Dragon Fly, I'm sorry to hear your designer is not meeting your expectations. We hired an interior designer for the first time when we built our home a couple of years ago, and the experience was a disaster. I had looked her up online and in the yellow pages, which was probably my first mistake. The information I found indicated that she had a showroom downtown, but when I called her, she asked me to come to her home. She then proceeded to show me how she had decorated her own home. Her style (contemporary/abstract/modern) is the complete opposite of mine (more of the traditional/new country/antique) . . . you get the idea. I shared my concern right away that her personal preferences were much different than mine, but she minimized this by showing me her credentials and emphasizing that a good designer can work with any style. She also had us sign a contract for $100 per hour. She came with us to choose flooring, cabinets, countertops, etc., and the worst part was her arrogant attitude. She insulted every businessperson we came into contact with, basically telling them that their suggestions and ideas were "bad", "cheap", "ugly", whatever. She told our cabinetry company that one of their showroom cabinet models looked "unfinished" and that if we chose that option, all of our visitors would think we had "run out of money before finishing construction". I shared with her that I like antiques and quality antique reproduction furniture, and she told me that she'd never choose "that kind of dented up furniture". She took over and started making decisions for us, and of course, they were contemporary style choices. To make a long story short, we spent $800 for her to bully everybody and make our design selection experience miserable. We ended up going back to each of the contractors and personally apologizing for her rude behavior, and we also changed to all different choices than she recommended. In hindsight, it was a terrible fit, and I wish we hadn't wasted the money on her. If I could do it over again, I would have dumped her sooner for a better designer. I'm sharing this because if you do not feel comfortable with your current designer, you may be better off going in another direction before you waste too much time and money. In the end, we sought out design advice from the professional contractors we worked with, including the cabinetry company (recommended the gorgeous black and cream cabinetry in our kitchen), our painter (chose many of the warm colors I love), Ethan Allen's free designers (where we bought our dining set), the people in this forum (kitchen window treatment and backsplash art ideas), etc. I'm so glad we didn't allow this designer to override our preferences. Trust your instincts. I hope it all works out for you.

You're on the right track - the more you learn, the better. "This Old House" is well worth watching, and all their remodels are online. A source of tried and true (if unimaginative) ideas are in house plans; there are many online and it pays to spend time looking at how traffic flow, cabinets, entrances, etc are handled. That said, nothing turns off a contractor faster than an armchair expert, so remain open to suggestions. Given your stated like of modern/industrial, I imagine you have have a good idea of what you want, so you might not need a designer, and perhaps not an architect. Hiring a structural engineer for a few hours to look around and to get their thoughts and advice is a great idea. Realtors, remodeling, contractors, codes, financing - it's all a "Wild West" under-regulated mine field - listen to your people skills, your gut instincts, and common sense.

This looks like a condo unit in either SOMA or Mission Bay in SF. If so, I'm in your neighborhood and would be happy to help you after the New Year. FWIW, I like the direction of the photo you show of the faded red Asian rug with the brown leather chairs. Will add some much needed color and warmth to the space. Check out my Instagram feed: @sabrinaalfininteriors. Or go to my Pro Page here and call my office. Happy holidays! And congrats on your new home!

@LKB The night stands look terrific & yes, their larger size definitely has a positive impact. They match the scale of bed. For lamp size, I’ve seen guidelines but can’t say just what they are - probably can Google. It’s easy to see when a lamp doesn’t work though. Personally, my guide for height is where light hits when I’m sitting in bed reading & I don’t want tops higher than headboard. Style wise - just want to blend with overall theme. My thoughts on current lamps is they’re too tall, too skinny & too modern. But, they are interesting looking lamps! Don’t think wainscoting is too trendy or dated at all. I wonder though how much of an accent it would be if it was not high enough to be seen over top of a 60” headboard & then if it was over 60”, is it too high? If wainscotting was on all walls it seems worth the effort but then it’s no longer an accent. I’d be more inclined to have it in an entry or entry & adjoing spaces. BTW, I do like your chair find - it looks very comfy so maybe it can stay in a corner spot in room? Very cool that your existing pieces sold so fast - bet your husband is pleased! I just have to ask - what is that seat or??? attached to end of bed? I'm trying to make a cat bed out of it but wondering where dog & its bed went?