Do I need an interior decorator?

[Anonymous]

Or, you can walk into Ethan Allen and they will help you.

[Anonymous]

Is money not an issue? Then hell yes get one. A full service one will show you mock ups, order everything for you, and oversee install and delivery. It's the greatest.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Best thing I ever did.

With her discount and ability to find deals she saved me money.

Do you have a reference? Would love a reputable interior designer

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Or, you can walk into Ethan Allen and they will help you.

Yes.

And also a real decorator can give you options that aren't available at regular furniture retail brands. Something beyond Room and Board, Pottery Barn, West Elm, Crate and Barrel, Ethan Allen. Your room can look like the Ethan Allen catalog, which is fine. Or you can have some more unique pieces.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:How does one find an interior decorator? NP here but i would love to find one. Like in NoVa working on a moderate, but decent budget (not high end).

What’s the budget (“moderate” and “high end” are meaningless terms)? Do you want a full service designer, where they act as a retailer (including ordering from “to the trade” sources and marking up)? Have custom upholstery and drapes? Do you want someone who will coordinate carpenters, etc? Receive shipments at a warehouse and then install all at once?

Or are you planning on buying mostly from retail stores (room and board, etc) and need someone to help you with floorplanning and picking things out?

This. It depends on how much involvement you want and what you want to spend.

We are currently working with a decorator who is basically full service. We're doing custom window treatments, couch, rugs among other things. She's also coordinating with tradesmen on a few things we need done. I have absolutely no eye for or interest for design and we've recently moved into a new layout which I have no clue how to decorate it. It's a one level ranch with massive open space. We plan on being here for a while so the cost is worth it to us-we have not bought new furniture in close to 18 years. Full disclosure, we don't really have a set budget, but I'm guessing it will be $50-60K when we're done possibly more.

This is the PP who asked about your budget, I would say $50-75k for the living room is the point that you really want a full service designer. Below that it would be better to use a designer with a different business model suited to your budget (they are out there, often with fixed fee packages for specific things like a floorplan and a list of suggested furniture to buy retail), or a designer who is paid by sales commissions (most online designers and in store designers, even if you pay an additional fee).

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Or, you can walk into Ethan Allen and they will help you.

Yes.

And also a real decorator can give you options that aren't available at regular furniture retail brands. Something beyond Room and Board, Pottery Barn, West Elm, Crate and Barrel, Ethan Allen. Your room can look like the Ethan Allen catalog, which is fine. Or you can have some more unique pieces.

Things can't be "more unique." If we're going to be snobs, let's clean up our language.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Or, you can walk into Ethan Allen and they will help you.

Yes.

And also a real decorator can give you options that aren't available at regular furniture retail brands. Something beyond Room and Board, Pottery Barn, West Elm, Crate and Barrel, Ethan Allen. Your room can look like the Ethan Allen catalog, which is fine. Or you can have some more unique pieces.

Things can't be "more unique." If we're going to be snobs, let's clean up our language.

Oh, I'm not a snob. I just have enough money to use a decorator. I'm actually quite dumb. So thanks for the correction.

[Anonymous]

Ethan Allen has free design services.

[Anonymous]

OP has stated that she isn’t that interested in decorating. She has been in her home for a d3cade and hasn’t done much. Would she really make the leap to a $75K room?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:OP has stated that she isn’t that interested in decorating. She has been in her home for a d3cade and hasn’t done much. Would she really make the leap to a $75K room?

No, a-hole, probably not. That’s why posters are helpfully explaining what size projects are suited to a full-service designer and what options exist at other price points.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:How does one find an interior decorator? NP here but i would love to find one. Like in NoVa working on a moderate, but decent budget (not high end).

What’s the budget (“moderate” and “high end” are meaningless terms)? Do you want a full service designer, where they act as a retailer (including ordering from “to the trade” sources and marking up)? Have custom upholstery and drapes? Do you want someone who will coordinate carpenters, etc? Receive shipments at a warehouse and then install all at once?

Or are you planning on buying mostly from retail stores (room and board, etc) and need someone to help you with floorplanning and picking things out?

This. It depends on how much involvement you want and what you want to spend.

We are currently working with a decorator who is basically full service. We're doing custom window treatments, couch, rugs among other things. She's also coordinating with tradesmen on a few things we need done. I have absolutely no eye for or interest for design and we've recently moved into a new layout which I have no clue how to decorate it. It's a one level ranch with massive open space. We plan on being here for a while so the cost is worth it to us-we have not bought new furniture in close to 18 years. Full disclosure, we don't really have a set budget, but I'm guessing it will be $50-60K when we're done possibly more.

This is the PP who asked about your budget, I would say $50-75k for the living room is the point that you really want a full service designer. Below that it would be better to use a designer with a different business model suited to your budget (they are out there, often with fixed fee packages for specific things like a floorplan and a list of suggested furniture to buy retail), or a designer who is paid by sales commissions (most online designers and in store designers, even if you pay an additional fee).

I woudl say $60k for three small-ish rooms. One living room, 20x40 feet, one master bedroom, 20x30 feet, and dining room, 15x20 feet

Regardless of budget, how does one find an interior designer? Is there a website or something? Yelp for decorators?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I once used an interior decorator and I wasn’t happy with the outcome she wanted. It wasn’t her fault, it was totally in line with my inspiration pictures, but it was a waste of money.

OP what you could do aside from an interior decorator:

1. Purchase most things (or lookalikes) from a photo you like, either from a shelter magazine or an ad from a store like Ballard designs or ikea or whatever strikes your fancy. (Or if nothing strikes your fancy, just know that if a store puts a design in an ad, the design is going to be acceptable to most everybody).

2. Get help from a free design person, like from pottery barn or something.

3. Just go for an online designer. You will probably want some inspiration photos just to make things easier on them and be sure it isn’t wildly out of the realm of what you like (you might care more than you think). One good thing about many of them is that for an hourly fee they will buy everything for you with their trade discount.

How in the world is this her fault?

[Anonymous]

Op here. Thanks for the informative responses. No $75k living room — we have kids and a dog and the room is small. $5-$10k, maybe more for a nice piece of artwork or if we replace the couch.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Op here. Thanks for the informative responses. No $75k living room — we have kids and a dog and the room is small. $5-$10k, maybe more for a nice piece of artwork or if we replace the couch.

Then you need to go on Pinterest or a random person who will give you a list for like $500 and you do all the work yourself.

[Anonymous]

Op, you might consult a good stager rather than a designer . I did when we were selling but it was really useful. I paid a couple hundred bucks for advice in placement if furniture and layout, advised in a couple needed pieces of furniture, rugs lights, pillows, etc. Really pulled the place together for small budget