Five reasons why you should hire an interior designer
By Deann Hammer, Broadway Design
As it is said, nothing lasts forever. Many homes in the area were constructed between 1970 and 1990, which means that many home interiors are now coming to the end of their life span of 30 to 50 years and are outdated.
The best approach to protect your home investment, not to mention your optimum enjoyment while living there, is to hire an interior design professional.
I have viewed thousands of homes where homeowners have “gone it alone” and made decisions for renovations or decorating on their own—and very few of them have had a happy ending.
There are loads of things to consider during construction, and a renovation or decorating project can be very expensive. So why throw good money away?
1. Overall design theme. A designer will help you get out of your own head and see the entire project as a whole, creating continuity and timelessness. Often a client will be obsessed with one thing that they saw in a magazine 10 years ago—and it can possibly be outdated quickly, or kill the overall theme of the architectural style, resale value or budget of a home.
2. Scale. Designers know what size fits where and why. They draft out your construction or furniture floor plan showing where items will be placed, and attend to all of the details such as the color of your sofa legs, fabric durability, the depth of your couch, the height of your chairs relating to the size of your body, the softness of the cushion that you prefer for comfort, the color scheme, and the overall size of each piece relating to the height of the ceilings, amount of light entering the room, and on it goes. Clicking a button online for a furniture purchase or walking into a furniture store will not get you the same result. Ever.
3. Experience/relationships with furniture vendors. Wayfair is great … but only if you want to buy something under $1,000. How do you know if your sofa is made with hardwood versus particle board that will fall apart completely in two years? Quality counts.
Designers know their vendors well. They know how products are made, as they buy in volume. They have service relationships with their vendors and can remedy any problems that arise. Buy it once, and buy it right. Why buy disposable goods that keep increasing our landfills? Cheap products look cheap. You deserve better.
4. It can save you money. Fewer mistakes, less wasted money and time. If the item is measured properly the first time, it will fit through the door of your room and not be returned. It will look fantastic, and it will be made to last. Designers help you make these choices. They also have access to wholesale trade accounts that have pricing far below retail prices. Often (and this is what my firm offers) you will not pay a design fee if you buy over $15,000 in merchandise. Or many designers will charge a design fee and offer a discount on merchandise. Any way you look at it, you have an extra added benefit by hiring a pro rather than buying online.
5. Construction design advice. I can’t say how many clients want to bang away at a remodel and say they will look at furniture later. What a mistake! Where you build your walls, the colors you paint, the flooring you chose, ALL impacts how it relates to your furniture selection process. You want to make sure you have a furniture plan before you start your renovation to ensure all of your pieces will fit properly, the colors jive, and items will be delivered in a time frame that will correspond with the end of project, so you can sit in your newly renovated home rather than lying on the floor.
Deann Hammer is the owner of Broadway Design, a boutique interior design firm in Gig Harbor. She and her team craft spaces that are tailored to each client's personality and lifestyle, while mindful of their budget, creating a perfect harmony between aesthetics and function. BroadwayDesign.net