Why Hire an Interior Designer?
Hi everyone! As promised, this week’s post is going to cover why (in my opinion) you should hire an interior designer, even if you are on a strict budget. First, I think it’s helpful to delineate the difference between an interior designer and an interior decorator. Decorators typically deal with furniture, fabrics, finishes, and equipment, or as it’s known in the business - FFF&E (or FFE, FFFE… you get the picture). These are cosmetic changes to your home that add beauty and joy. Interior designers also handle FFF&E, however, it’s only a small portion of the job. Designers should be formally educated in building structures and systems, construction documents, architectural detailing, space planning, building codes, building materials, egress, ADA, Universal Design, and sustainability. At the New York School of Interior Design, we also received an in-depth education of the history of architecture and design, so that we can understand the past while planning for the future.
By no means is this meant to belittle what decorators do - they are fabulous at their jobs and create stunning interior scenes. It’s simply important to know who you may need to hire for your specific job. It is also worthwhile to do a quick credential check on any interior designer you are thinking of hiring, as there is no legal basis for the title (like there is for architects). Be sure that this person has completed some form of education at an accredited school. There are licensure exams for interior designers, and those who have passed will have those credentials listed next to their name.
Photo by Matt Jones on Unsplash. Your home is your sanctuary - let’s make it the best it can be!
Regardless of who you are hiring, it will be an incredibly worthwhile investment. Interior designers are trained to perform their services, just like hairdressers, lawyers, actors, dentists, and so on. Sure, you could probably act a role in your favorite tv show, but would you be as good as someone who had been trained for years as an actor? Not to mention, it might be stressful as heck trying to figure out how to do something you don’t have very much formal knowledge about. Brushing your teeth regularly doesn’t exactly give you the training you’d need to perform a root canal.
I know this may sound harsh, so let me insert my own anecdote here. During my first semester at NYSID, I moved into my first grown-up apartment. It had huge windows, tons of natural light, and brand new everything. It was essentially a blank canvas. Imagine my excitement! Chasing my dreams and decorating this lovely apartment, it was all I’d ever wanted. Twenty pairs of returned curtains later, I was ready to throw in the towel. I nearly had a nervous break - I was clearly not good at this. Completely exasperated, I finally settled on subpar curtains in my favorite color and called it a day. For two whole years. Every decision I made, every item we bought, somehow just looked terrible. Nothing fit together. I was completely lost.
As it turned out, even my inherent eye for design was not enough to create a cohesive living space. Chances are, you’ve encountered this truth yourself, when you swore you picked exactly the right size sofa or color of paint, only to get it in your house and be disappointed. Maybe something unidentifiable just feels off. I know because I’ve been there! This is where designers come in. Education and experience are invaluable. You may paint your living room a few times, but designers have chosen hundreds of color palettes for projects and clients (I took two semesters of color theory in my Master’s program - I sincerely did not know this existed beforehand).
When it comes down to it, designers simply know what they’re doing. They will nail that just right feeling, because it is something they are able to tangibly identify. Most of us have an innate sense of proportion, scale, color, etc. Coupled with knowledge and experience, we have a skill set that will be well worth the price. At an average cost of $100-200 per hour, hiring an interior designer is an investment in your house, just like adding that extra powder room or renovating the kitchen. It will ensure that every Sunday spent in front of the fire with your family or watching the game with friends will feel perfect for the duration of your stay in the home.
Image from Chris Loves Julia. Can you believe that this stunning kitchen was designed on small budget?
As you’ll see in future posts, I more than anybody likely understand the budgetary restrictions of designing and decorating your house. With my partner supporting both of us while I chased the dream, we had nearly a nonexistent budget in the first year of homeownership. Despite this, we were able to make beautiful and inexpensive changes to the home that will last a long, long time, because after all this time I finally know what I’m doing. I understand where to spend money, and where to save. How to plan for future needs as well as future trends, because the last thing we want on a tight budget is ending up with a dated house in need of more change. When you do it right the first time, you save money and avoid unnecessary stress. Imagine renovating your bathroom only to find out that a measurement you took was wrong, or that the tile that looked so nice in Home Depot feels terrible under your bare feet? Big or small, design mistakes can be extremely costly.
All of this to say, even if you never thought you would hire an interior designer, or that you would never be able to afford it, it should still be something you consider. The reason Enchanted Home utilizes an hourly rate is because I believe that everyone deserves to live in a beautiful home. While a full design service may not be realistically affordable to everyone, a quick consultation here and there should be manageable if needed. Of course I want to make a career of this, but I also want to help you create your perfect home. Life is far too short to be unhappy where you live. I’m happy to say that most designers out there feel the same way. It’s a truly wonderful thing to collaborate with someone on something so personal.
If you have any questions about hiring an interior designer, or about EH services, please reach out at hello@enchantedhome.design. I love hearing from all of you!
Until next time,
Nicki
