Would also like an answer. Bumping

Every designer does things differently. There is no such thing as a "industry standard".

I would be comfortable with paying an hourly rate for time spent on design and purchasing furniture. I don't like the percentage of purchases. The incentive for the designer is to propose expensive items since the fee would be higher. I'd rather the designer spent time (for which I will pay an hourly rate) seeking out good value items for me to purchase. The designer should be able to ferret out the good value from the many many manufacturers and stores because of their experience. Part of their value comes from knowing good furniture at a non-exorbitant price.

Designers do a lot of work besides just buying things. It requires their time and that time should be paid for. I have a home furnishings business. If someone comes in my shop and picks something out, then all they pay is the price of the product and perhaps a delivery fee.

But if someone wants me to visit their home multiple times, take a multitude of measurements, observe the light in the room at different times of the day (which has to be done to make proper wall coloring choices), create a design, then search the market to find the products, order and follow up constantly, have the products delivered, be there when delivered, direct the set up, correct mistakes.... and on and on. That is what the hourly fee is for, and it does add up quickly. The time examples I just gave were just a small sampling of all that is required.

As for only purchasing furniture from that shop, it's likely that the owner/designer has purchasing accounts with most of the manufacturers in the business, but it's impossible to keep all of them on the showroom floor at the same time. So just because it's not in the store at the moment, doesn't mean the designer can't purchase it.

@Sophie Wheeler I have to pay hourly and commission. I understand about retail vs. designer trade price.

@Em11 I understand where you are coming from, you don't want someone to waste your time designing a space if they don't make a purchase. But there are many name brand stores that provide free design service and they will make visits (off course not multiple visits) as a consumer that seems more attractive. And they have much better return policies and one can go see a piece in a store rathe than taking chances of ordering from catalogue. I guess there are pros and cons to each and its hard for small business to compete with big brands in terms of service and resources.

Having had some negative experiences with designers I tend to shy away from that route. Some upscale furniture stores have in-house designers that are paid by the store and that worked well for me with my living room furniture, although I didn't buy everything from them. They even came to my house to see the layout of the room, etc. Nowadays it's not that difficult to do it yourself. If you know what kind of look you like, for instance traditional, transitional (the most popular one now), modern, farm house etc., all you need to do is google, say "transitional living room" and "images" at the top of the page and you will see hundreds of examples, which will give you an idea of what appeals to you and what doesn't. It's very gratifying to find out exactly what you like and to make your home very personal and unique.

@ingrid_vc so. CA zone 9 I agree with you

There are very few true "upscale" furniture stores anymore. Manufacturers require the stores to carry an entire line and it's a huge overhead expense. With more and more furniture being purchased online, it's hard for them to stay afloat.

One is also limited to items that are typically sold in retail stores. A designer has access to the higher end to-the-trade showrooms with a great deal more selection.

It really depends on ones budget and what one is hoping to achieve. Designers must protect themselves from "tire-kickers" who waste a lot of ones time and never purchase anything.

I do have showroom samples, but I can't keep a sofa or chair in every single covering offered. That's what the fabric samples are for. But you are right, I definitely do not recommend purchasing upholstered furniture without knowing what it feels like or how it sits.