Sorry to be MIA - life and keeping an eye on by GC and subcontractors got in the way...I followed this for a little while, then got out my checkbook and wrote a check for the full amount of the bill, not because I felt that it was fair or that I got what I had asked for, but simply because I didn't want to talk to the designer again. And I was really turned off by some of the "scolding" I received, simply for asking what others would do in my situation... And to those of you who were sympathetic and offered their interpretations, thank you for the support and kind words! Here's my thoughts on the entire situation: I was naive about this entire renovation project. I trusted "professionals" and now I know that not everyone has the same ethical nature that I have. I honestly thought that by starting with "professional" architects, having them recommend "professional" GCs, having the GC (and architects) recommend "professional" decorator that I would end up with people who knew what they were doing and who would make sure that I understood the process. I started each conversation by explaining that this is the first time I've ever undertaken a project of this scope/nature and what my goal was. What I found was that the architects would cover for mistakes/omissions made by the GC, the GC didn't check the work of his subcontractors and would often cover for them, and the decorator was completely a joke - recommending that I get rid of furniture, then, 6 months later, recommend that I purchase almost the exact same piece...I end my project much wiser, much poorer, and with not the best opinion of people who call themselves professionals. It's not that the GC hasn't made the subcontractors return to fix their errors/problems and that the architects didn't back me up when I pointed out the GC's errors/omissions, but it was clear that unless I did the research and inspections, no one was looking out for my best interest, although, when explaining what their role in the process was, both the architects and GC proclaimed to be my employee, my advocate and to work in my best interest. Hahaha...I still chuckle when I realize how I swallowed that hook, line and sinker. As to the decorator dilemma, I appreciate those posters who offered insight, advice and were sympathetic. I think I must have struck an extremely sensitive nerve with some, especially palimpsest and marcolo, as I felt they were quite defensive about the situation and I didn't particularly care for what seemed to be a condescending tone in their posts. I didn't ask for an itemized bill from the decorator because I didn't want to be charged $120/hour for the decorator to sit down and list all of the time that was supposedly spent giving thought to my project and I honestly felt that given my experience with the decorator, I'd have about $300 tied up in getting an itemized bill - which still wouldn't have made any difference in the bill. Was I going to say, um, did you really spend 3 hours looking through magazines to select that sofa - you know - the same one that you selected for another client? Rip me off once, shame on you. Rip me off again, shame on me :) What irritates me the most about the designer is that I specifically asked for recommendations for floor stain and paint colors and instead I got a bunch of furniture and fabric recommendations. I can't help but to think that there was more money for a decorator to make by selling me furniture than by recommending floor stain and paint colors, thus the decision to start with the furniture. If furniture and fabric needed to be chosen before paint colors, shouldn't A PROFESSIONAL have educated me to this point? Shouldn't there have even been a discussion as to how we intended to spend time in the rooms and if there were any special pieces of furniture that we wanted to incorporate? I don't think it's unreasonable to expect to have that conversation prior to someone charging me for their time to make recommendations as to what furniture I would like. Would an attorney go ahead and draw up a divorce settlement proposal without asking me what I wanted in it? What assets we had to settle? would a doctor go ahead and prescribe tests and drugs without asking what was wrong...what my symptoms were? Then why should a decorator feel it's ok to recommend furniture purchases when what I've asked for was stain recommendations and paint color suggestions? I'm almost finished with my renovation and have to say that I'm doing a much better job than the "professional" that I hired...Sorry to offend those who thought so highly of the decorator's suggestions, but they weren't appropriate for our family and personally I feel taken advantage of by the decorator. For what it's worth....

Juju, I'm glad you came to a good conclusion. Have they signed off on the repairs you have agreed to yet? If not, wait till they do before you do anything. When is closing? Personally, I think you got off easy, in that your buyers are being cheap and not hiring someone, who knows supposedly what they are doing, to nit-pick through the house. I just had buyers from hades that had a "professional" inspection, and came back with a list of 43 things they wanted repaired. It was mostly stuff like run a new bead of caulk between the bathroom floor trim and the floor, and stuff like that. But they went so far as to want all of the light bulbs and batteries changed out. Funny thing is that this so-called professional missed several bigger things that I was expecting him to list. The morning of closing, my Realtor called from the house at 7AM, and said that the buyers wanted me to dig up the hedges and gutter drainage at the front of the house and redo it. Um...NO! One thing that helped in me not having to do all of these silly repairs they had listed is something that my broker pulled out of the NAR sales contract. Inspection report repairs are only necessary if they are "in need of immediate repair". If something still has serviceable life, and is up to code, you are not required to fix it, per the contract. Having said that, it all depends on how much you want that house sold. Mine was an investment property, and I was ready to move on to the next one. So I did a lot of this little stuff they wanted done. Good luck on the closing.

The structural engineer said they fixed all the issues so I closed on the house on Feb 1st. Structurally I have confidence in the home as it was looked over by a very meticulous city inspector as well as a structural engineer who did end up finding some things on top of what the city inspector found. The finishing work on the inside was done very poorly however. I blue taped the hell out of the house during the walk through. There were paint runs on the trim pieces and stair railing. There are some arched and crooked ceilings where they should be flat. My hardwood floor creaks because it is not flat in some areas. There's a blue halo on the ceiling where it meets the walls, might be from the painters tape. I had a toilet that felt too close to the side wall and there was plenty of room to move it over a few inches. There's too many cosmetic issues to list but I blue taped them all. They fixed few of the cosmetic issues but removed all the blue taped. They said I had to close because they had the certificate of occupancy. They said any remaining issues would be taken care of under the home warranty. Many of the cosmetic issues I can learn to fix myself and I know I'd do a much better job than what they would do. Some other issues however I'm trying to get fixed through them. Like the toilet being too close to the wall, I came to find out there's a code requirement for how close it can be to a finished wall and mine was closer than code. The builder tried to tell me the distance was measured from the studs and not the finished wall but I had already looked into this heavily and knew it was from the finished wall. He agreed to move it 1.5 inches which brings it within code. I'm not sure what to do about my hardwood not being flat. The house is level from one end to the other but within that there are high and low points. The variance is between 1/4 inch to 1/3 inch in a 2-3 foot space and is noticeable without a leveler. The builder says this is "industry standard" and normal. I might be able to get it fixed if I prove it's not, but not sure how to go about that. Are there inspectors I can hire? Would I go with this builder and do it all over again? Definitely not. And they probably wouldn't want another home buyer like me I'd imagine.

This is a first for me: Jean Schlumberger jewelry being described as "costumey"! It is some of the most beautiful "real" jewelry ever made. I've drooled over these enamel gold pieces and other of his gorgeous brooches now for over 50 years. No, I do not own any - WAY out of my price range, but a girl can still dream. They were NOT made to imitate costume jewelry - they were made when Schlumberger and David Webb and a few others changed what "real" jewelry looked like. It had previously been platinum and diamonds, emeralds, rubies, and sapphires, and was only worn in daytime for the most elegant occasions. Schlumberger and Webb made pieces that women could wear anytime, anywhere. They incorporated semi-precious stones such a lapis, coral and turquoise, with diamonds and yellow gold and made some amazing pieces. This was mainly in the 1950's and 1960's and those pieces are still in great demand today and sell for very high prices. It was the "golden age" for spectacular daytime jewelry that was fun to wear. Of course, "daytime wear" in those days was NOT jeans and a hoodie and trainers; it was a suit or lovely daytime dress and most likely even a hat. Look at what Grace Kelly was photographed in at that time - it's how "ladies" shopped and travelled. I long for such days - SO tired of the "slob" look that celebrities have made the "look" today and that everyone has happily bought into. BTW, "real" jewelry vs costume means 14 or 18kt gold, rather than gold metal or gold plate, and stones that are real, not paste or CZ's. It means the materials themselves have intrinsic value, not just the design. Today, price doesn't even factor in - Hermes bracelets are most often not "real" but the price is still very high - the price is for the design and name. I find it sad that today many of the great jewelers of yesterday have gone to mass produced "real" jewelry - I call it 18kt gold costume jewelry as it is produced by the thousands. The Van Cleef & Arpels Alhambra necklaces are an example. They are very expensive and beautifully made, but just about every wealthy Asian woman walking down Fifth Ave is wearing one (no, I'm NOT being racists - Asian women are very attracted to "name" designers and are their best customers). Why would anyone want to own something of which there are thousands? It's one reason I adore estate jewelry - I don't want every third woman on the street wearing the same thing I am wearing.