Interior Design - Should You Hire a Professional - Or Go it Alone?
You've been tearing pictures out of magazines, going through model homes, gathering ideas in a shoe box for years .
.
.
now what? How do you begin to put the puzzle pieces of your dream home together? Should you hire an interior designer? Can you afford one? Can you afford not to have one? For many, the idea of hiring a professional is downright paralyzing! What if they came in to your home and told you to get rid of all of your "stuff" and start over! Hire a professional or go it alone? Here are some questions to ask yourself before making the decision .
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.
1.
Are you looking at your shoe box, feeling overwhelmed, and don't know where to begin? A professional designer has been trained to work with you to determine your overall vision, (not theirs), then develop a master plan.
This often can be accomplished through a comprehensive consultation.
At this point the homeowner can choose to implement the plan on their own, or with the continued help and guidance of the designer.
2.
Will you need help creating a design plan that reflects your personality, and is flexible enough to meet all of your lifestyle needs? Having a well developed floor plan is the critical first step in designing a room, or an entire home.
A lot of consideration should be given to this very important stage of the process.
Have you allowed for enough seating? Do you have comfortable traffic patterns? Are the rooms going to be balanced by weight, texture, style and color? And where will you put the 60" plasma television you hope to get? 3.
Do you have too many armchair designers second guessing your taste and opinions? This is a very common problem.
Friends and relatives mean well by offering up their opinions, but more often than not they end up leaving you more confused than ever.
A professional has been trained to ask the right questions to help you figure out what you want! 4.
Have you ever spent a lot of money only to end up "hating the look"? Because of their experience, designers can help you avoid costly mistakes.
They will know that the great little red sofa you fell in love with at the store isn't really 'so little', and would look like a great big red elephant in your room when you got it home! 5.
Does your home have a unified look? Some of the very best looks are eclectic .
.
.
a blending of styles, colors, designs and finishes.
But even though you are blending and layering many elements together, you still must have common threads running through each room to create a warm, inviting unified look.
6.
Do you know how to find what you want? Professional designers have access to the latest and greatest resources in home design .
.
.
and where to find them.
Through trade shows and showrooms, seminars, and contacts developed through the years a good designer will be able to direct you to the latest trends, what's hot .
.
.
and what's not! They also will have access to reputable painters, upholsterers, paper hangers, carpet installers etc.
that they have worked with and can recommend with confidence.
.
.
now what? How do you begin to put the puzzle pieces of your dream home together? Should you hire an interior designer? Can you afford one? Can you afford not to have one? For many, the idea of hiring a professional is downright paralyzing! What if they came in to your home and told you to get rid of all of your "stuff" and start over! Hire a professional or go it alone? Here are some questions to ask yourself before making the decision .
.
.
1.
Are you looking at your shoe box, feeling overwhelmed, and don't know where to begin? A professional designer has been trained to work with you to determine your overall vision, (not theirs), then develop a master plan.
This often can be accomplished through a comprehensive consultation.
At this point the homeowner can choose to implement the plan on their own, or with the continued help and guidance of the designer.
2.
Will you need help creating a design plan that reflects your personality, and is flexible enough to meet all of your lifestyle needs? Having a well developed floor plan is the critical first step in designing a room, or an entire home.
A lot of consideration should be given to this very important stage of the process.
Have you allowed for enough seating? Do you have comfortable traffic patterns? Are the rooms going to be balanced by weight, texture, style and color? And where will you put the 60" plasma television you hope to get? 3.
Do you have too many armchair designers second guessing your taste and opinions? This is a very common problem.
Friends and relatives mean well by offering up their opinions, but more often than not they end up leaving you more confused than ever.
A professional has been trained to ask the right questions to help you figure out what you want! 4.
Have you ever spent a lot of money only to end up "hating the look"? Because of their experience, designers can help you avoid costly mistakes.
They will know that the great little red sofa you fell in love with at the store isn't really 'so little', and would look like a great big red elephant in your room when you got it home! 5.
Does your home have a unified look? Some of the very best looks are eclectic .
.
.
a blending of styles, colors, designs and finishes.
But even though you are blending and layering many elements together, you still must have common threads running through each room to create a warm, inviting unified look.
6.
Do you know how to find what you want? Professional designers have access to the latest and greatest resources in home design .
.
.
and where to find them.
Through trade shows and showrooms, seminars, and contacts developed through the years a good designer will be able to direct you to the latest trends, what's hot .
.
.
and what's not! They also will have access to reputable painters, upholsterers, paper hangers, carpet installers etc.
that they have worked with and can recommend with confidence.
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