We're not a traditional retail store, and we're not a gated showroom either. Allumette is built for interior designers, our pricing, our sourcing relationships, and our studio are structured around serving the trade. That said, we don't believe in walls. If you're a homeowner working directly on a project, reach out and we'll have a conversation about how we can help.

No. Amy still does interior design, but only for long-standing personal clients or by referral only. She doesn't have the bandwidth and it wouldn't meet our own standard to do otherwise. Every designer who walks through our door knows we're here to serve them. We're as visible or as invisible as you need us to be. If anything, we've spent years watching designers get burned by people who were supposed to be on their side. We're not that.

We source, specify, and order on your behalf. Once an order is placed, we track it, follow up with the manufacturer and rep, handle damage claims, and coordinate shipping to your receiver (all on your account), under your name. Delivery runs through your receiver, as always. What we take off your plate is everything in between: the emails, the calls, the "where is it," the "it arrived damaged," and the "can we change the fabric." Design is 20% of a designer's time. The other 80% is this. That's our lane.

Often, yes and here's why. A lot of designers don't know the difference between a designer discount and true wholesale. Manufacturers protect their retail partners; to get real pricing, you need volume or a buy-in. We're placing orders continuously across multiple designers, which gives us leverage most solo designers and small firms can't replicate on their own. You may get better pricing here than you'd get direct. And even when the price is the same, you're getting the service.

Yes and we encourage it! You can book the space privately. We'll have the lockbox code ready, the alarm off, coffee on. Your client can sit on every sofa, handle every fabric, take their time. We stay out of your way unless you want us involved. If you need us to answer a question on your behalf, we will and we'll defer to you in the room. Your relationship with your client is yours.

The studio is available for private use to any designer who has placed an order with us in the current calendar year. If you haven't ordered with us yet but want to book the space privately, a membership covers that access. Either way, the door is open. Walk-ins are always welcome to browse, pull samples, and get familiar with what we carry. Private bookings, presentations, contractor meetings, client reviews, and quiet work time are where membership comes in. Book on the website and you'll get the lockbox code, the alarm off, and coffee ready.

Regularly. If you have clients in Scottsdale and you're not based here, we can be your home base. We'll pull samples, host your client, keep them informed, and represent you with total neutrality, telling them exactly what you've asked us to tell them and nothing more. One designer flew in for a Saturday morning meeting, finished her fabric selections, had a quote by Monday and approval by Tuesday. That's the model.

Yes. We have a small space (catered to Scottsdale) but not everything we have access to is on the floor. If you don't see what you need, ask. And if it doesn't exist in our current relationships, we'll find it. We have pickers in LA and New York, we attend all major markets, and we're constantly developing sources in Europe. If it exists, we'll locate it.

Our procurement support is built into the cost of the furniture, not layered on top as a separate line item. You're not paying us a fee to track your order or make the call when something arrives damaged. That's the value. It saves you the billable hours you'd otherwise spend chasing logistics, and it frees your inbox for actual design work.

The better question isn't "what does Allumette cost?" It's "what is it costing me to do this myself?"

Interior design is not Amazon Prime. Almost everything we do is by order, and that means lead times, freight coordination, and time at the receiver before delivery. Taxes, shipping, handling, and receiving fees are all part of the picture. We'll give you realistic timelines upfront, not optimistic ones. And if something changes, you'll hear from us before you have to ask.

Mostly Grace Martineau, Amy's daughter, who handles procurement follow-through Monday through Friday. She's detail-oriented, easy to reach, and patient in the ways procurement requires. Amy is involved in sourcing, showroom development, and is available by appointment. Especially for new relationships or more complex projects.

Informally, yes. Designers come in and ask for a quick read, which fabric, which finish, which configuration. Amy has 30 years of design experience and a good eye. She's not going to hijack your project.

But if you need a second opinion, she'll give you one honestly.