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Working With A Interior Designer


Blog by Michele Buchamer | October 8th, 2009


Using an interior designer can be a good investment; not only can these professionals save you time, but they can save you money too. They know precisely where to go to find the right furnishings and can offer advise on where you can save and where you should splurge. They can often find creative new ways to incorporate pieces you already have. The right designer for you is someone with whom you can be completely honest - and vise versa. You should be able to talk openly about what you do and don’t like and what you can and can’t afford. These pros have access to many furniture lines that you won’t find in retail stores; these “to-the-trade” pieces can only be purchased through interior designers.

Some designers charge a flat fee for project, while others bill by the hour. Or they may charge a percentage of materials and labor or even go by “cost plus”, where you’ll pay retail costs for your furnishings and the designer’s fee is the difference between that price and what he or she paid wholesale. No matter what the fee structure is, a designer that is right for you and your project should be able to reflect your dreams and personality and do so, within the timeline and budget constraints.