What good are interior designers? That’s a good question.
The first thing that comes to mind is that he or she will make your home harmonious, aesthetically pleasing, with just the right color combinations, the right window treatments and all the cosmetic go-withs that are part of designing the interior of a home.
All that is true, but good designers go way beyond that. Most states have a certification process to help ensure that designers are trained, well-versed and continually learning the latest and the best there is to offer for your home, since maintaining a design license requires continuing-education hours.
So let’s see what exactly a designer does. He envisions plans and dresses spaces in ways that make them attractive and functional. A client’s lifestyle is incorporated into the home with items that complement the architecture. If the designer is brought into the project early enough, she can ensure that the details, like electrical outlets, doorway widths and heights and even air vents, fit into the scheme and design requested by the client.
There are two ways to go about hiring a designer. One is to pay an hourly fee, which ranges from about $100 to $500. If just help in arranging a room or selecting colors is what you are looking for, an hourly fee is the way to go.
Another choice, particularly if you are hiring the designer to help you from beginning to end, is to purchase the furnishings through him. The fee is included in the price of the furniture. If you were purchasing the items yourself, you wouldn’t pay any less. Now, at least, you have the benefit of a designer without extra cost.
There are several ways to find your perfect designer. You can browse through design magazines and find pictures of rooms that attract you, then search for the designer’s names in the credits. Hiring that designer works well if he is in your city but could get expensive if he’s from out of town, because you would also be responsible for travel and lodging expenses.
Another way is to interview designers in your area. After a bit of conversation and discussion about your needs and what the designer’s thoughts are, you and the designer will know if the fit is good – or not.
A third way is to call your local chapter of the American Society of Interior Designers for suggestions.
Friedmann: DesignQuest@aol.com
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