1. Meet Your Designer
Working Together
Next Steps
Your Project Portal
"Keeping It" List
How to Measure Guide & Worksheet
Tips For Taking Photos
First and foremost, thank you so much for entrusting me with your project.
I believe that creating a space you love starts with a well-crafted and intentional plan. I hope to
make the design process as clear and easy as possible while allowing for open collaboration
and communication. I can assure you that every sourced product and design detail will be
carefully thought out and hand-selected by me specifically for your project.
In this welcome guide you will find the following information:
I can't wait to gild your mess, so sit back, grab a glass of wine, and rest assured that the hard
work is done for you!
Stay golden,
Amanda Maier
Interior Designer
A Gilded Mess
W E L C O M E
Hello!
2. Y O U R
D E S I G N E R
Amanda is an online Interior Designer who lives with
her husband and two dogs, Cleo (Cavachon) and Abel
(Labrador), in Windsor, Colorado. She has always had
a love for creating new things and in 2017, after
buying her first home, she fell in love with interior
design. She made it her mission to start her own
business bringing the joy of intentional interiors to
others.
The name "A Gilded Mess" was inspired by the
Japanese art of Kintsugi where broken pottery is filled
with gold to create "beauty from brokenness."
Amanda believes the beauty of interiors lies in the
imperfections. Having a space filled with thoughtfully
curated items that you truly love and reflect your
unique story is what makes a design perfect for you!
INTERIOR DESIGNER
AMANDA MAIER
FOLLOW ALONG
M E E T
@agildedmess @agildedmess @agildedmess
3. W O R K I N G T O G E T H E R
My preferred method of
communication is via direct message
in your project portal or email. This
assures that all of our conversations
are documented, easily accessible,
and searchable! I check my email
and messenger twice per day and
may need a moment to develop a
response that is crafted with
attention. Please allow one full day to
get back to you with a reply.
COMMUNICATION
The project portal structure allows
you to be able to review and
provide feedback for the project at
any time that is most convenient
for you. If you prefer to have a
virtual video chat, that can be
arranged. 24-hour notice is
required, and all meetings must be
scheduled through this online
booking system:
www.calendly.com/agildedmess
VIRTUAL MEETINGS
Designing a new space is exciting,
and I'm eager to hear your input! It's
understandable during the initial
design process that you may want to
do your own research and shopping,
but please keep in mind that you've
hired a professional to do this for you!
If you come across something that
you simply have to have, let me know
as soon as possible to avoid costly
revisions and timeline extensions.
COLLABORATION
After the project wraps up, I'll be
reaching out to ask for a review and
to request that you keep A Gilded
Mess in mind for future referrals. It's
extremely important to me that you
are thrilled with the design service
and receive an exceptional
experience! If at any point, you feel
that I'm not meeting the mark-
simply let me know. I'll do my best to
make it right.
REFERRALS
GET THE MOST OUT OF YOUR DESIGN EXPERIENCE
4. In order to make the design process run as smoothly as possible, I have created a
password-protect project portal just for you. In your project portal you'll have
access to everything you'll need during the design process.
A C C E S S Y O U R P R O J E C T P O R T A L
01
N E X T S T E P S
Even if you have trouble articulating your desired look or design style, pictures of
rooms that you love can instantly give me a sense of what you are looking to
achieve. Please share with me your Pinterest, Instagram or Houzz inspiration
boards, and even a tear-out from your favorite magazine can be helpful.
S H A R E Y O U R I N S P I R A T I O N P H O T O S
Share the pieces you already own and love and would like to have incorporated
into the final design. I'll be collecting photos and measurements of these items,
but if you have direct links to the websites where they were purchased from, or a
confirmation email from the vendor, this will save a little time.
C O M P L E T E A " K E E P I N G L I S T "
Accurate measurements and clear photos are key to ensuring that everything is
selected to fit properly, even more so when the project is being handled
remotely. Follow the instructions in the enclosed measuring and photographing
guides and feel free to reach out if you have any questions!
M E A S U R E A N D P H O T O G R A P H Y O U R S P A C E
02
03
04
5. Y O U R P R O J E C T P O R T A L
In your password-protected project portal you will be able to direct message me with
questions or feedback, upload files like photos and measurements, and access your final
design deliverables.
LOGGING IN
Once you receive an email with your
unique project portal URL, you will be
taken to a login page. Enter your unique
password to login.
DIRECT MESSAGING
On the bottom right-hand corner of
your project portal is a messenger
icon. When you click this icon, you
will you be asked to sign-in as a
guest or by connecting your
Facebook account. Once you start a
new chat, you can direct message
me with any questions you may have
or to provide feedback on designs as
they are added to your portal.
6. Y O U R P R O J E C T P O R T A L C O N T .
UPLOADING FILES
Instead of going back and forth with
emails, I've made it easy for you to share
your photos and measurements with me
through your project portal. When you
submit an upload, I am notified via email
and the files are automatically added to
my google drive for viewing.
VIEWING YOUR DESIGNS
When I am finished with your initial
concept boards, I will upload the file to
your portal for your feedback on the
selections. Once you have accepted the
items, I will then work on the 3D rendering
(if applicable), clickable shopping list, and
step-by-step instructions.
7. ITEM NAME DIMENSIONS PHOTOS
" K E E P I N G I T " L I S T
Use the form below to outline the furniture items you'd like to keep. Please list the name of
the piece and the size (length x width x height). You can type right into this form, and then
upload the finished PDF and photos in your project portal!
(i.e.) Dresser 60"w x 18"d x 30"h Yes
8. 01
02
Sketch out the overall shape of your room as if you were looking at it from above.
You’ll want to include the locations of any windows, doors or openings by drawing
them in their respective areas.
B I R D ' S E Y E V I E W
Starting with the longest wall in your room, measure it across from corner to
corner. It may be helpful to have a friend assist or to line the measuring tape
along the floor. Measure the remaining walls and record your measurements.
C R E A T I N G T H E O U T L I N E
H O W T O M E A S U R E
( P A R T 1 )
9. 03
04
Now that you have the locations recorded, measuring for wall treatments, paint
calculations, or window treatments is a snap. You just have to measure your
ceiling height. Measure from your floor upwards to the ceiling, and make note of
the baseboard and crown molding heights.
C E I L I N G H E I G H T
For all of the walls, you’ll want to document the openings. Measure from the left
corner of a wall to the first outer trim of your window or door. Then, measure the
opening, trim to trim. Continue measuring the wall surface and openings, section by
section until you reach the opposite corner of the wall. Repeat this step for all walls.
A D D I N G T H E D E T A I L S
H O W T O M E A S U R E
( P A R T 2 )
10. H O W T O M E A S U R E
( P A R T 3 )
05
06
Next, we’re going to break our larger measurement into smaller sections. Starting
at the floor, measure to the bottom of the window sills. Then, measure from the
bottom of window sills to the top of the window trim. Lastly, measure from the
top of the windows trims to the ceiling, or to the bottom of the crown molding if
you have one.
O P E N I N G H E I G H T S
If you're considering window treatments, the final step will be to measure the
interior of your windows. Measure the width of your window at the top (inside of
the casing), from left to right. Next, measure the length of your window (inside of
the casing) from top to bottom.
O P E N I N G W I D T H S
11. M E A S U R E W O R K S H E E T
Use this sheet to draw your floorplan and wall elevations.
12. T I P S F O R T A K I N G P H O T O S
Whenever possible, take photos in natural daylight with all additional lighting turned off.
Take pictures of the entire room, one from each corner. This will give you 4 photos in total
and each photo should showcase two walls.
Try to keep your camera or phone level (not tilted) so that the room is true to the eye and
doesn't appear warped.
Take photos of your furniture to keep from multiple angles. I recommend one from the front,
one from the back (if possible) and one from a front corner.
