art we already own?
Yes. A full-service project starts by looking at what you have, and The Scale Collective designs around the pieces that matter to you.
How much does full-service interior design cost?
Like most high-end interior design studios, The Scale Collective works on an hourly fee, with a procurement fee on furniture, art and materials purchased through the studio. Every home is different, so we don't publish ranges. The first 30-minute Zoom call or local site visit is complimentary; a longer walk-through and design assessment is billed as an initial design assessment fee.
Where does The Scale Collective work?
From its studio in Tiburon, The Scale Collective designs homes across Marin County and San Francisco, and for clients in Los Angeles, Miami Beach and beyond.
Further reading
Journal · coming soon
What does full-service interior design include?
Every step, from first plan to install day, and what you will see along the way.
Journal · coming soon
Full-service design vs. e-design
What you gain, and when a lighter approach makes sense.
Journal · coming soon
Preparing for your first meeting with an interior designer
What to bring, what to ask, and how to tell your story.
Journal · coming soon
Trade-only furniture, explained
Why the best pieces are not in stores, and how designers source them.
Also from the studio: interior architecture · art consulting · our process · interior design in Marin County · interior design in San Francisco