Sunday, September 25, 2011

Avoid Costly Design Mistakes With A D-I-Y Consultation


YUCK! SAVE MY UGLY ROOM!

In this time of economic uncertainty homeowners have become "crafty" in attempting to handle their own home remodels. They're hitting the big box stores in record numbers to bombard the paint department with their stabs in the dark at the right color for their walls, trolling discount furniture stores for the "perfect" pieces to create their dream room and stalking every liquidation center gathering decor to complete their look. Then they bring it all home, paint the walls, stuff all of their furnishings in there and top off their room with their carefully scouted finds, only to live with it for a week and find out it all doesn't quite work together. That shade of tan looks peach, the sofa is far too large for the walls they sit against and you have to walk around half of the room to get to the next. Something seems to be missing and you don't know what. But you've now spent so much money that you don't want to admit to yourself or anyone else that you probably shouldn't have done this on your own. Your husband tells you he loves it even though he finds the sofas uncomfortable and the kids are already ruining the finish on the coffee table and your household cleaners have made it worse. 

This economy has brought out the worst in those who have vowed to help you. HGTV and DIY have told you that you can save thousands by taking on your own remodel. You can re-purpose finds at tag sales with scrap fabric and for a few hundred bucks you can get mosaic tile that you can just slap on top of your 4" granite backsplash and it's an instant makeover! Then discount furniture stores like Ashleys and Razmataz  tell you that you can get that "Old World" look with overstuffed furnishings in rich looking fabrics that will make your room look like you spent a million bucks,but you really have no idea of the fabric codes and what they mean, the wear of them, the build of that sofa- is it sinuous costruction? 8- way hand tied? Is it corner blocked or screwed and glued? Is it pet friendly? Does it fade when steam cleaned? Does it even fit where you are putting it? Just because the wall is 8' wide and the sofa is 6' DOES NOT mean perfect fit. How deep is it? What style is it? How do you eclectically marry your style and your husbands? Do you see where this is all going?

You might have good taste but it takes far more to put together a fully functional, livable space. Interior design is not decoration, it's a skill fused with artistic interpretation of the innermost desires of a homeowner brought out through a designer's creativity. It is VERY easy to misinterpret the undertone of a paint color, to misread the scale of that sofa you love in the store. Then you have these "designers" in the stores who work on commission, have never seen your room and more than likely are not designers at all- trying to make the most off of your sale and recommending pieces for your home that they will never have to live with because it's your space. HOMEOWNERS- There's a reason that we designers exist! But I can also appreciate that not everyone can afford what we do. I don't believe that you should simply have to go it alone. All homeowners deserve to live in a beautiful, well functioning space! Therefore, I have created a solution to your problem...

Call Fashion House Interior Design Co, LLC for a D-I-Y Consultation. How does it work?
1. Prepare- Gather your thoughts, color ideas, pictures, magazine clippings and any notes on what you 
    might want in your room.
2. Schedule Your Consultation- We will meet for up to two hours, review your ideas and pics, get to 
    know you, your family and how you live within your space. We will then discuss colors, styles, 
    furniture ideas, flooring, walls, windows, lights and everything in between to create the perfect  
    space.  You can take as many notes and professional expertise from me as you can use to plan the 
    best space. These tools will help you make the right decisions when shopping on your own and 
    prevent costly mistakes.
3. Do It Yourself- Go out and shop for the items to create that dream room on your own with the 
   confidence necessary and the basic knowledge you need to accomplish your goals. 
The cost of this process is $300.00. The value is worth thousands!

A D-I-Y Consultation is assistance that you need to master the basics of design, but it is not meant to replace the expertise and extreme creativity that comes when hiring an interior designer to do your job from start to finish. It is meant to be a starting point for those who insist on going it alone. For more thorough assistance, drawings, layouts, project managing of sub-contractors, skilled labor and the many professional facets involved with creating your dream space you will need to hire a designer.