Kathyrn C.
1/5
Embarking on the exciting venture of opening my first storefront, I entrusted Wild West with the interior design based on glowing recommendations. My experience, however, turned into an exhaustive and frustrating saga that I hope others can avoid.
Initially, I was charged $2,000 for an $11k design proposal, promised a collaborative process, and an 8-week timeline aligned with the grand opening of my salon. From the outset, I provided detailed mood boards and explicit descriptions of what I envisioned and disliked. My goal was clear: to create a unique and functional space for my salon.
The process began to unravel early on. Two weeks into the project, with my new space remaining untouched and the foundational work pending, my concerns grew. Despite my anxiety, reassurances from Wild West were plentiful but vagueâalways a âdonât worryâ but little action. Four weeks in, with an empty space still staring back at me, I proactively contacted them to initiate any sort of build-out. They advised meeting with contractors to discuss foundational changes, so I arranged these meetings, only to face further delays because the designers had not provided any concrete plans.
By the fifth week, under my insistence, Wild West directed my contractor to demolish certain walls and begin other structural changes. Yet, just as these physical alterations were completed, Wild Westâs âbig revealâ shockingly proposed reinstating a wall they had just removed. Their casual suggestion that it âwouldnât be that hard to put back upâ highlighted a shocking disregard for practicality and budget.
Their final presentation, delivered exactly at the end of the full 8-week deadline, was the pinnacle of unprofessionalism. One of the designers, in her car en route to somewhere else, attempted to walk me through their so-called hard work over a shaky mobile connection. This disheveled presentation was a clear sign they hadnât taken the project seriously enough to even present it properly.
The content was a hastily assembled PDF that lacked any personalized touches and included impractical elements like carpets and long drapesâchoices that demonstrated a lack of understanding of salon operations. Moreover, the proposal was now suddenly $30k over budget due to their preference for using their own vendors, not for quality or bespoke craftsmanship, but seemingly to secure kickbacks.
When I voiced my concerns, Wild West quickly shuffled colors around and represented the same basic ideas in another ânewâ presentation, further showcasing that their efforts were last-minute, not the result of an 8-week thoughtful process.
With just three weeks left before my salonâs opening and the space in complete demolition, the stress and haste I experienced were immenseâexactly what I had hoped to avoid by hiring professionals. I felt robbed of my timeline and the chance to react and adapt in a measured way. A moment in my career that should have been filled with excitement and joy was overshadowed by frustration and urgency, leaving me to manage far more than I should have needed to.
Ultimately, I decided to terminate our contract and take on the redesign myself, making more progress in a day than I had seen in weeks. If youâre seeking a design team for your business, I urge caution with Wild West. Their approach may suit less time-sensitive or personalized projects, but for those requiring meticulous attention to detail and respect for deadlines and budgets, I recommend looking elsewhere. They showed a profound lack of professionalism, commitment, and respect for my time and vision. This was not the partnership I envisioned when I embarked on this journey with Wild West.
I expected honesty about this project from the start. Promised a collaborative process, I was instead shocked and disrespected by their final ideasâPersian rugs and long white drapes in a hair salon? Moreover, their suggestion to open my business âbare bonesâ after 8 weeks of âworkâ is unacceptable and far from the professionalism I was promised.
