Today we’d like to introduce you to Emily Korf.
Hi Emily, thanks for sharing your story with us. To start, maybe you can tell our readers some of your backstory.
I started my business in 2009 with the intention of offering affordable interior design solutions. Soon after I started, I was approached by a columnist at Pioneer Press who wanted to do an article on my business, and me. That gave me a huge boost in business at the time. Fast forward to today, I have an established team of people I work with, my husband joined the trades as well, so we are a bit of a trades power couple, I am also a licensed MN contractor. While I still try to offer affordable services, I’m less about price these days and more about offering a guided process of remodeling for people not only needing design and build services, but people wanting to avoid allowances and avoid going over budget by thousands.
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
There have been a lot of learning curbs along the way…finding reliable people to use, and building a “team,” keeping up with industry standards and codes forever changing, but most of all, learning how to cater to my clients’ personalities has been my biggest challenge. Every person is different; from what their expectations are, HOW they like to be communicated with, how much, how little, what they want to be involved in, to how laid back, or not, they are. Trying to find the “balance” with each individual person is by far my biggest struggle. Overall, it hasn’t been tough enough for me to leave, but it hasn’t been smooth enough that I can say I haven’t learned or am unscathed.
Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know about your work?
I am an interior designer who does design plus build. I offer a guided process of remodeling. In a field where most homeowners meet with a contractor who gives them a bid based on allowances, I come in and take clients through a guided process of remodeling. We first start with a floor plan, then we move onto finishes, THEN we get bids. My bids are about 99% accurate and don’t change much from bid to completion. I don’t know how many times I’ve heard homeowners say “Oh we did our kitchen but we went over budget by $20,000!” In my world, that doesn’t happen BECAUSE we finalize everything ahead of time. There is no project too small; I’ve never been the designer that said “I don’t have time for that.” I will take on any interior space and remodel them, “refresh” them, or customize them! Something I specialize in, that most designers don’t, is custom storage solutions. I can customize closets, pantries, storage rooms, mudrooms, garages and anywhere else that has a blank wall needing storage and organization!
Is there anything else you’d like to share with our readers?
A future goal of mine is to give back to my community and start a non-profit organization that re-designs the bedrooms of terminally ill children.
Pricing:
- Kitchen remodels start at 80K
- Bathroom remodels start at 25K
- “Refreshing” your kitchen is around 20K
Contact Info:
- Website: https://ElementsandPrinciples.com
