Designer Primer: Tips for Working With An Interior Designer

designer, tips for work with interior designer, decorator hiring tips

Interior Designer Primer: 3 Tips for Before You Sign on the Dotted Line.

Ideally, your interior decorator is a person whose tastes mesh with yours and who is willing to work within your budget.

Yeah, like this could accidentally happen...

-- Start a project file.

-- Decide on the room you want to do now - and those you'll do later.

-- List the activities that go on in each room.

-- Create a list of styles you like - and those you don't like.

To increase your odds for a match made in interior design heaven, follow these three tips:

1 Before Making The Call:

-- Clip and save appealing pictures from design magazines.

-- Create a timetable for the project.

-- Ask friends for the names of decorators they've enjoyed working with.

2. Before Hiring:

* Interview at least three candidates.

* Take the time to look carefully at each person's portfolio.

* Compare past work and budgets and make sure they're compatible with your plan. Choose the person with whom you are most comfortable.

3. Before Spending:

* Determine what you can afford to pay for the combination of furnishings, installations, and advice.

* Figure any structural improvements, such as refinishing floors or repainting walls, into the budget.

* Comparison shop to get an idea of the market price of items, such as a new sofa or dining-room table, that you'll be adding to your home.

* Figure in the cost for a professional's services. The following are the most common ways these professionals bill for their services:

-- Cost-plus: The decorator buys materials, furnishings, and services at wholesale and sells to you at retail, pocketing the 15- to 20-percent difference as a fee.

-- Retail basis: You buy the furnishings at market prices and pay the professional a percentage of the manufacturer's net cost as a fee.

-- Flat fee: You pay a set fee agreed upon in advance to cover the job from sketches to installation.

-- Hourly charge: You're billed hourly for sketching, shopping and supervising; rates vary by service performed.