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What should I consider when hiring a professional designer?
For any redecorating project there are thousands of options and combinations that you could choose. Sometimes it helps to have someone who can weed through all the options and provide the professional touch to the project, while still letting your individual spirit shine through.
Interior Designers can provide the experience to get your project going, the advice to help save you money, and the flair to provide that "designer" touch to your home. Having trouble convincing your spouse to paint the walls pumpkin and throw out the old beanbag chair? Hiring a professional may be the trick to saving your relationship or marriage by having a third party professional make the tough redecorating calls!
Interior designers are professionals who have usually been schooled in decorating arts, art history or architecture. As professionals, designers work on a fee basis (per hour, per day, or per project), for a percentage markup on the furnishings, or some combination of the two. When a decorator charges based on a percentage markup on the furnishings, they usually are buying the furniture from wholesalers at "to trade" pricing that is not available to the public.
Another way to save money on decorator advice is by utilizing the free services available from retail stores, such as home furnishing stores at some of the larger design centers located around the country. Other retail decorator sources provide similar professional services, at no cost to you, and can be found in stores, online, or by mail.
Whether the service is on a fee basis, commission, or free, the most important element in selecting a designer is to review their prior work experience and design credentials, and to assure that the style and personality of the designer matches your needs.
We strongly recommend making sure that the designer is willing to listen to your goals and feedback, and does not clash with your personal style. This is tough to know without directly working with the designer on a project. Calling references and asking how easy the designer was to work with, or starting with a small project are two ways to be sure you don't have a major personality conflict with the professional designer.
If you need decorator advice for specific questions or a project, drop us an e-mail and we'll lend a hand. Our decorating specialists are available to give you professional advice. If you are having trouble selecting a local designer or would like some recommendations on evaluating credentials, drop us a line.
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