cost of interior designer?
KayKay Bee
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Kendrah
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Hiring an Interior Designer - how? process? costs? what to expect
Comments (6)I live not far from you (Westchester County) and although I interviewed a number of interior designers when I moved into our home a few years ago, I could not find one that both 1) shared my aesthetic AND 2) was somewhat sensitive to price considerations. I had a decent-sized budget, but I also believe that the more affluent the area in which you live the more some service providers make judgments about what you can and should be paying. I am also bad with scale, and was quite fearful of picking the wrong sized things. I ended up having a designer/salesperson from a furniture store come to my house, measure and lay out some room plans for me. The service was free, and although of course they hope that you will buy all of your furniture from them, there is no obligation. I did buy quite a bit from them, but I also bought plenty from others. I didn't love everything they suggested, but it was helpful to the extent that once I saw the room plans, I knew at least what size coffee table, chairs, etc. I should be looking for. It's probably not as effective as getting a good interior designer, but it's definitely better than flying blind. If you go that route, my advice is to talk to furniture stores that carry a number of different furniture brands (Safavieh in Stamford and Connecticut Design Center in Norwalk come to mind in Fairfield County), rather than a store that only carries its own line. I think that way the result will look more collected and less like a furniture showroom. I used Stickley Audi in White Plains and was satisfied. Some stores offer the service for free, and others charge a few hundred dollars that will usually be applied as a credit against furniture purchases....See MoreTypical cost for Interior Design Support?
Comments (4)I've paid $50/hour. I have hired one designer who hired the trades and ordered the materials often from places that were just open to designers. She then charged a percentage of those costs as her fee....See MoreExpectations of Kitchen Designers? (Interior designers?) – pls help
Comments (2)I think what you're running into is Kitchen Designers who are really Cabinet Salespeople. Did you ask if they are NKBA-certified (not a guarantee of a good designer, but it's a good first step)? So many KDs are really cabinet salespeople - they know a lot about their cabinet line(s), but not so much about good design. Did either ask you about your lifestyle, your family composition, your plans for the kitchen, etc.? If not, that's a red flag. Check the Layout help FAQ for the types of questions KDs should be asking you - and that you should be prepared to answer. How do I ask for Layout Help and what information should I include? If you cannot find a good KD, then I suggest starting the design process by posting your space here. We have several professional KDs as well as several talented amateurs who can help you. When you're happy with the layout, go back to the KDs and see what they have to say - both for cabinet specifics in their cabinet line(s) and pricing. If you do find a KD, then see what s/he comes up with. I would still come here and post the layout for additional critiquing. Between your KD and here, you should be able to come up with a functional layout and a nice looking space. Good luck!...See MoreCost for interior design services?
Comments (31)I'm finishing up a remodel - gut remodel of my whole condo and I used a designer and it is money well spent. Aside from helping me wth the visual design, she also knows how things will function as well as knowing Codes. There are so many decisions that have to be made, I'm glad I didn't also have to educate myself on exactly what kind of hardware I need or exactly the optimum height for various things such as toilet paper holders. The list is endless. She provided vision in terms of my taking risks that I would never have taken and she also listened in terms of looking at my inspiration photos as well as how I wanted/needed my space to function. For example, I had a wall unit built for my office and we had a long discussion about how I wanted the printer to be; how I wanted my external hard drives to be; file holders etc. She is also acting as a project manager. As much as I tried to educate myself on construction, this is and never will be my area of expertise so she is making sure that stuff is being done properly because she has supervised construction and remodeling for more projects than most people would do in a lifetime if they weren't professionals. In terms of access to her sources - as others have posted, most of the really high end furniture and fixtures are "to the trade" only. While you might be able to view their stuff on the internet they either don't sell to non-pros or the price they sell to non-pros is MUCH more expensive than what you would pay if your designer bought and then put her/his markup on it. My new place will be a mixture of items that are repurposed. Although I am by nature reluctant to let things go, in the end the pieces I had to let go really wouldn't have worked as well. I was coming from a place where my furniture was accumulated over the years from gifts; purchases when I needed something and in general my philosophy was to make it work :-). If I had a bit more space I might have kept a few more pieces but within the limited space of 1200 square feet, some pieces had to be released into the universe :-). As others have stated, the cost is really all over the place depending on the scope of the project. In my experience (both personal and that of friends'), if the project is large, the designer will generally do it on a cost plus markup basis. My designer had different markups depending on whether something was just a purchase or whether it was a custom item she designed. If one has a smaller project, then an hourly charge for a design might work. There are also designers who do shopping by the hour - i.e. they take you around and often this gives you access to the D&D Building in NYC or PDC in Los Angeles....See Moreelcieg
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