The Install Partner Kansas City Interior Designers Have Been Looking For
Every Kansas City interior designer has a list. The contractor who left a year ago. The handyman who showed up late to the install. The installer who put a hole in the client's antique credenza. The painter who never returned the call. The thing nobody tells you in design school is that the work that makes or breaks your project is not the design. It is the install.
What Designers Actually Need From an Install Partner
You spent weeks on the vision. You sourced the perfect light fixture from a vendor in High Point. You convinced the client to spend on the right wallpaper instead of the cheaper alternative. You ordered the custom drapery six months ago.
And now it all needs to land in the client's home in a single coordinated install. Smoothly. On schedule. Without anyone scratching the floor, damaging the wallpaper, or making your client uncomfortable.
That last sentence is where most installs go sideways. Designers tell us the same thing over and over. Finding a handyman who can execute the vision without bringing ego, drama, or carelessness into the client's home is harder than finding the right fabric.
That is exactly what HerHaven is built for. We are a woman owned, woman run home services company serving the Kansas City metro on both the Kansas and Missouri sides, and design install work has become one of our most rewarding service categories.
What We Handle for Designers
Install Day Coordination
The trades you coordinate on install day need someone to handle the gap work. Hanging the art the delivery team unwrapped. Mounting the sconces the electrician installed. Adjusting the drapery the installer hung crooked. Touching up the paint where the movers nicked the wall.
We are the install day handywoman team that makes the rest of your team look good.
Art and Mirror Hanging
Hanging fine art is not the same as hanging a Target print. Heavy pieces need proper anchors. Salon walls need centerline math. Large mirrors need security straps. Multi piece groupings need to be laid out on the floor first and measured twice.
We handle all of it, including the gallery wall the client changed her mind about three times.
Wallpaper Installation
Wallpaper is having a moment again, and Kansas City designers are specifying it more than they have in twenty years. Quality wallpaper installation requires a specific skill set: pattern matching, careful corner work, knowing when to book the material, paste application, and the patience to do it right.
We install pre pasted, paste the wall, and traditional wallpaper from House of Hackney, Cole and Son, Schumacher, Thibaut, Phillip Jeffries, and the boutique brands your clients are specifying.
Drapery and Window Treatment Installation
Custom drapery is expensive, and the install is where it lives or dies. We mount rods at the right height for the room (usually higher than you think), hang panels with proper stack back, and adjust hems where the workroom got it slightly wrong.
For shades, blinds, and Roman treatments, we install per the manufacturer specs and your design intent.
Light Fixture Installation
The new pendants, sconces, chandeliers, and flush mounts your client ordered need to go up. We handle straightforward fixture swaps and installs. For anything that requires panel work, new circuits, or licensed electrical, we refer to a vetted electrician.
If you have already coordinated an electrician, we can handle the styling and adjustment work that follows the install (height adjustments, chain shortening, shade alignment).
Touch Up Paint, Drywall Repair, and Wall Prep
Furniture moves leave marks. Wallpaper jobs reveal old patches. Mounting hardware leaves anchor holes when the client changes her mind. We patch, sand, prime, and touch up so the install looks as clean as the renderings.
Furniture Assembly and Staging
The new sectional arrives in pieces. The custom dining table needs leveling. The bookshelves came flat packed from the vendor. The bar cart needs to be assembled before the install photos are scheduled.
We assemble, level, anchor, and stage. You direct, we execute.
Punch List Resolution
Every install ends with a punch list. The drawer that does not close. The door that sticks. The cabinet pull that came in wrong. The outlet cover that was forgotten. We block a half day at the end of the install and burn through the list.
What Designers Pay
| Service Type | Rate |
|---|---|
| General install work | $85 per hour |
| Wallpaper installation | Custom quote based on substrate and pattern complexity |
| Drapery installation | $85 per hour |
| Touch up painting | $85 per hour |
| Drywall repair | $85 per hour |
| Project minimum | $250 for half day install support |
For larger or recurring designer projects, reach out and we will scope it together. We can invoice the designer directly or invoice the client with the designer as project manager.
Why Designers Specifically Choose HerHaven
No Ego, No Drama
Designers tell us this matters more than anything else. We execute the vision. We do not second guess your specs in front of the client. We do not redesign the install on the fly because we think we know better. If we see something that is going to cause a problem, we tell you privately, not the client.
We Respect the Client Relationship
Your client is your client. We do not pass business cards. We do not pitch ourselves for follow up work. We do not undermine your scope by suggesting changes the client did not ask for. If the client asks us for something outside the install scope, we direct them back to you.
We Communicate Professionally
Most of our designer clients are women. Most of their clients are women. The communication style matters. We arrive on time, explain what we are doing, work cleanly, and leave the space ready for photography. We do not curse on the job site. We do not eat lunch on the client's island.
We Are Insured and Background Checked
Your client has invested significantly in their home. Every HerHaven technician is background checked, and we carry full general liability insurance. If something breaks, you are covered.
How the Designer Relationship Works
How It Starts
- Schedule a coffee or quick call so we can learn your design style and typical install needs
- We set up your account in our system so future projects move quickly
- We exchange preferred communication methods (some designers prefer email, some text, some HouseCall Pro link)
- We establish whether we invoice the designer or invoice the client directly with the designer as project manager
How Install Day Works
- You send a scope and timeline a week or more before install day
- We confirm the team, materials list, and any prep work needed before we arrive
- We arrive on install day, work to your direction, and stay until the punch list is closed or until your scheduled stop time
- You walk the space with us at the end of the day, we capture any open items, and we schedule a return visit if needed
- You receive an itemized invoice within 48 hours
What Designers Get From a Standing Relationship
- Priority scheduling during peak install windows (spring and fall)
- Same team familiarity over time, so you are not retraining a new crew every project
- Pre approved scope sheets that simplify estimating for client proposals
- A trusted install partner you can recommend to clients without worrying about how the visit will go
Areas We Serve
We serve the full Kansas City metro on both the Kansas and Missouri sides. Most of our designer work happens in:
- Mission Hills, Prairie Village, and Leawood
- Brookside, Sunset Hill, and Country Club Plaza
- Overland Park and Leawood
- Downtown Kansas City MO (Crossroads lofts, Quality Hill, West Side)
- Hyde Park and Volker
If your project is outside this range, ask. We will discuss travel and timing case by case.
For Decorators, Stagers, and Real Estate Agents
Our designer relationship is also open to decorators, home stagers, and real estate agents who do light styling work on listings or who refer install work to a trusted partner. Same standing relationship, same scope of services, same respect for your client relationship.
If you place multiple projects with us, reach out and we will set up your account so future bookings move quickly.
Frequently Asked Questions
Reach out by phone, email, or our contact form. We will schedule a quick call or coffee to learn your design style and typical install needs, then set up your account so future projects move quickly.
We install pre pasted, paste the wall, and traditional wallpaper from most major and boutique brands. For specialty materials (silk, grasscloth, hand painted), we will scope the project carefully and may recommend a dedicated paperhanger if the substrate or pattern requires it.
Yes. We can invoice the designer directly, or invoice the client with the designer as project manager. Tell us your preference when we set up your account and we will follow your standard.
Yes. Most install days are tightly scheduled. We arrive on time, work to your direction, and stay until the punch list is closed or until your scheduled stop time. For multi day installs, we can return as needed.
We focus on residential design install work. For small commercial projects (boutique retail, small office, design studio buildouts), we are happy to discuss scope. For full commercial buildouts, we will refer to a commercial general contractor.
We will always direct that conversation back to you first. Your client relationship is your business, and we respect it. If you want us to handle follow up work, we are happy to. If you prefer to manage all client touch points, we will route everything through you.