Benefits of Hiring an Interior Designer
Have you ever been inside a stunning hotel lobby, a fashionable meeting room, or perhaps some other interior space that really caught your eye? Do you think all of the design elements of the space happened by accident? Doubtful - in almost all instances a professional interior designer was hired to create the space, select the finishes and determine the color schemes.
Interaction
I am quite sure you have been inside someone's home that was a fashion / design nightmare. They are everywhere. No doubt not everyone has the ability to spend tens of thousands of dollars on interior design. Often you can spend much less and get highly desirable results. Think: do you think it is worth $150 to find out what it might cost to redo a room or perhaps an entire house? You might be able to get an interior designer to come and consult with you for just an hour or two for this amount of money. You might be surprised by what you can do! There are affordable alternatives that many designers know about.
New Homes
Are you thinking of building a new home soon? If so, you are crazy if you don't get an interior designer involved early in the planning process. This individual will add lots of spice to the soup!
Designers often work with architects. The combination of talents can produce spectacular results. Interior designers can offer much with respect to the final fit and finish of rooms and how they relate to each other with respect to color and texture. Try your best to budget in some money for the services of an interior designer on your upcoming new home project.
Decorators - Not the Same
Have you gone to a paint store and seen the person who works with the wallpapers and window coverings? That - in almost all cases - is an interior decorator. Don't confuse this person with an interior designer. Decorators can be very talented. Many have vast experience with colors, wallpapers, and other finishes used to decorate a house. These are fine qualities.
Interior designers take these talents and enhance them. They often have college degrees in design. A decorator rarely - if ever - has the extensive training that accompanies an interior design degree.
If you just want help selecting a wallpaper, then you might do fine working with a decorator. However, if you want to blend carpets, furniture, wall treatments, paints, interior trim, etc. you better hire a designer!
Lighting
One aspect of interior design that is rarely discussed is that of interior lighting. Light fixtures and the quality of light they produce have a direct and dramatic impact on the rest of the room. The lighting of items in a room is important. Lighting can make or break a design.
It takes years of experience to understand how to use both direct and indirect lighting. If lighting is important to you, be sure to work with a designer who has lots of lighting experience. Visit past jobs at nighttime to see how the professional handled difficult situations.
Ask about color temperature. Light temperature refers to the color quality that different bulbs produce. Not all light bulbs create light tones and colors equally. This can affect how your furniture and other things look when they are lit at night.
Be Honest
When you get ready to work with an interior design professional, be honest with yourself and the pro. If you don't get along or feel that the designer's approach is too radical, then speak up! After all, it is your money!
Don't feel as if you owe the professional anything. All you owe this person is respect. Go slowly at first to make sure you have the right pro on your team. Once you feel comfortable and everyone knows the plan, move ahead!
Related Articles: designer help, designer associations, planning checklist
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Comments:Welcome! I, Tim
Carter, don't answer questions
here. If you post a question here in the Comments Area,
perhaps another visitor will help you. You need to go to the Ask
Tim page if you want a question answered. Once there, look
closely at how many weeks behind we are. Please be patient as you use
this free service. If you have an emergency and need to talk to me,
there is an option there for you.
alison 05 Nov 2008, 10:07
When building a new home, is there a percentage of the total costs which
should go to interior design?
Jack Wells 08 Jan 2010, 17:10
Love the article, I do have one comment to it.
People who work at wallpaper, paint or other related stores are not always schooled Interior Decorator although they might use this title. However there are professional Interior Decorator who have followed a 2 or 3 year schooling program with a college. These people have ALMOST the same knowledge as an interior Designer except that they are not schooled in building structure ,this would be the only major difference between a interior Decorator and Designer.
effie 20 Apr 2010, 16:04
I strongly agree with Mr. Jack Wells, I am interior decorator, I finish
from PennFoster, I am taking classes at Sheffield School of interior Design
in Feng Shui, I have a certificate in AutoCad (2D/3D modeling), Certificate
that I am Color Specialist ( color combinations and effects)plus a
Associates Degree from Greece in "Faculty & Not Faculty Concrete" ...the
Point is regardless how many degrees you have, it doesnt matter if you
interior Decorator or Interior Designer..if you don't practice you are
nothing.........I got my education...and 1 reason that i did not go for
interior Design, which if i wanted to go was no problem, is that most of
people will go to a General Contractor ( structure and building)since that
the contractor works closely with the architect...homeonwers or business
owners would rather hire a Interior Decorator for any Surface touches..and
If the decorator suggests to add something additional .....is not hard for
the decorator to do so (if they know what they are doing) because you have
the right contractor next to you, they can also get the permits from the
D.O.B.(department of buildings) or D.O.T. (department of transportation)
and finish the job as an interior Designer will do.....I always tell my
clients that i am a Interior Decorator never said interior Designer but we
both design a sheme or furniture, scale,color, harmony and balance &
etc....people don't know the difference.....but a we do, and as an
Certified interior Decorator Internation (C.I.D./ you can check it online
-is only decorators that attend schools of interior decorating)I am proud
for whom I am ....and Mister Tim, you should go work for home Depot or go
back to school to learn certain things before you open you mouth and start
insoulting people!! I only agree with you if somone Did Not attend any
classes and has no Knowledge about and by putting a curtain they call them
selves Interior Decorators...that I agree 10%!! Thank You!!
Loretta 19 Aug 2010, 00:04
May I suggest anyone serious about what an Interior Designer knows and has
experience in, please refer to the requirements for taking the NCIDQ
(National Council for Interior Design Qualification) exam:
http://www.ncidq.org/Exam/EligibilityRequirements.aspx.
2-3 years of "schooling" with a college makes an interior decorator or designer not. Interior Design is about health, safety, and welfare. Add in understanding and code compliance, construction and methods, working with other design professionals (architects, engineers, lighting designers, trades people, etc.-- working does not mean they solve all the problems and you go along with the "program".....), fire and life safety, energy compliance, and LEED as starters. There's years of education, experience and testing involved. Selecting "surface touches" falls far down the responsibility list a qualified Interior Designer carries. The top certification for an Interior Designer is passing the NCIDQ. It's national, it's real, it's tough.
GGB 12 Dec 2010, 21:40
An interior decorator is not simply a person who can choose a wallpaper or
a paint color. Interior decorators are trained to do just what an interior
designer does except a decorator cannot design structural elements. For
instance, a decorater is not liscened to design built in shelves.
Decorators are trained in lighting, color, furniture placement, design
principles,etc so that they can decorate an entire room completely. A
decorator will not simply come and chose a certain paint color and be done.
A decorator, just like a designer will design an entrie room from lighting
and flooring, to furniture placment and paint color. And a decorator, just
like a designer, is trained to complete the decorating of the room in a
harmonious way so that their client is happy with every square inch of a
room.
farhana 17 May 2011, 10:20
Interior designing a home with house plants can be a fun and creative way
to make a boring room more lively. Having plants in our house is not only
refreshing but can be great for our general well-being too. we may plan the
decorating arrangements of our houseplants in several ways. we may want to
place one single large plant in living room, or have a variety of
medium-sized plants in a corner arrangement near the hallway. Whatever
style we wish to do depends on the overall look of the room we're
redesigning. Home interior designing with houseplants should be fun and not
a chore! If you are relatively new to the idea, try out simple, small plant
arrangements and decorate with plants that are easy to take care of such as
ferns and cactus. At the end of the day, you want a design that is not only
refreshing to the eyes but is great for your health too.
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