To hire a designer, or not, that is the question.

May 31, 2022

The ideas are brewing, the funds are allocated and you have watched enough HGTV renovation shows to know that you are in over your head. As picturesque as grabbing a warm cup of joe and spending your morning browsing multiple tile stores seems, you do not have that sort of time. Especially when you need a new rug, the sectional you hastily bought to seat Thanksgiving guests is sagging and you think it’s finally time to upgrade the headboard from your first apartment. Do you defer this job to someone else? Allow someone to choose the furnishings you are to live day in and day out with? It’s appealing but what are the benefits?

  • Keeping it cohesive… A designer can create an overall vision for the space. Their vision can flow from one room to the next and tie rooms together or create individual areas. Depending on each designer’s presentation style, hand-drawn floorplans, mood boards that display color and fabrics, or 3d renderings depicting oneself in the space may be shown to assist you in the process. Off these plans, revisions can be made to get you to the stage of ordering materials and planning to work with a contractor.
  • Tick tick time-saving… We all wish we had more time to do the things we enjoy or be with the people we love. The uptick in deliveries and in-home services can support this. Therefore why not source out a designer or service to make your home beautiful. It saves you the uncertainty of knowing if pieces work together, the hassle of having to be at home for furniture deliveries, and the knowledge of obtaining the appropriate sources to get materials or tradespeople.
  • Source the specialties… Just as there are specialist doctors, there are specialty designers. Some designer’s niche is kitchens and baths, others strictly window treatments, while some prefer to only offer paint consultations, You may find these designers through working with your architect or design-build team, as a referral from a friend, or at a specialty store. Other designers, myself included, practice all aspects of design. We go in for a design consultation and are out when the plush towels are neatly aligned on the heated towel bar.
  • A jack of all trades… If your designer is versed in construction or larger renovations, they shall have a Rolodex of tradesmen to call in for such tasks as hanging wallpaper, relocating electrical boxes, or refinishing the wood floorboards. This will be a great burden off your shoulders as the designer can coordinate the installations for you, along with sourcing the products they need for the renovation. As not all designers share the exact location of their sourcing, it is a comfort knowing that they can provide you with trusted sources.
  • Do not work about fitting in, when you are custom made… There is a wide variety of pieces that go into constructing a room: paint (and or wallpaper), lighting, floor selections of carpets, hardwood or vinyl, window treatments of shades or drapery, furniture selections of custom made, stock or re-upholstery, art selections, millwork of cabinetry and trim. A designer is to have all these pieces working in unison with one another. Depending on the scope of the design, each individual aspect of the room can be custom-made to fit your specific needs, assuring your pieces are just as unique as you and will be sized to fit the space.

Who knew all that went into one room?… I did. A room is a symphony being played, and I am the conductor leading the orchestra. I am hired to manage the arrival of a back ordered light fixture in order to schedule the plumber to take out the toilet, for then the wallpaper installer to hang the wallpaper in a powder room, which then thereafter the plumber returns to reinstall the toilet. Finally, the electrician can be called, to hang my back ordered light fixture. I speak from experience as this scenario frequently happens and I am to waving my conductor wand scheduling to and from. So if this is giving you heart palpitations as you are reading it, give me a call, and let’s chat, as this is what I enjoy most.

Best, Marisa