Eight Questions to Ask Before Hiring an Interior Designer

It seems that every day a new magazine comes in the mail detailing home decorating ideas. I'm having trouble keeping up with my reading!

Home, in their January 26th issue has an article entitled Hire It Out: Interior Designer. The lead paragraph asks a great question:

If you're a regular Home reader, you may be thinking, "Interior designer? Why?"

After all, each month our editors work to give you the know-how to design and decorate with confidence. But a day may come when scheduling constraints, blocked creativity, or a thorny layout problem makes hiring an interior designer the best option.

The article makes some very good points.

First, make sure the scale of the project really warrants an interior designer.

If you just want to add a piece or two to a room, many furniture stores have in-house stylists who can advise you. On the other hand, if you're talking demolition, you'll need an architect. Interior designers fall somewhere in between: They create furniture plans, coordinate colors, handle purchasing, and manage the installations through a rolodex of reliable subcontractors. To find a pro, peruse shelter magazines, seek recommendations from folks whose homes you admire, and check the American Society of Interior Designers website's (asid.org) referrals page. Meet at least three candidates who satisfy your style and budget needs, and trust your gut on rapport. "You have to like the person; they have to like you," says Debbie Wiener, of the Washington, D.C.—area firm Designing Solutions. "After all, you're hiring a new best friend for the next six months—and that's assuming it's a short project."

Second, get a contract.

Third, how much will it cost?

Four, Eight must-ask questions for the designer, plus the answers you want to hear.

Landfair Furniture + Design Gallery has an interior designer on staff Mondays and we specialize working with designers and their clients. In addition we are members of NWSID and ASID. Because of these associations, we believe we are in a unique position to recommend designers that may fit your needs if the scale of the project warrants.

Bev & Mike