Interior Decorators - What's the Procedure?

amother

Tue, Jul 15 2014, 10:21 pm

Can someone take me through what it's like to work with a decorator? I am buying/remodeling a house and everyone tells me I need a decorator. I have some names, but I don't know how it works. What does she DO? Does she go to tile stores with you to help you pick? Bring samples to you? A little overwhelmed with the magnitude of this project....
Anon because people hear me talking (ad nauseum, I'd imagine) about this whole moving/remodeling/building extension thing.

amother

Tue, Jul 15 2014, 11:01 pm

Try to use interior decorators with some certification. Anyone can call themselves an interior decorator especially in the frum world. ID get big kick backs everywhere. I just finished a major renovation and the projects I looked at projects when I was interviewing ID and their show pieces were all chopped up by these so called interior decorators in the frum world. There was no cohesiveness and flow throughout the house. The rooms did not look professional. They jarred. I looked at the work of about 7 until I gave up.

Thomasville provides free interior decorators to help choose colors. They are hopeful you will buy your furniture from them. Barbara from Thomasville on RT 17 on Jersey is amazing.

Go to different tile stores yourself. They will sit down with you and help you choose your tiles. It is not that hard.They have interior decorators on staff. I went to a few stores and then I purchased them by price. The ID you hire gets paid once by you and once by the supplier. The interior decorator from the tile store is on salary.

I went to the Architect's and Design Building to see the latest and greatest show rooms and then I replicated them. Try looking on house.com to see what you like.

Personally, I believe if you can coordinate an outfit, you can coordinate a room. I like understated elegance and balance.

Where are up up to with your project?

amother

Tue, Jul 15 2014, 11:58 pm

OP here.
Old house was just gutted. Contractor REALLY wants me to decide on windows, siding etc.
Here's my problem: I'm not visual. I can't imagine how things will look. I have ideas about a general "effect" I want in certain rooms, but NO clue what colors, materials, etc. will make that happen. I HATE all things artistic and visual. I kind of know what I like when I see it. But I don't want to do the legwork to make it happen.
I also have many commitments - work full time, have a special needs kid, etc and have NO time to go around to stores at all.

amother

Wed, Jul 16 2014, 7:44 am

amother wrote:

LOL Where are you living?

What does an interior decorator know about windows and siding?

Windows - get Anderson. I can get you the name of the siding. We got insulated siding because it pays it back in fuels savings. Anderson is the best window and it does make a difference.

Why isn't you builder helping you with this? Some things are worth spending on. It is a cost benefit function.

I am not a visual person, nor did I have any interest at in creating my home, but you MUST keep control over the cost aspects of it. You cannot turn the project over to a decorator who makes the money on 2 ends. I looked at the houzz.com site twice when doing my kitchen. I didn't spend days pouring overt it like some.

The stores decorators will come to your house. The window company and the lighting company came here along with the trades. Your house will be way over budget of you don't get involved in making selections.

The decorator you pay for can select tiles as well as the store decorator. You will get better pricing from the store decorator.

Barbara from Thomasville is much better than selecting colors than any uncertified decorator and she is free. Barbara came to my house with her colleague and choose the colors quickly. They harmonize with each other.

I kept looking at the work of the local decorators and it wasn't sitting right with me. I should have spent the money for the service but there was no value added that I could see. Why pay for something that is being offered for free?

Lady Bug

Wed, Jul 16 2014, 9:42 am

amother wrote:

While each individual store may have their own decorator, what OP needs is someone who can pull it all together. You obviously have the knack for it, but some people really can't envision what the room will look like with everything done, so I think OP WILL benefit from a "frum" interior decorator. Someone good will listen to you and will pick up on your taste, and then suggest items (or go to the stores with you for an extra charge) that will pull together that look. I had an awful decorator once, she kept suggesting single pieces that were each nice on their own, but in no way pulled the whole room/house together. She also totally didn't get my taste and kept suggesting things in her own taste only. In that case, I could've just stuck with each store's decorator, they are pretty good with individual items.

amother

Wed, Jul 16 2014, 9:51 am

I have a relative who is an ID, she is amazing and pulls things together. She puts together the blueprints, helps with whatever is needed. Some people hire for small tile picking, some for space planning, lighting, full gut jobs to picking window treatments. Depends on person and budget.
Someone who is good can save allot of money if things are done right from the beginning, time, knowing where to go etc.
Ask around for recommendations, my relative doesn't advertise and is B'H busy from word of mouth.

amother

Wed, Jul 16 2014, 10:16 am

amother wrote:

OP if you use an interior decorator, use one certified. I used a kitchen designer who was familar with Kosher kitchens and was certified. They exist. I also used an energy consultant - engineer. He more than made back his costs with tax credits. I reap the benefits each month with my electric bill. There are certain things worth the cost. You can also bargin with the stores to get the discount that would go to the decorator.

I have never seen a project come in under cost so these savings are phantom savings.

amother

Wed, Jul 16 2014, 12:00 pm

goforit wrote:

What is Barbara from Thomasville number? how does it work? what do they sell? Tia

Are you OP?

Barbara from Thomasville

201 488 0891

She came to my home. She brought her colleague with her. They went through every room in my house that I wanted advice on. She gave advice even in the rooms that she won't be selling any furniture for such as my baths, exercise room and my children's rooms.

We found tile stores that charged 1/4 the price for the same quality tile. There is so much fat in this business.

granolamom

Wed, Jul 16 2014, 12:15 pm

I lost much money on decorators and guess what, I am not happy and I regret the decisions they 'helped' me make. when I finally just gave up on trying to create 'an effect' or a look or whatever the catch phrase is, and just bought what I liked and could afford, I was happier. and even if I did make mistakes, they were cheaper than the mistakes I made with decorators. I am not the only one who feels this way, a good friend of mine built her house from ground up with a highly recommended ID and there are so many problems with the design, window placement, stairway orientation, placement of closets, etc etc. and she felt that the decorator steered her towards expensive details and furniture that she really did not need.

Tablepoetry

Wed, Jul 16 2014, 12:31 pm

There are decorators, and there are decorators. You need to find a good one. If you aren't visual, don't enjoy it and have no time, then of course get a decorator if you can afford it!!!
The lady at the tile store might suggest something that doesn't flow with other elements of the house. A good decorator can create an overall style - formal, or modern, or Belgian country, or whatever.
Note I said a good decorator. And even more important, a good architect. Friends of ours built a new house with someone who is both architect and decorator. I have a pretty good eye and I immediately noticed a lot of problems. Not that they really cared; they arent really visual or into appreciation of the artistic side of decor.
But it's important to note that not every architect-decorator is amazing. You will need to spend some time looking at their portfolio, and maybe drawing up a general vision of what you'd like.

amother

Wed, Jul 16 2014, 12:45 pm

Tablepoetry wrote:

Depends where you live. The interior designers at the tile stores that I worked with are certified. I can recommend a few of them. I saw uncertified decorators asking the same ladies at the tile store to select the tile. LOL the customer got clobbered in the pricing.

The designers at the tile stores know the lines better than any ID off the street. They can get a feel for the house. I brought in my blueprints and pictures of what was built. They hit the exact right feel. Additionally, I spoke to owners at other tile stores and they were able to also get something that flowed with the house.

I spent some time shopping. I went to 5 tile stores and ended up paying a quarter of my first quote for the same quality of tile. This is significant. I spent less than an hour in each store. I tiled most of my house because it is radiant heat. The savings were tens of thousands.

OP - a major cost savings is to pay the installer and let him purchase the tile once you get the price. He will waste a lot less when it on his chesbon.