Frequently Asked Questions
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Leah Weinberg Design is based in Chappaqua, New York. Most of our clients are in Westchester County and Connecticut, and we also work throughout the wider New York metro area. For the right project, we work virtually with clients outside the region.
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A full renovation project starts with understanding how your family uses the home: what is not working, what the priorities are, and what the budget and timeline look like. From there we develop floor plans, select all finishes and materials, coordinate with your contractor and trades throughout construction, and manage the procurement and installation of all furnishings once the build is done. Leah leads every project from the first conversation through installation day.
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Fill out the contact form on this site and give us a brief description of your project, including the location, the scope of what you are thinking, and a general sense of your timeline. Leah reviews every inquiry personally and will be in touch to set up an initial conversation. That first call is about getting a clear picture of what the project involves and whether it is a good fit on both sides. From there we walk you through our defined process and flat-fee pricing, so you know exactly what the engagement includes before anything begins.
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Every project is different, so the honest answer depends on the scope of the work, the size of the space, and whether the project involves construction or furnishing alone. We charge a flat design fee that is quoted upfront once we understand your project, so you know what you are investing before anything begins. Furnishings and construction costs are separate and shaped by the budget we set together early in the process. The most useful next step is to fill out the contact form and set up an initial consultation, where we can talk through your project and give you a real sense of the numbers.
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Both. Our renovation services cover kitchens, bathrooms, laundry rooms, mudrooms, and larger construction projects including full gut renovations and new builds. Furnishing-only projects are also a core part of our work. Many clients start with a renovation and continue into furnishing once construction is complete. The scope depends entirely on what the project needs.
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Yes, and that is most of our work. The homes we design are lived in by real families, which means layouts need to function for kids, materials need to hold up to daily use, and the design needs to feel personal and collected rather than fragile or overly formal. We think about how a space will actually be used when making every decision, from furniture placement to fabric selection.
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The goal is always for the mix to feel intentional rather than assembled. We look for vintage and antique pieces that have the right scale and proportion for the space, then pair them with contemporary furnishings that hold their own visually. The palette, materials, and finish tones do most of the work of pulling it together. My own home in Chappaqua is a good example of this approach across a full house: every room mixes eras, but the whole home reads as cohesive because the color story and material choices are consistent throughout.
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The key is usually restraint in one area and commitment in another. In a room with bold wallpaper, the furniture tends to be quieter. In a room with a strong color palette on the walls, the textiles might be more neutral. Pattern works best when it is layered at different scales: a large floral, a smaller geometric, a solid. The rooms that feel overwhelming usually have everything competing at the same scale and volume. We spend a lot of time editing so the final result feels considered and layered rather than busy.
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Clients hire us because we know how to marry form and function. Leah leads every project personally, from the first conversation through installation day, so your project never gets handed off to a junior staff member. We work with a clearly defined process and a flat design fee quoted upfront, which keeps a renovation organized and the investment transparent from the start. And the homes we design are meant to be lived in: layered, personal, and built around how your family actually uses the space rather than around a trend.