A friend of mine from another state recently bought a new home with her husband and hired an interior designer to make their home beautiful. Unfortunately, after the designer left, Kelly was devastated. Their house didn’t reflect her or her husband’s tastes at all.
Here’s a snippet of her email…
I feel her pain. This can be very frustrating, not mention, expensive. It’s not completely surprising though given what people think happens when they hire a design professional.
Here’s what a lot of people think happens… The designer comes in, looks at your house, asks a few questions, and shows you a beautiful design plan. Since the designer is a professional, you do everything you’re told, and in the end, you have that exciting “WOW” moment, when you open the door to your beautifully decorated house and love absolutely everything! Roll the credits…
Wake up! This is not HGTV. It doesn’t work like that. It would be nice if it did, but it doesn’t.
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Fabric and Paint Chips for a house I’m currently designing spread out on my table. |
Here’s reality. Hiring the right interior designer will save you money and give you a beautiful home you love. It’s true that hiring a professional designer can be intimidating, because, well, they are a professional, but don’t get hung up on that. Keep the following things in mind when selecting a designer, and it will be a little easier.
1. Every designer has her own style and design philosophy. Make sure you look at their website and portfolio to see if their style appeals to you and is similar to your own sense of style. Don’t get caught up in all the gorgeous images of beautiful rooms. A designer can be extremely talented and have a beautiful sense of style, but if that style doesn’t speak to you somehow on a personal level, if you don’t see yourself living in the rooms, you haven’t found the right designer for you.
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Kettle, Stool, Utensil Crock, Rug, Fabric |
So how will you know if you’ve found the right designer?
You’ll know you’ve found the right designer when you feel you’re being listened to, you’re not afraid to speak up, and you get an “ahhhh, I could live there” feeling when looking at her design plan.
What has your experience been with Interior Designers? Feel free to share any tips you have!