How SALT Approaches a New Project

Behind the scenes of how we turn a conversation into a space that performs

One of the questions we hear most from people considering working with us is simple: what does it actually look like to work with SALT? It's a fair question — and one we're happy to answer honestly. Because the process matters as much as the product. A beautifully specified piece of furniture in the wrong space, on the wrong timeline, managed by the wrong team, can still be a frustrating experience. Here's how we make sure that doesn't happen.

It starts with a conversation — not a catalog

Our first meeting with a new client isn't a presentation. We're not walking in with a pitch deck or a showroom tour. We're asking questions. Who are you as an organization? How does your team actually work day to day? What has frustrated you about spaces you've been in before? What does success look like when this project is done? The answers to those questions shape everything that follows. We've learned that the clients who get the best outcomes are the ones who feel genuinely heard at the beginning — not the ones who were shown the most products on day one.

We assess before we recommend

Before a single product is specified, we look at the physical space itself. Dimensions, natural light, column placements, traffic flow, electrical infrastructure, sight lines. We also look at what's alreadythere — because sometimes the smartest move is to reconfigure or supplement existing furniture rather than replace everything. This saves clients money. It also saves time. And it tells them something important about how we operate — we're not here to sell furniture. We're here to solve a problem.

Design and specification happen in parallel

At SALT, our certified designers and furniture specialists work side by side from the beginning. That means your layout and your furniture are designed to work together — not retrofitted to each other at the end. Space planning informs product selection. Product selection informs the layout. The two conversations happen simultaneously. This is rarer than you might think. Many clients have worked with designers who hand off to a separate furniture vendor, or furniture vendors who don't offer real design services. The seam between those two things is where problems happen. We eliminate it.

Project management is built in — not bolted on

Once the design is approved, our project management team takes the wheel. Lead times are tracked. Vendor coordination is handled. Installation is scheduled around your operations — not ours. We communicate proactively, flag issues before they become surprises, and show up on install day ready to execute. The goal is that your team barely notices the process. They just walk into a finished space that works.

We don't disappear after installation

Install day is exciting. But it's not the end of the relationship for us. We follow up. We check in at 30 days and 90 days. If a chair needs adjusting, a configuration needs tweaking, or a new hire needs a workstation — we're still your team. The spaces we design are meant to evolve, and we're here when they do.

No layers. No handoffs. No runaround. Just a team that's genuinely invested in getting your space right — and keeping it that way long after move-in day.