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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
Do fabric shopping ahead of time. Fabric sets the tone for your room and it makes it so much easier for the designer to go forward if the fabric choice is in place.
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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.
The Internet is a very useful tool - just forward the website to your decorator.
Take
photos of your rooms and email them to us - then we have a much better
understanding or your windows, doorways, room flow and room mix.
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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.
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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).
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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.
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Be realistic with your timeline:
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.
So
if you're planning on having your project completed for a special event
or holiday, contact your decorator several months in advance.
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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.
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