How To Work With An Interior Decorator
Or Interior
Designer
Hiring an interior decorator or designer is a big decision.
Most people who hire a decorator for the first time don't really have
any idea what to expect, and this can lead to a great deal of anxiety.
Before you find yourself in that situation, read through these
suggestions to get the most out of your experience.
1. Be prepared!
Hiring a decorator or designer doesn't mean that you're completely off
the hook! There is plenty for you to do, even before your
very first meeting.
Know your style:
Before you meet with your decorator for the first time, it is important that you at least have a vague idea of what your preferred
decorating style is. If you meet with your decorator without even this most basic information, he or she will be forced to spend time--and your money--trying to narrow down your style. You will save money if you have a general idea of the direction you're wanting to go with the style of your home.
Know your colors:
Just like knowing your style, knowing your colors will also save you
money in the end. Of course, you don't have to have your exact
color palette chosen before your meeting with your decorator; but at
least have an idea of what types of colors you enjoy. Do you
like dark jewel tones? Pastels? Do you prefer bright
colors, or more subdued colors?
Again, you don't have to know the exact colors you want to use.
Your decorator will help you with that. But he or she will
need a jumping off point, and only you can provide that.
Bring examples:
The easiest way to find your personal style and preferred colors is to spend a couple
of hours flipping through magazines. Don't labor over each and
every picture you see. In fact, I generally encourage clients
to make this a very quick exercise. Flip through the magazines
pretty quickly, and if you see something you like, tear out the page
or mark it for reference. Even if you're not able to pinpoint
exactly why you like a certain picture, this information will be
useful for your decorator.
2. Be Realistic!
I, just like every other creative and crafty American woman,
absolutely love HGTV. I could spend hours upon hours watching
that channel and gathering great inspirational ideas for my home.
However, one thing that I really dislike about HGTV is that it
has given most people a completely unrealistic expectation of what
it's like to work with a decorator or designer, and of how much their
money can buy. So...let's get real.
Be realistic with your expectations:
On televisions shows, we see a decorator meeting with a
new client one time, and then a week later, the decorator shows up
with a complete plan for that client's home, including detailed
drawings, selections for materials, finishes, fabrics, etc., and
everything is presented clearly and neatly on a beautifully-framed
presentation board. Of course that's the way it happens--IT'S
TELEVISION!
But now let's get real. Although I have heard that there
are decorators out there who go to this trouble for each client, I
have never met one personally. In the real world, you probably
won't ever be presented with a nicely framed presentation board with
the entire design for your room or home. And trust me...you
wouldn't WANT that! Considering that most decorators and
designers charge by the hour, the cost for one of those beautiful
boards would be far more than you'd want to pay for such a thing.
Instead, your decorator will work through these decisions with
you, and it will most definitely take more than a week (unless your
project is quite small).
Be realistic with your budget:
Probably the biggest issue that I face with new clients is an
unrealistic budget. And again, I think we have HGTV and other
decorating shows to thank for this.
On television, we see terribly plain rooms being transformed into
beautifully decorated spaces on budgets of $1000 or less.
However, if you contact a decorator and expect the same thing in
your home, you're likely to hear some muffled laughter on the other
end of the line.
So why can they do it on television, but you can't? The
answer is quite simple--LABOR. On television, their entire
budgets are generally used for materials. They can do this
because all of the labor is free to the homeowner. They have a
carpenter who works free of charge to create the needed pieces of
furniture for the room. There's the decorator or designer who
works free of charge to develop the design concept for the room, and
make all of the selections. And then, there are the assistants
who work free of charge to run the errands and do all of the
behind-the-scenes tasks. In addition, the free designer, along
with the assistants, generally take on other roles, such as painter,
drapery fabricator, and more.
Now cut to the real world, where your $1000 not only has to pay
for materials, furniture, and accessories, but it also has to pay
your decorator, your carpenter, your interior painter, your drapery
fabricator, your tile installer, etc. The list can go on and
on. When you look at it in the proper perspective, you can see
that it's pretty impossible to hire an interior decorator and end up
with a beautifully decorated room on a budget of $1000.
Be realistic with your timeline:
November is my least favorite month of the year related to work.
Why? Because that's when I get the most phone calls from
people wanting their home redecorated before their family comes for
Thanksgiving!
When I get these phone calls, it's generally a good indication
that they've been watching too much HGTV, where rooms are
transformed in 30 minutes.
In reality, decorating even one room can take two months or more.
Why? Because good design takes time. It may take you and
your decorator two weeks or longer to really solidify a plan for
your room. Once the decisions are made, orders must be placed.
Custom or special-order furniture can take up to eight weeks to be
delivered. Custom draperies can take six to eight weeks for
completion. In the meantime, there are other workers who must
be scheduled, including painters, flooring installers, and more.
So if you're planning on having your project completed for a
special event or holiday, contact your decorator several months in
advance.
3. Trust your
decorator/designer:
If you've gone to the trouble to find an interior decorator that
you feel you can work with, then let her work her magic.
I've had several clients in the past who have hired me, only to
question each decision that I make, and to stop me from carrying out
the full design plan. This type of working relationship will
only lead to frustration for both you and your decorator.
Keep in mind that your decorator has the ability to visualize the
completed project, and veering from her design plan could lead to a
less than desirable outcome.
Working With A Pro
