JOIN OUR TEAM
Tera Janelle Design is a full-service, residential interior design team
specializing in large-scale renovations and new construction homes.
We guide homeowners through every detail of the design, build, and furnishing process, so they can enjoy creating a timeless home without carrying the stress of managing it all.
Forget about beautiful houses.
We are focused on creating beautiful HOMES.
Pairing luxury with comfort to create beautiful, functional, and throw-up-your-feet spaces where families and friends do life together.
Much of our team’s time is spent behind the scenes—in spreadsheets and construction drawings, navigating deadlines, budgets, shipping statuses, and delivery boxes. It may be far from the glamour many associate with interior design, but I’ve been captivated by the process of construction and the transformation of a house for as long as I can remember.
My father was a contractor and my mother loved to decorate and garden. They built our Wisconsin farmhouse and truly made it a place to gather. Everyone was welcome and there was a deeply felt sense of comfort, belonging, and home for all who visited.
I am honored to be entrusted with creating that same sense of HOME for our clients.
We value the trust you are putting in our team. We embrace the responsibility to ensure the design is functional, thoughtful, and timeless so you continue to love your home for years to come. We can help you sort through the likes to get to the loves, and share our experience in knowing when to splurge and when to save. We will help you to see the potential of your home and to navigate the hiccups of making it a reality.
We are here to partner with you through every step of the process, and you can rest easy knowing we have been here before. We've got this! And I hope our enthusiasm is infectious.
We cannot wait to be a part of making your home one you love!
LET'S GET STARTED
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THE DISCOVERY CALL
Fill out our contact form to schedule your Discovery Call. We are excited to learn more about your project! The discovery call is your opportunity to chat with Tera about your project goals and to learn more about our team and design process.
MEET THE TEAM
Schedule a complimentary meeting at our Design Studio to meet Tera and the design team, explore our portfolio, review our design deliverables, and learn more about the experience partnering with our team. We’ll walk you through our process, answer your questions, review your goals and details of your project, and discuss the anticipated design and project investment. If our team and your project are a fit, we’re ready to get our boots on the ground and see your home (or build plans) in person!
THE DESIGN CONSULTATION
Our one-hour Design Consultation ($500) is the next step in the project inquiry process. Tera and the team will visit your home or review your build plans in person, share our initial ideas, and use what we learn to develop a detailed design proposal outlining the scope, approach, and investment for partnering with our team.
The Design Consultation includes:
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A Project Discovery Call with Tera Janelle
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A TJD Design Survey to complete in preparation for your consultation
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Up to one hour of virtual or in-home consultation time
If you decide to move forward with our design services, the Design Consultation fee will be credited toward your project!
OUR FULL SERVICE DESIGN PROCESS
01. DISCOVERY
Project discovery call with Tera and in-home design consultation. Signing of design proposal and payment of design fee deposit. Client "deep dive interview" with design team. Documentation and measure of existing spaces and furnishings.
02. DESIGN CONCEPT & INVESTMENT ESTIMATES
Development of the design concept in order to determine the general layout and aesthetic direction. Drafting of CAD floor plans and elevations. Creation of trade and contractor quoting packets. Securing of trade and contractor bids. Presenting of estimates to clients.
03. DESIGN DEVELOPMENT
Creation of 3D renderings (as applicable). Selection of all design finishes, hardware, materials, and furnishings. Upon client approval, conversion to proposals and purchase orders. Signing of updated project budget agreement reflecting any requested add-ons. Payment of project budget deposit and approval of all orders.
04. PURCHASING & CONSTRUCTION
Placement and tracking of all design orders, including lighting, hardware, cabinetry, counters, window coverings, furnishings, etc., as applicable. Receiving and warehousing of all deliveries. Construction progress oversight. Collaborating with contractors and trades. Site visits to ensure design is implemented as intended. Delivery of design materials to project site.
05. INSTALLATION
Conclusion of construction and installation of all specified furnishings. Final project photography. The final reveal! "Punch list" follow up. Submission of final invoice and care guide to clients.
"Tera is a true talent. We have partnered with Tera and her team on many projects and homes over the years! Most recently she oversaw a complete renovation of our Virginia vacation home. She managed the entire construction process and furnishing of the home, as we were states away throughout the renovation. The end result was absolutely stunning. We are so glad we left the project entirely in her hands!"
OUR DESIGN DELIVERABLES
CAD DRAWINGS: The Floor Plan
Once the project direction is set, we start by drafting multiple floor plan alternatives, allowing clients to fully explore their home's potential.
CAD DRAWINGS: Elevations
Once the floor plan is fine tuned, we move into elevations, detailing the cabinetry, millwork, tile, lighting, plumbing, etc.
CONTRACTOR BID PACKETS
Once the floor plans and elevations of a space are finalized, it is time to bring in the trades! Depending on the scale of the project, a general contractor and architect may also be involved. At this meeting we provide to the general contractor (or direct to the trades for smaller projects) a Contractor Bid Packet, providing the teams all the details they need to bid the project and estimate the timeline. This packet includes, as applicable: floor plans, elevations, design boards, renderings, and a project summary document. This additional document is a written supplement to the design drawings and details proposed fixture allowances, work site expectations, and design intricacies necessary for trades to accurately bid a project's cost and timeline.
DESIGN BOARDS
A room’s design board is a visual specification of the selections within a room, highlighting how the finishes, fixtures, and furnishings relate within a room’s design concept.
SPECIFICATION SCHEDULES
The specification schedules are part of the Design Build Book provided to your contractor. As much as we love design boards, the spec schedules are what contractors and trades look to. These highly detailed spreadsheets specify everything from the fixtures, material selections, and paint colors down to the nitty gritty details: grout width, paint sheens, light fixture hanging heights, lightbulb Kelvins, and special installation instructions.
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3-D RENDERINGS
For key rooms of the home, particularly those a client may have difficulty imagining, we draft 3D renderings. These dimensional, to-scale renderings provide our clients a realistic perspective of the final design to come.
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
Do you design projects outside of your home base in Lynchburg, Virginia?
We focus primarily on projects within one hour of Lynchburg, Virginia, but are open to traveling for the right project!
Do you offer design consultating?
While the consultation is the first step for our full-service projects, at this time we offer full-service design only and do not offer stand-alone consultations.
We are building a new home. When should we call you?
We recommend reaching out at least 6 months before you break ground.
We partner with clients on new construction primarily on a full-service design basis, meaning we join projects at very early concept and support our clients through every detail of the design and build process.
We often join our clients' new builds before they've even chosen a builder or architect, sometimes even before they have purchased the land/lot. This early collaboration provides for the very best final designs!
Would you join a new build that is already underway?
We generally join a new build long before the project has broken ground, but we evaluate every project inquiry independently. We are happy to review the point you are at in the process and let you know whether it would be a fit.
Are clients required to use TJD for both construction design and the furnishings?
While we do not require furnishings as a part of construction design projects, about 85% of our projects involve some level of furnishing. We have found clients are infinitely more happy at the conclusion of a construction project when at least one room is furnished to completion. After so many months (or even years!) spent in the bustle of the construction process, the warmth and satisfaction of knowing at least one room is fully finished has been invaluable to our clients.
What is the difference between "construction design" and "furnishings design"?
Construction design specifics the floor plan, layouts, and finishes of the items that are fixed or attached to the home, such as paint, siding, flooring, cabinetry, fixtures, tile, wallpaper, etc.
When we describe designing the "furnishings" of a home, we are referring to the rugs, lamps, artwork, upholstery, furniture, draperies, and styling accessories. At Tera Janelle Design, we most commonly partner with clients in designing both the construction and furnishings of the home, so the home has a decidedly cohesive, customized feel throughout.
What is your fee structure?
Our design fees are billed on an hourly or flat fee basis, depending on the scope of the project. Those design fees cover the hours worked by and overhead of our design team.
Contractor and trade costs, furnishings, and fixtures are billed separately.
Do you require a minimum project investment?
The minimum design fee expenditure for local projects is $10,000. Design fees cover the hours worked by and overhead of our design team.
Contractor costs, furnishings, fixtures, etc. are billed separately.
We do not have room-by-room minimums but are happy to discuss average projects investments, so you can ensure our design approach and team is the right fit for your project.
I love your kitchens! What is the average cost of your kitchen renovations?
Our kitchen projects typically start at $125,000 + appliances and design fees. All construction related costs are paid by you directly to the general contractor.
Cabinetry, fixtures, and furnishings are purchased through our design team. Don't have a contractor in mind? We are happy to recommend one!
Do you provide the contractors?
One of the key values we bring to our clients is Tera's nearly 20 years in design and construction, and established relationships with wonderful contractors, trades, and manufacturers. If you do not have a contracting team in mind, we are happy to make recommendations!
Our clients sign contracts directly with their general contractor of choice, and all construction related payments are paid directly by clients to that general contractor.
How long should we anticipate our kitchen renovation will take?
The length of a project depends on its scope, contractor availability, and product lead times. Throughout the process, we work closely with our contractors and vendors to develop an anticipated project schedule so you know what to expect and when.
For a typical full kitchen renovation, the design phase generally takes 2–6 weeks, depending on the level of customization, structural modifications, and decision-making timeline.
Once the design is complete, we submit the project for contractor pricing. General contractors typically require 2–4 weeks to coordinate with their trades and prepare a comprehensive project estimate, though timing ultimately depends on their current workload and availability.
After the project is approved, the construction start date is determined by the contractor's schedule. We recommend ordering key materials as early as possible, as some products—particularly kitchen appliances—can have lead times of six months or more.
Once construction begins, a gut-renovation of a kitchen typically takes 4–6 months from demolition to completion, assuming materials have been ordered in advance and no unforeseen conditions arise during construction.
What is "full service" interior design?
Full-service interior design means partnering with a design team through every detail of the design, build, and furnishing process, so you can enjoy creating a timeless home without carrying the stress of managing it all. From the earliest project concepts and construction drawings to budgeting, procurement, contractor and trade coordination, furniture receiving, installation, and styling, we guide you through every stage of the construction and design journey —from concept to final installation.
Depending on the size and scope of the project, full service design services may include:
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Whole-home floor plan design
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Budget planning
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Materials and furnishings selections
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3-D renderings for key rooms
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Custom cabinetry design and elevations
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Custom millwork design and elevations
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Exterior finish selections
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Exterior living and entertaining space design
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Lighting and electrical planning
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Mechanical walk throughs
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Custom furniture design and production
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Custom art commissions
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Art and accessories selections
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Project administration
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Procurement, expediting, and warehousing
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White-glove delivery and installation for final reveal
Has the pandemic affected the design process?
The short answer, YES. We are seeing longer lead times for manufacturing and furnishings, and very busy project loads for quality contractors and trades. But we have always approached our design process with a Type-A attention to detail and planning, so we have simply kicked that into ultra high gear!
We are interested in working with your team. What's the next step?
Give us a call or send us an email to schedule a Discovery Call. We cannot wait to learn more about you and your dreams for your home!
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Are our services and process a fit for your project?
We are excited to talk with you!