10 Reasons to Hire a Designer

1. Avoid costly mistakes. Some things are hard to know unless you’ve experienced them, and designers have.
2. Access to a full range of resources. Designers have access to many furnishings and fabrics available just to the trade, and know who specializes in what.
3. Quality contacts. Designers know the best workrooms, contractors and artisans, to get the job done right.
4. Guidance in decision-making, from among the multitude of choices.
5. Lasting and quality style. Good designers add custom details, and create a timeless environment to enjoy for years to come.
6. Problem-solving skills. Oversized window, plain room or poor traffic flow? Designers understand color, scale, light and space.
7. A completed project. Designers follow through on every aspect of the job, to your satisfaction.
8. Advice on setting priorities. Designers help allocate your dollars to get the biggest bang for your buck.
9. Arbitration with your significant other. An unbiased third party can be helpful if disagreements arise.
10. Power to advocate with manufacturers, tradespeople and showrooms. Because they work with these resources regularly, designers have more leverage to get things repaired or replaced, and longstanding business relationships help resolve disputes in a professional manner.

How to Work with an Interior Designer

1. Prioritize: Make a list before meeting with a designer. You’ll get more accomplished by organizing thoughts and energies.
2. Portfolios are wonderful, but referrals are priceless. You expect a designer to produce a beautiful room, but how is she to work with? Ask for, and consult with, references.
3. Don’t be intimidated. Never work with a designer you’re not comfortable with; if you’re not comfortable, she probably isn’t either.
4. Consider a consultation fee an investment and insurance.
5. A consultation is a fact-finding mission for the designer — a collection of measurements, a sense of the space, a view of your overall style. It’s also an interview process for the client: Does the designer listen well, communicate well, and offer creative ideas?

In the consultation:

Share your ideas, via magazine pages or websites. A good designer wants to understand your vision.

Have a budget. Be upfront about money. Designers are creative, and this information allows them to know how, when and where to spend the money.

Never judge a designer by one job. You never know how a client’s taste, style or budget affected a project. A good designer produces a finished product that exceeds the client’s expectations.

Be honest. A designer should encourage you to stretch your boundaries, but your home should be a reflection of you. Don’t accept what you don’t want.

Good things come to those who wait. Expect a room-sized project to take 10-12 weeks, depending on the scope of work. Drapery and furniture workrooms vary in their production schedules, and you must allow for shipping too. Timing also depends on how quickly you make decisions.

• Information courtesy of Amy Brothers, ASID