I would hire an Interior Designer not a decorator. The designer can save you lots of money buying furniture. A decorator can not. As far as hiring her bth or turnkey is something you should talk to her about in detail. I think if she is an honest person she will tell you which would be the best choice for you. Good luck and congratulations on your new home.

The most complex room to design in any home is the kitchen, and, based on your other thread, you did a lovely job with that, with some minor tweaking and suggestions from here. Much of the rest of your main living areas are complete, nearly complete, or at least started, according to your layout above. I can't imagine you need turnkey by any stretch.

Is there a certain area of your home's design about which you're uncertain, such as paint color or window treatments? I would perhaps use a designer for all-over design concepts and a few hours of consultation on flow, scale and continuity.

Then, I'd grab a friend with good taste and who gives honest feedback, and head to Houston with her, instead.

caminnc, just wanted to know what you mean about the designer saving money buying furniture and the decorator cannot.

I'm technically considered a decorator, but yet I can buy at wholesale and shop the showrooms.

Just curious as to your experience.

My question to the OP is will she charge you her office time or is that included in her hourly rate? My fee is strictly for when I am on-site, either meeting with a client or representing a client. Also charge when I am shopping with my client as well as if I am shopping alone specifically for one client then I charge my fee for my time as well.

Some will charge you a retainer up front too, and then give you the option as you run close to the end of the hours you purchased to buy more in smaller quantities.

Depending on your style, I know a couple of fab designers down in the Houston area. Feel free to email me, and I'll pass their info along to you.

beekeeperswife at gmail dot com

The IDs I know do not have an either/or fee structure. Our ID charges a set fee for the initial concept, including floor plan, colors and fabrics. He bills hourly for things like drafting plans (such as the plans for the carpenters of our fireplace wall). Then he charges his cost plus 35% for furniture and goods that come only through him. When he comes down we pay his airfare* and he stays with us, and the installation is billed on an hourly basis, as is any shopping for extras like throws, artwork, accessories, etc.

* this is a bit irritating at the moment because SIL in NC is flying him down just a couple of weeks before I am, we COULD have coordinated dates and shared the cost of the trip and rented him a car!

The cost is absolutely worth it to me as he actually finds less expensive fabrics for me than I would for myself. He has access to goods I do not, and the rooms he has done feel more "me" than the ones I did myself.

caminnc, I don't agree that a designer/decorator can save you lots of money when buying furniture. Yes, they can buy it at the "wholesale" price, but that doesn't mean they will sell it to you for that price. This markup can make up a big part of a designer/decorator's income.

I could also buy at wholesale at the design center. I would need to register a business, for example "Chispa's Staging and Photography". Then I would need to get a CA Seller's Permit and will then have access to most of the to-the-trade goods. CA only cares about collecting the sales tax, so I would need to pay tax on the wholesale price so as to not get in trouble. Normally the tax would be paid when a designer/decorator/reseller sells the goods to the customer. I thought really hard about doing this, because I still have some large project at my house, but decided I don't want to deal with processing the paperwork of a "business".

Based on my experience, they can chew up 120 hours in no time flat. Even with the things you have done. You can always kind of keep track yourself, loosely, and make sure you are getting what you think is the equivalent of 120 hours. On our primary house, we had the ID on retainer for the equivalent of 500+ hours. Our house is 8000 sq ft. (but that includes our indoor pool so without that pretty close id guess). She claimed she did a lot more hours than that (but that's a whole 'nother story)

As for "savings". In my experience, uh-uh. Nada. I have used professionals four different times, and here is what I have to say about "savings".

1. Generally you want to use a designer for access to "to the trade" stuff. If you buy more stuff to the trade than retail, you have pretty much upped the ante on everything you buy. Is it worth it, or are you happy with mostly retail stuff?
2. Upselling. Decorators know about stuff that costs more than you'd ever dream, and they would like to use it in your home on your dime (even if they don't get a cut, but usually they do). Why? A few reasons. First, they want an impressive portfolio, and that'd be easier to do if they can get you to splurge. Two, they know the good stuff and appreciate it and lust after it themselves. Three, they can make you want things you never noticed or cared about before. And it won't be cheap.
3. Details make a room, details cost money. Your ID will add much more detail and layers to your room than you will.
4. If they want to, it is very easy to pad the bill. How do you know how long it took (or should take) to find your sofa?

My experience has been just like Mtn's. In addition make sure you review the contract and demand invoices that itemize the hours and products used, fabric yardage, etc. Mine didn't and it has been a nightmare. The curtains for the guest house were delivered for the second time and still not the correct size ... she blamed the draper and he blamed her ... I had to pay to correct the first mistake, but after the second mistake she finally spent the time to go over her records and she figured out she owes us a refund. She insists all designers bill without details! Wasn't too hard to do some research and ask to see some invoices friends have received from other designers. Lo and behold, others can run their decorating businesses quite well without trying to use "smoke & mirrors" in their billing. Yeah, I'm still angry about the wrong drapes delivered on Monday ... it will be nearly a year since they were first ordered ... inexcusable.

To the OP, has this decorator been referred to you, or are you familiar with her work? As you can read from the responses above, you should have a level of trust in your ID, as well as the expectation of *some* transparency in pricing and hours.

While there are thoughtful, talented decorators and designers who frequent this forum (and homeowners who use their services), I have been unable to find any in my local area. I'm in an affluent suburb, so there's no shortage. But many of my neighbors and friends who have used local IDs have encountered a level of frustration similar to that of Chispa and Mtn above that prevents me from seeking the services of anyone locally. I just can't find a good reference. This leaves me on my own, but I'd rather deal with my own decisions than regret paying for what someone else thought my home should be. (To be fair, I have a dear friend who has an ID degree and has her own thriving business, but her style is far too traditional for my tastes. She knows it--I know it. It's OK between us.)

You've made many design decisions on your own apparently. Do you have decision-fatigue and just want someone else to take over? If so, then be sure you can trust that someone. If this is your first time using a decorator, I recommend getting more references and having a clear gameplan of what you need from her and what she will offer you. It's OK to take baby steps, too... you may get into this process and decide it's not for you. You don't want to end up using up turnkey hours just because you're contractually obligated to them.

Peony, it sounds like we live in similar towns. The designer I used came highly recommended, but it turns out those were her friends too, not just clients. I'm not difficult to work with, I had an open budget, but I am very detail oriented. I did much more measuring than the designer and caught lots of errors (and some lies). I should probably ask her friends if they had a problem with the lack of information ... nothing to lose at this point. Maybe I should set up my own "business" to finish up the upstairs and remodel 5 bathrooms.

Carson, sorry for taking your thread a bit off course.

I would not go with an hourly fee. You will not be able to relax and it could be a point of friction for you. I always like to know what my bill is going to be so I can plan on and factor in the expense. You may want to concentrate on your main areas first and then you can let the others evolve over time to keep costs down at the beginning and then go hourly later on after you move in. If you work well together, you will find her services invaluable as a support for you and to be sure nothing (at least as far as humanly possible) is overlooked that can be easily addressed in the building stage. Being on GW is a great resource for you! Wish I had this when we built our house! Your home is going to be lovely! It's large and it would be nice to have someone to help you with such an overwhelming task! Good luck!

Chispa, our invoices include the amount of time spent where relevant, and all fabric invoices list yardages, mfgs (and showrooms if relevant). I have never been billed a dollar figure for anything without knowing exactly how the price I'm paying was determined.

With respect to upselling, if I am not happy with the price of an item, ID then will look for a less expensive substitute or something entirely different. And the initial presentation of each room always includes several choices for furniture. There is a side table for $3700 and a different choice for $1800, for example. That price is his cost plus percentage and can easily be verified-- although if I felt I needed to do that I wouldn't continue to work with him. If I am looking for a side table for much less than that I would forgo his services entirely and shop from a catalog or retailer--- which is a valid choice and which I have done, but a choice that won't result in a unique room or design.

I realize that in discussions like this I sound like an apologist for IDs everywhere, but having worked well with ours over a span of many years it's hard to believe the rest are unscrupulous and/or incompetent. I wonder if others who use IDs and have no problems are intimidated by the anti -professional sentiment that is prevalent amongst the talented DIYers here. There must be somene else on GW who hasn't felt ripped off by an ID!

Kswl, I don't believe your experience is an anomaly, but rather that most customers who have positive experiences with their IDs probably don't frequent GW. From what I can gather, those of us here have an interest in interior design to the point we are willing to spend the time on our own projects, or can't or are not willing to hire a reputable ID, so wouldn't have had the opportunity for good experiences.

Sounds like the transparency and trust you have with your ID makes him a keeper. :-)

Editing to add that the reason why I questioned the OP about using a decorator in the first place was that her layout suggests that she has most of her main living areas either completed, or nearly complete. So perhaps defining what it is she needs--is it final accessories or promoting flow and cohesion between the two floors?--might be more helpful.

This post was edited by peony4 on Fri, May 2, 14 at 13:03

"With respect to upselling, if I am not happy with the price of an item, ID then will look for a less expensive substitute or something entirely different. And the initial presentation of each room always includes several choices for furniture. There is a side table for $3700 and a different choice for $1800, for example."

If one were looking for a side table on one's own, you might have to work pretty hard to find one for $3700. When you work with an ID, they will often parade the best of the best for you, and subtly, or not so subtly, market it to you. Honestly, if finances are "somewhat limited", it may be a Pandora's box you'd just as soon not open. And even if they are unlimited, it can be easy to get caught up in the whirlwind and beauty. But, six months later, when you sit down in your room and relax, will you feel that you got good value. My experience is that few IDs are interested in "value".

The biggest problem I had working with ID's is exactly what mtn said - you just don't know how many hours they really worked on your project. I've paid by the hour and by the project, and I have never thought it was worth the money I spent. I'm sure many ID's are fabulous and very honest, but in my own personal experience, there has been an undercurrent of dishonesty. I totally agree that they will come up with things you have never even heard of, and they act like it is the norm. For example, I needed a tall plant for one of my rooms, and my ID sent a company out that brings you potted trees, then you have to pay the company to "maintain" the trees. You are not allowed to water the trees or trim them. The trees were thousands of dollars, but then the ID tried to tell me that I sure didn't want to accidently over- water the tree, so to protect my investment, I needed to pay the maintenance fee. I thought it was beyond crazy, and told them I could understand a shopping mall doing that, but a normal person?!?

Glad2be I know some law offices that contract with a company to provide and maintain nice indoor plants and trees, but that's about it. I can see that as a role in a huge house---like 20,000 square feet or something---but for homes in the large to extra large category that's something a housekeeper or cleaner would do. It's difficult to imagine why anyone would recommend that service for a residence.

But I am curious about the "undercurrent of dishonesty." If you felt a whiff of dishonesty from an ID why wouldn't you fire the person on the spot?

To beekeeper: "Just curious as to your experience"

I have no experience beekeeper, none, I love decorating! My daughter is, however an Interior Designer, which I am very proud of and paid for. She has saved MANY of her clients tons of money.. She does pay fees to pass on to her customers. My DH builds homes in the 10 million dollar range and up. Billion at present.

You are absolutely right kswl, I should have been far more assertive. Looking back on it, it was really my fault for not speaking up. Not that it is a valid excuse, but I was in my late 20's and I was so unsure of how to handle the entire situation.

kswl,
Some of the dishonesty was discovered too far into the process with too much money on ordered products, but in retrospect it started when we shook hands on a verbal agreement and then a few weeks later, out of the blue, says, "oh, by the way my insurance guy wants me to start using contracts" ... bullsh*t, she is just afraid to present the very one-sided contract upfront. I didn't sign it. We are in the same school and social circles, so I was too trusting and didn't think she would be such a mess to work with or take advantage of us. I just want to be done with her (once she fixes the drapes) and then the gloves come off. I will be recounting my experience to any one that will listen locally and writing as many online reviews as possible. Wish I had been warned.

Agree that should have been a red flag, chispa. Our ID doesn't start on a project until the contract is signed, and we've known each other for many years. He also does not order fabric, furniture or anything else without sending a detailed written proposal with a deposit amount and the deposit must be paid before he actually orders, so the entire cost is known in advance. The entire process is completely transparent. He has had clients from all walks of life with all kinds of budgets--- I remember in particular,a Los Angeles bathroom gut about ten years ago with a $100.000 budget. He uses the same contract with every project, large or small.

As far as "upselling" and marketing, one of the main reasons to use a designer is access to the quality of goods you can't find or buy on your own. If the preference and/or budget is for accessible retail there are decorators who fill that niche also. As far as side tables go, Ive got the gamut, from department stores and catalogs to fine antiques from relatives. Heck, I could buy one around here for five bucks at a yard sale....we'll have to see how the pricey one from ID stacks up :-)

This post was edited by kswl on Sat, May 3, 14 at 10:03

Based purely on cost, the Turnkey option is probably best. You've got about 9 spaces to complete if you add up all the partially unfinished percentages and the rooms you haven't touched at all. 120 hrs is just over 12 hrs a room. Considering the travel requirements, you'd eat up that time very quickly. Honestly, the fact that some rooms are partially completed actually may add to the hourly requirement.

"Editing to add that the reason why I questioned the OP about using a decorator in the first place was that her layout suggests that she has most of her main living areas either completed, or nearly complete. So perhaps defining what it is she needs--is it final accessories or promoting flow and cohesion between the two floors?"

The second -- promoting flow and cohesion. For instance, I just found out my dining room wallpaper is no longer available. Now I need to figure out new wallpaper and also how that will impact other decisions I've made with respect to drapes, the spaces that the DR connects to, etc.

I'm thinking it's worth doing the turnkey option so that I don't worry about hours. For instance, lets say we spent 5 hours one day shopping and I didn't really find anything appropriate. In my mind, I'd be thinking "damn, I just wasted $xxxx and got nothing out of it."

Of course, I realize that's not *exactly* true, as during those 5 hours the decorator would see all the stuff I didn't like, and through conversation would learn why I didn't like anything, and what I am actually wanting to find, and would be able to narrow down and help me find stuff I love.

Also, of course, I think her inside knowledge of great places to find decor items would be invaluable, as well as her years of experience.

kswl, you've found one of the good ones!

Carson, as far as inside knowledge to find great places, that might be true or not. Just like in any field some people stay stuck in the old ways and others are always learning new things. My designer was somewhere in the middle, but her driving force seems to be the vendor that gives her the most discount (profit) at that time. So not always looking out for what is best for the customer.

I'm writing my experience not to put all designers in a bad light, but to hopefully make customers more aware of how some designers might run their business. Just like in any profession, there are good and bad ones.

carson - we didn't build new but we did gut our house down to studs and plywood and moved out for the 6 months of construction.

I don;t know what your GC provides in terms of those services. Our GC has a complete firm which includes project manager/interior design teams. The interior designer took control of the kitchen and house in terms of floorplan and size, floor colours, paint colours, choices in the bathrooms, etc. She moved some walls throughout the house and that was all included in our contract price. I knew the basics of what I wanted and she fine tuned it, shoved me out of my conservative box, and gave me a great basis from which to decorate.

When we moved back in I was in the position of your third choice. I needed an interior decorator to finish with window coverings, accessories, some furniture choices, placement of art, and to tie the rooms of the house together. We found our ID one day when I was out for a walk with a girlfriend and we happened to serendipitously (no other word for it) walk by their studio.

We had some consulting hours at our home and then they presented their ideas in a portfolio with their suggested samples (fabrics, etc) or pictures of suggestions. Sometimes, for example our bedroom curtains, they gave us two suggestions both of which would work but it depended on how much we wanted to stretch our decorating style. We stretched it big time. We made our choices and then they gave us quotes for the various items. We only changed one thing and that's because of cost and they found us something that was less expensive.

So I think your choice needs to governed by how much will be done by the time you move in, how confident you are in your ability to make choices and how much support you have now in making choices..