Flashback nightmares when stumbling across dixieman's post of June 2012 regarding paying designer/decorator $120 hour for gathering pictures of furniture when stain and paint color feedback was needed/wanted. I could have written this post myself, as this was my experience also. I so totally understand dixieman's frustration and do not think dixieman should have paid that bill.

Never having hired an interior designer before I was expecting a tangible end product for $120. per hour. We had previously hired a home designer and a landscape designer for our small remodeling project. Both of them "produced" something tangible to use and both of them even allowed revisions, at no extra cost. Professionals get paid for what they know but they must be able to produce something more or less tangible for their client that their client can use. I was expecting my interior designer to ask questions then put together a color or mood board or something similiar with my feedback. As I was desiring help with choosing room colors that would flow. Before she was hired I asked her specifically for help with picking out colors for my entire downstairs space. She agreed. After hired she said the same as dixieman's decorator, paint comes in endless colors first "we" must pick out ( and I must pay ) for ALL "new" furniture. Yes, she literally told me everything must go... people I will post pictures for you to see my house, it is not that bad, most rooms having been new furniture in the past few years. Anyway I did want to update my rooms and I'd have been willing to pay her to help me do so. But a blanket statement to toss everything ? It appeared lazy on her part to me. What about finding out what I love? etc. When I hired the home designer to come up with a new foyer entrance design, can you imagine if after I paid him a fee he said first I must tear down my entire house? C'mon. Lawyers do get paid for their expert legal advice but if the client wanted advice on a traffic ticket no one in their right mind would pay for a lawyer giving advice on a non-related issue. I was not expecting to pay her for taking her around the house and showing her what I wanted to accomplish ( and her giving off-the-cuff on-the spot feedback) When we hired the home designer and landscape designer each one came to my home ( more than once) first to meet us and so they could listen to our wants and needs, and second to measure and take pictures. They both stopped by and asked questions as they were coming up with something tangible. That was part of their job/fee. It was their job to ask the right questions so as to best serve their clients. Just as with my husband, a medical professional , he knows what questions to ask his patients. He does not depend on his patients to know what information is needed, that is his expertise. Actually proper questioning is so important, getting inaccurate or missing information might actually kill them. Counselors are about the only profession I can think of where something similiar might occur; person would pay money for nothing other than an expert advice which does not come in a tangible form. Possibly some interior decorators or designers would better represent themselves as interior counselors.

I am positive dixieman and my experience is not typical of most interior designers/decorators. Someone suggested in dixieman's thread for a separate post to be started outlining what we, potential clients , can expect from decorators/designers. I looked for that post, could not find it, perhaps I missed it. Designers/decorators please tell us specifically what to expect. We all know the importance of communication. What questions should the potential interior designer/decorator ask us before we hire her/him ? Please tell us how we can receive the benefits of your knowledge and experience so that it can be personally usable to our specific needs and style. This would much appreciated.