Why An Interior Designer Is A Wise Investment!

I was recently on Craigslist, as I am on frequent occasion, and came across a "gig" that nearly had me spill my coffee. A homeowner needed help with choosing colors, arranging furniture and adding accessories to their home. They sought the help of an INTERIOR DESIGNER and said they would pay $10.00 an hour, up to $100.00 total for the assistance. I am so insulted by the very thought of this offer and immediately wanted to do a RE: Interior Designer post, as so many other skilled laborers do when an offensive offer for a skilled trade is posted on Craigslist. Unfortunately, the post was from four days prior and I assumed that no one would see it who needed to. I let it go, but now I need to speak about it to the masses!

I realize that our economy flew south for the winter, and the spring... maybe the summer too, but that doesn't mean that a designer's time is worth any less. Sure stores are having sales because purchases are down. That sofa that you desire might be $300.00 less at the store because the store purchased it for $500.00 less than normal because the manufacturer is not selling as many these days. They are passing their savings (or losses) onto the store who is passing it onto the consumer. It all makes sense, because that is a product.

An Interior Designer went through many years of education to obtain their degree, or their training and continue with ongoing education to continue to provide you with the safest, most beautiful and on-trend design abilities. We can't take back those years or the cost to attend. The school doesn't give us a rebate because the economy went bad. Many designers are paying back student loans for years after they are in the workforce. We still require the same amount of hours to plan and execute your room's design. We will still need to use all of our knowledge. Our time is still worth the same. Why is it that potential clients feel that they deserve a discount on our skills simply because times are tough? They are tough for us too! In a time where necessity rules above luxury, we are not the most sought after bunch in the workforce! As the days pass, I am continuously reminded of why we should be.

You cannot move out of your home right now... who can afford to carry two mortgages while your old home sits awaiting a sale? So, you have decided to invest in remodeling what you have to make it a bit more livable. Genius idea and one that I highly recommend. Not only because it helps to employ more designers, but because a renovation will help in two ways.

1. Property values will go up again, that's history. Any work you do to your home will assist in selling it when you are ready, as upgrades always affect a buyer in a positive manner if done well.
2. If you decide to stay in your home for a while, you are creating an atmosphere that will make you appreciate what you have and live comfortably in it.

I recently came across a powerful woman executive who's new home I thought I would be working on. Instead she decided to go it alone. She worked with her painters to pick the paint colors, worked with a seamstress to pick the fabric for her curtains, had many items permanently affixed to her interior in a style that is in complete conflict with her decor and the interior style of the home. She thinks it all looks wonderful, and some of it is nice, but so much of it does not flow properly and everyone that I have come across in the few times that I have been there notice and point it out. Now I can easily have the attitude that she got what she paid for, but as I am an artist and design is my craft, seeing the home in it's condition bothers me terribly. Some of the colors chosen are the wrong shades or tones, the curtains are alright, but could be extraordinary and the furnishings that she chose for several rooms are all the wrong scale. Proportion is everything when placing items in a space and can really kill the look if not done correctly or to the proper scale. I know it seems so easy to just pick a piece of furniture that you think looks nice and plop it into a room, but a sofa that is 1' too small can throw off the entire room. Creating the correct composition by balancing large, chunky pieces and soft, demure pieces is a skill. Properly blending the juxtaposition of contemporary art and accent pieces with traditional or tuscan furnishings and accessories is very easy to do incorrectly. There are rules to be applied and an eye to be looked through that a homeowner just doesn't always have.

So often I will hear a homeowner speak about their interior and say that "it just doesn't feel comfortable to me. Something is not quite right with the space and I can't put my finger on it." Too many times it's the scale of the furnishings. Many times the sofa is too large for the space or the table is too small for the arrangement. Then there is the most popular reason the home is blah to them, the wall color is a dreadfully neutral shade of light beige and it doesn't do a thing for the colors of their throw pillows, which they were told by HGTV would give them a "pop of color". Three shades of beige and one pop of red does not make a room fit for the cover of Elle Decor. And if you add a red to your one accent wall (woo hoo) are you putting an orange based red behind a blue based fabric? Was it a warm red or a cool red that you paired with that sage green bed linen? It's all relative and important. It's all part of the makeup of a well planned home and it's all what we do as designers. If you can live with the items you have bought and now want to return, the wall that you want to paint over and are once again not sure what color to choose, the granite countertop that now looks yellow up against your cabinets but looked brown in the store- that's one thing. Why spend money on mistakes when a designer can make it right the very first time? We are worth what you pay us. We make you smile every time you enter your house. We ease your stress as you sink in to the comfort of your sofa cushions. We cause a beautiful effect on your walls with a soothing color palette. We are the instruments with which to create the perfect home. Consider using us to your advantage and believing that we are worth the investment.