What my clients say - Derrick Ivey, Design Coach

Portfolio: What my clients say

We were very fortunate to find Derrick early in the building of our new house in Fearrington Village. He was a great help in the selection of interior details (flooring, cabinets, light fixtures, knobs and pulls) plus patio design. He is really outstanding in the selection of colors. During construction, when we were out-of-state for over a month, he monitored progress and became our "eyes and ears," handling questions that arose through emails with us. Overall we were 100% satisfied with his work.

Pat & Bob
Pittsboro, NC
their project: Moving Forward

After 10 years, our house had become worn, tired and frazzled-looking inside. The "contractor paint" was a nondescript off-white and the furniture needed recovering after years of wear from our 4 cats. The multi-colored Chinese rugs in the living room and dining room presented a coordination challenge in choosing paint, upholstery fabric and window treatments.

After several months of trying on our own and working with other interior designers' ideas that didn't suit us, we took the advice of a fabric store owner and hired Derrick.

He was such a pleasure to work with. He spent the time necessary to determine our tastes and how we used the space in our home. With that information, he came up with an innovative color scheme for our rooms.

The color combinations he suggested for the living and dining rooms were so different from anything we had seen before that we were initially skeptical. To show us what the new colors would look like on our walls, he photographed our rooms and digitally altered the wall colors to show the new paint. We could then "see" what we were unable to imagine before and were delighted to proceed with the painting.

We were also very pleased with his suggestions for the living room and family room fabrics, window treatments for our bedrooms and new light fixtures throughout.

Our house now looks brand new--lighter, brighter and so pleasant to spend time in. Derrick even helped us with picture placement and hanging.

The entire project, which seemed so overwhelming at first, went more smoothly than we ever thought possible, due largely to Derrick. Our work with Derrick has led us to believe that he's more than talented. He's inspired! Oh, and did we mention that he's very reasonably priced...

Rose & John
Carrboro, NC
their project: Style Update

I needed a quick fix. I had joined a private practice and had little transition time between my old job and the new one. While my new office came pre-furnished, I was not happy with the furnishings and thought the space felt both sterile and unprofessional. However, I didn't want to spend a great deal of time or money on re-decorating.

I had worked with Derrick on residential projects and had also seen him work wonders on small-budget theatrical productions. So I thought he was a natural choice to solve this dilemma.

He listened to my list of needs and complaints, assessed the situation, and quickly formulated a plan. The most amazing thing is that he did the entire make-over in only one weekend.

I couldn't be happier with the results. Both patients and colleagues often comment that it stands out as an oasis of calm in what can be a rather chaotic environment.

Dr. W.
Sanford, NC
his project: Quick Fix

Derrick transformed my country den to a Zen-ish retreat in two sessions!

Being in the hands of someone as talented as Derrick makes the process fun and exciting. He has excellent taste and intuitively knew the constraints of decorating with three kids who sometimes play soccer in my den...

Derrick also has an excellent eye for color and made suggestions in many rooms, which I acted upon. For instance, in the study he suggested I paint the walls the same shade as the master, a soft grey/blue above the chair rail. Under the chair rail, he felt I should paint the same shade of white as all the trim and the wall of built-in bookcases. My husband was skeptical at first, but after two coats of the blue and white we have a relaxing and beautiful evening retreat.

Most of our work involved Derrick making floor cushions and pillows in designer fabrics. He also designed a custom rug that involves four different carpets stitched together. The custom textiles have held up wonderfully and, although have taken a beating, still look new. I highly recommend his services.

Karen
Chapel Hill, NC
her project: Custom Textiles

We unequivocally recommend Derrick Ivey to anyone who is designing, building, or furnishing a home, no matter how large or small the project. Derrick worked with us as our "design coach" from very early in the design phase of building our home in Fearrington, continuing throughout the selection and construction phases. He recommended the color scheme, and helped us select furniture, carpets, flooring and art that blended harmoniously. We continue to seek his advice on finishing touches inside our home as well as his coaching on "fine tuning" our landscaping.

Derrick brings many talents to the table. First is a superb sense of space, color, and design harmony. He always has imaginative ideas about how to resolve a particular problem or improve something that is not quite right. With practical experience in the execution of designs, he anticipates issues that might arise during construction and develops solutions.

Working with Derrick is fun. He has an easy, non-intimidating manner when presenting his insights and ideas. While he will say what he thinks, he never attempts to impose that thinking on you and listens carefully to what you like and dislike. He has great communication skills, and quickly establishes great working relationships with everyone in the design and construction process.

Living several hundred miles from our new home construction, Derrick became our trusted agent to handle many of the design and construction details when we were not here. We had great faith in his judgment and his ability to deal with an issue on his own or, when necessary, to contact us to discuss possible resolutions. This arrangement worked beautifully for all concerned.

Hiring Derrick was the best decision we could have made, and resulted in a living environment we love. Thank you, Derrick.

Rhoda & Ron
Pittsboro, NC
their project: Clear Vision

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