Hello Red Frogians,
Janis got got a call today from Janice Bartone made some headway in talks that could increase our choices of furniture. Joe's mom is really nice. I think she got sucked into the business of when she asked Mr. Haley what he planned for furniture and he said, "Furniture?"
It really makes sense with what I know about the Red Frog Team. They have been very kind and considerate when dealing with us right from the beginning. I'm sure there are a lot of things they never considered about building on an island in a foreign country.
And trying to get all the owners to decide on furniture choices seems arduous at best. I think if we are patient, things will open up. For those of us who have to make our selections sooner rather than later, that may be a little harder.
But at this point, not having any furniture is not an option. We want to put our villa in the rental pool as soon as possible, and getting furniture to Bastimentos seems like it could turn into a project we are just not willing to take on.
I know there is a lot of talent in our group; a lot of designers and others in the trades. For that we are grateful.
Mick @ Lot 83
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Joe's mom, Jan Bartone, is great to work with. Jan & Mary were just a delight. We bought & ordered our furniture almost 10 months ago now. We are told all is in storage in Panama City. Would I do it again? No! Not with the supplier/Jan under going a rookie learning curve. This could all change with experience. There are other sources with greater choices that I have heard about and I discovered that the mark up was higher than what I think is reasonable. A transportation fee I'm willing to pay for any day, but retail costs I've never appreciated.
Maybe there are some hidden costs that I'm not aware of (besides logistics costs), but there should be some economy of scale if Jan is ordering huge quantities of furniture and accessories. Interior designers typically get hefty discounts from retail; I would guess she is also getting additional quantity discounts. I have ordered furnishings through interior designers before, and they typically itemize what their costs are and any discount that they might share with their clients. Maybe Jan should do the same?
Part of the problem could be that so few of the villas are finished that Jan is not getting a quantity discount. And since everyone is complaining about paying for furniture so far ahead of time (as well as the limited choices) she' probably taking the easier, softer way.
I am not sure we can get it together to order from our supplier who does our furniture for Hawaii, but at least Jan is listening. I think she's just overwhelmed; as Tom pointed out (as have others) that she really has no experience as a designer but is trying to step up for the project. - Mick @ Lot 83
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