A theme should not be trendy, but create a 'theme experience' that people will remember. A theme has to promote comfort, security and optimism while being stylish. Steelman encourages his clients to be involved in every step of the process. While a color swatch may be approved for carpet or wallpaper, seeing the actual result saves untold dollars if the final effect is a disaster in the client's eyes. At Steelman's huge office complex, a separate area allows clients to view how their choices come together.
Steelman finds showing clients the mock-ups saves money and time.
They go in and they see the whole thing. If you're building a hotel with 3,000 rooms and you put the electrical wall outlets in the wrong place, that's 3,000 outlets you have to change. Doing it this way saves a lot. It is not just wall outlets that concerns clients. In Northern Florida, he was designing a resort, but it's location threatened Indian land.