By: Joyce Clegg, Allied ASID, CAPS
Decorating on your own looks easy enough. But then a little “weekend project” stretches on for months, and you realize you can’t return that sofa that you thought would be so perfect in the store. Before long you and your spouse are no longer on speaking terms. Here’s what a design professional can bring to the table:
1. The ability to solve problems. Whether it’s a storage issue, poor traffic flow or a featureless room, a designer can help you understand that color, scale, light, placement and space all impact a room, in ways the amateur doesn’t understand.
2. The expertise to prevent costly mistakes. “Most people decorate only once or twice in their lifetime”, states Karen Fisher of NYC’s Designer Previews, a designer referral firm. “There are lots of things that are hard to know unless you’ve encountered them dozens of times before.”
3. Access to a much wider range of resources. There is a world of fabrics, furniture and finish materials that are available “to the trade only”. Not only do interior designers have access, they will instantly know who specializes in what you’re looking for, which saves time.
4. Guidance through the decision-making process. Perhaps the most challenging aspect of decorating is sorting through and selecting from all the myriad of choices. A designer will understand your needs and wants, and quickly narrow down the options to those that best fit your needs.
5. Better quality and longer-lasting style. Interior Design Professionals don’t succumb to trends that you will tire of quickly, but rather will create a timeless look you’ll enjoy living with for years. Instead of relying solely on “off the floor” items, the designer will add custom details and paint finishes that make your house an individual masterpiece.
6. Help with setting priorities. The notion that designer will cost you more money is a fallacy. A designer will give you advice on how best to spend your money, whatever the budget.
7. Arbitration with your significant other. The designer wears many hats. She is at once project manager, interior architect, marriage counselor, and confidant. I know more about my clients than their closest friends sometimes, because I spend so much time getting to know and understand them. If there’s a disagreement, I can bring a third-party opinion to the table without emotional investment.
8. The power to advocate with tradespeople, showrooms and manufacturers. When you purchase furnishings from a designer, you don’t just get a one-time sale. The designer has more leverage to get things repaired or replaced. Longstanding business relationships help resolve disputes in a professional manner.
9. The ability to get the job done. How often have you given up halfway through a project or neglected those last few niggling details? It is a designer’s job to follow through on every aspect of the decorating process and make sure that all the elements have been completed to your satisfaction.
10. Last but not least, the designer has the creative chops. No matter how creative you think you are, any idea you have on your own is only made better with the designer’s input. I always say, creativity is an organic thing, and the best designs evolve. Beyond that, any design is only as good as its execution, and designers have the best ideas, the best workrooms, carpenters, etc., to make sure the job is top-notch.
To get started, contact Joyce at 303-329-3732 or email at joyce@daydreamllc.com.
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