I"m not an interior designer either but also want to mention how wonderful it is that you are ready to move forward. Having worked with an interior designer what she said was the most helpful was knowing what I wanted and liked. You have a huge advantage because, assuming you are going to rebuild your house in a historical fashion, the previous incarnation of the home will help guide your choices. The other thing is that when the designer gives you feedback you are willing to listen and take their feedback to heart. Best of luck and I hope an interior designer answers your question.

I live in Los Angeles and very pleased with the designer I am working with. She is very traditional, tries to save me money, does a lot with fabrics. Please e-mail me: francebelguim@yahoo.com for number. Donna Claire

Beth, I contracted with a decorator (not designer) about a year ago to help me refresh my house. I told her on the front end that I did not want to make any major furniture purchases; I wanted to use what I have although some of it would need reupholstery. She worked on an hourly basis. Because she is 2.5 hours away, I also paid a lesser hourly rate for her travel time. I would say the project is substantially complete although there are a couple of items that are still needed. I am tickled pink with the results. All told, I think she spent 3 full days at my house - not 3 consecutive days. The first time was spent going over what needed to be done. The second was a couple of months later when she and her assistant spent the day hanging pictures. The third was final tweaks. Between those we communicated by text, email, phone calls, and FaceTime. I think the main things she did was help me choose fabric to reupholster 4 chairs; help me choose new headboards for the guest bedroom; moved artwork around the house (for example, the woodblocks that were formerly over the LR sofa are now in the guest room and the painting that was in the DR is now over the sofa); and moved existing casegoods around the house. All of the upholstery fabrics were purchased at her price plus a small mark-up. Other than that, she was paid on an hourly basis. I’ve looked back at my invoices. Her charges for consultation might exceed your budget but only by a tiny amount. If I understood you correctly, you are wanting to do more or less what I just did. I’m hearing that your new kitchen is making the rooms around it look dreary and dated and you want a little freshening of the those rooms. It can be done well and within your budget. You may have gotten a stinker on your first try (or maybe she is geographically challenged and didn’t realize how far away you were when you first talked). Nevetheless, don’t let that deter you from continuing to look for a good decorator. I love the way my house ended up looking and I would do it again in a heartbeat! You are welcome to DM me any specific questions you have about my experience.

Ugh, I feel your pain. Listen, it's probably not your designer's fault. Depending on the suppliers she's using, backorder times are INSANELY long for custom orders. Now, that said, she should be able to get an update from her rep or her showroom with whom she placed the order to at least give you some idea of where you are in the queue. Eleven months does seem crazy long. Six to 8 months is not really unusual these days. And I'm sorry to say that if this order is custom, she won't be able to refund your money because the vendor won't refund HER. FWIW, my proposals to prospective clients are going out with a disclaimer on long lead times in bright red, bold type. Here's my disclaimer: Lead times are running quite long for furniture and cabinetry procurement due to COVID and resulting supply chain backlogs. Expect lead times of up to 26 weeks or more from date of order placement, depending on the vendor. SAI is not responsible for vendor changes in estimated lead times. P.S. It's my standard practice to get tracking numbers from my vendors for all my orders so I know when fabric has been delivered to the workroom and/or furniture delivered to receivers. She should have this information and should be able to confirm from you whether the furniture maker has received the fabric from Romo.