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Renovating with a designer
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amother
OP


 

Post Fri, Jan 14 2022, 3:15 pm
How do so many people do it when the cost can be $1million just for the renovation alone when you take a designer.

Do they start without realizing the full cost? Is it more normal to have $1M put away them I thought?

Whoever starts with a simple Reno, not planning to go high end, as soon as a designer is involved the cost starts going up like crazy.
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amother
OP


 

Post Fri, Jan 14 2022, 3:36 pm
I am wondering if anyone gut renovated in the tri state with a designer and can tell me their cost.
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amother
Antiquewhite


 

Post Fri, Jan 14 2022, 4:37 pm
I did a gut remodel and while it wasn't cheap, I think the designer was a necessary expense because I wouldn't have achieve the results - aesthetic and functional - without her.

Also for many items the cost through her was less than if I purchased on my own because of trade discounts. She also had sources for stuff like my shades that were less than a brand I might have gone with. She designed furniture for me and knew where to get it done so that the cost was far less than if I had bought furniture from a store that wasn't as good quality and was what I wanted. The latest thing is I am having two occasional chairs done to finish my living room and they aren't costing me the $7500 each it would if I got them through Baker and Baker doesn't even have the upholstery I actually am using. Very Happy

And what is invaluable is her knowledge because you don't know what you don't know and there are a lot of decisions which you don't even realize you have to make. When there were choices she could tell me the. benefits of each choice for example. For stuff like where to place knobs/pulls she just went ahead because she knew where it would go.

She also acted as a project manager in terms of inspecting and she was much better than I was in terms of knowing whether something was being done properly.

I could go on but anyone who does a major remodel and doesn't use a designer is penny wise and pound foolish.
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amother
Snowdrop


 

Post Sat, Jan 15 2022, 11:03 am
We renovated her first floor in israel. I realized cannot compare it in cost to that of america. But we have four floors and a pretty decent size here. We took a designer who also helped with the layout. She was pretty new to Israel so her prices were crazy cheap so that was certainly helpful. But I had seen enough of her work that she had done by neighbors that I was comfortable using her. I absolutely love how my house turned out and everything she helped me with really helps me keep my house organized. My kitchen is not huge but the layout is really so functional and I think her all the time for that. She really helped us stay within our budget by helping us pick things that we liked but we only looked at things that were things that we could afford. I think I would have probably spent more money not using a designer because I wouldn't have been happy with my choice in the end and now everything flowed and in the end I really love every single choice.
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amother
Snowdrop


 

Post Sat, Jan 15 2022, 11:04 am
Sorry double post
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Serena1




 
 
    
 

Post Sat, Jan 15 2022, 12:23 pm
Hi. Can you tell me the name and number of your designer? I'd love someone reasonably priced with a good taste. Much appreciated.
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amother
OP


 

Post Sun, Jan 16 2022, 12:25 am
I understand that paying for a designer is worth it.
But ultimately the designer wants that perfect Instagram post and might persuade you that the paneled sub zero for 18k vs the just as practical and functional Frigidaire 6k or less, because there are no panels.

Or that it doesn’t make sense to have visible heating or a/c.
Those things add up quickly.
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amother
OP


 

Post Sun, Jan 16 2022, 12:26 am
amother [ Antiquewhite ] wrote:
I did a gut remodel and while it wasn't cheap, I think the designer was a necessary expense because I wouldn't have achieve the results - aesthetic and functional - without her.

Also for many items the cost through her was less than if I purchased on my own because of trade discounts. She also had sources for stuff like my shades that were less than a brand I might have gone with. She designed furniture for me and knew where to get it done so that the cost was far less than if I had bought furniture from a store that wasn't as good quality and was what I wanted. The latest thing is I am having two occasional chairs done to finish my living room and they aren't costing me the $7500 each it would if I got them through Baker and Baker doesn't even have the upholstery I actually am using. Very Happy

And what is invaluable is her knowledge because you don't know what you don't know and there are a lot of decisions which you don't even realize you have to make. When there were choices she could tell me the. benefits of each choice for example. For stuff like where to place knobs/pulls she just went ahead because she knew where it would go.

She also acted as a project manager in terms of inspecting and she was much better than I was in terms of knowing whether something was being done properly.

I could go on but anyone who does a major remodel and doesn't use a designer is penny wise and pound foolish.


May I ask what your cost was?
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amother
Snowdrop


 

Post Sun, Jan 16 2022, 4:33 am
Serena1 wrote:
Hi. Can you tell me the name and number of your designer? I'd love someone reasonably priced with a good taste. Much appreciated.


I wasn't sure which poster you were asking? If it was me I will send you a private message. I'm in Beit Shemesh.
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amother
Lemonlime


 

Post Sun, Jan 16 2022, 5:16 am
amother [ Antiquewhite ] wrote:
I did a gut remodel and while it wasn't cheap, I think the designer was a necessary expense because I wouldn't have achieve the results - aesthetic and functional - without her.

Also for many items the cost through her was less than if I purchased on my own because of trade discounts. She also had sources for stuff like my shades that were less than a brand I might have gone with. She designed furniture for me and knew where to get it done so that the cost was far less than if I had bought furniture from a store that wasn't as good quality and was what I wanted. The latest thing is I am having two occasional chairs done to finish my living room and they aren't costing me the $7500 each it would if I got them through Baker and Baker doesn't even have the upholstery I actually am using. Very Happy

And what is invaluable is her knowledge because you don't know what you don't know and there are a lot of decisions which you don't even realize you have to make. When there were choices she could tell me the. benefits of each choice for example. For stuff like where to place knobs/pulls she just went ahead because she knew where it would go.

She also acted as a project manager in terms of inspecting and she was much better than I was in terms of knowing whether something was being done properly.

I could go on but anyone who does a major remodel and doesn't use a designer is penny wise and pound foolish.


Who did you use?
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amother
Antiquewhite


 

Post Sun, Jan 16 2022, 10:44 am
amother [ OP ] wrote:
I understand that paying for a designer is worth it.
But ultimately the designer wants that perfect Instagram post and might persuade you that the paneled sub zero for 18k vs the just as practical and functional Frigidaire 6k or less, because there are no panels.

Or that it doesn’t make sense to have visible heating or a/c.
Those things add up quickly.


In my experience this was not true as my designer often steered me towards less expensive options like my motorized shades. If a designer is pushing expensive stuff for the sake of driving up the cost, they aren't a good designer.

In my experience a good designer will provide less expensive design options - for example when I was selecting tile for the bathroom I encountered "sticker shock" at the cost of the tiles and so she presented me with an alternate less costly design. It was MY decision to go for the more expensive option because I liked it so much more and it was worth the extra money for the design I loved - and I could afford it. I am the one who fell in love with certain faucets when I saw them at the store or who fell in love with a more expensive kitchen sink than her original suggestions LOL There are all kinds of options in terms of finishes in which the client controls the costs through their selections - depends on how you want to allocate your money and what your budget is.

My total cost wouldn't help you since the total cost of any remodeling/redecorating project is going to depend on the scope of the project as well as the finishes you pick. Are you using Ann Sachs tile or white subway tile from Home Depot - for example. My living room rug was custom because I couldn't find what I liked and was over $10,000 but the rug in my bedroom is a Karastan Kirman which my friend gave me 15 years ago after she had used it for a decade and the rug in my den is one I inherited from my mother Very Happy She *approved* my keeping the Karastan in the bedroom as a valid design choice - if she had suggested getting a new rug, I probably would have so my total cost for rugs wasn't that bad since I used my two existing rugs. Very Happy

She agreed that spending $18,000 for DeGournay wallpaper was insane and so we found a source that duplicated the look (handprinted silk) for far less. And much of my new furniture cost far less than retail because of the trade discount or because she had sources that were able to make it for less than if I had gone to the store - for example my dining room table was made by the company which made my kitchen and bathroom cabinets and they used a picture of an antique table I fell in love with but I was able to get exactly the size I wanted as well as the finish. My upholstered bed was made by an upholsterer and so it is the exact design I wanted and I had a limitless choice of fabric and it was the same price as the bed that I liked but is actually much nicer because of the details and fabric I was able to get - and so on.

It is true though that designers generally can't take on projects that don't make economic sense so your budget has to be realistic for what you want to achieve. But if the budget is realistic they can certainly help you achieve something that is better than you could on your own and probably for less. And of course, it takes time and effort to even create a design board so generally a good designer is not going to take a project that doesn't make economic sense for them. However you can hire a designer on an hourly basis to get advice on discrete aspects of a project (paint color; design board; arranging furniture etc.) or you can hire a designer to take you through the D&D building and order for you using their trade discount.
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amother
OP


 

Post Sun, Jan 16 2022, 11:57 am
amother [ Antiquewhite ] wrote:
In my experience this was not true as my designer often steered me towards less expensive options like my motorized shades. If a designer is pushing expensive stuff for the sake of driving up the cost, they aren't a good designer.

In my experience a good designer will provide less expensive design options - for example when I was selecting tile for the bathroom I encountered "sticker shock" at the cost of the tiles and so she presented me with an alternate less costly design. It was MY decision to go for the more expensive option because I liked it so much more and it was worth the extra money for the design I loved - and I could afford it. I am the one who fell in love with certain faucets when I saw them at the store or who fell in love with a more expensive kitchen sink than her original suggestions LOL There are all kinds of options in terms of finishes in which the client controls the costs through their selections - depends on how you want to allocate your money and what your budget is.

My total cost wouldn't help you since the total cost of any remodeling/redecorating project is going to depend on the scope of the project as well as the finishes you pick. Are you using Ann Sachs tile or white subway tile from Home Depot - for example. My living room rug was custom because I couldn't find what I liked and was over $10,000 but the rug in my bedroom is a Karastan Kirman which my friend gave me 15 years ago after she had used it for a decade and the rug in my den is one I inherited from my mother Very Happy She *approved* my keeping the Karastan in the bedroom as a valid design choice - if she had suggested getting a new rug, I probably would have so my total cost for rugs wasn't that bad since I used my two existing rugs. Very Happy

She agreed that spending $18,000 for DeGournay wallpaper was insane and so we found a source that duplicated the look (handprinted silk) for far less. And much of my new furniture cost far less than retail because of the trade discount or because she had sources that were able to make it for less than if I had gone to the store - for example my dining room table was made by the company which made my kitchen and bathroom cabinets and they used a picture of an antique table I fell in love with but I was able to get exactly the size I wanted as well as the finish. My upholstered bed was made by an upholsterer and so it is the exact design I wanted and I had a limitless choice of fabric and it was the same price as the bed that I liked but is actually much nicer because of the details and fabric I was able to get - and so on.

It is true though that designers generally can't take on projects that don't make economic sense so your budget has to be realistic for what you want to achieve. But if the budget is realistic they can certainly help you achieve something that is better than you could on your own and probably for less. And of course, it takes time and effort to even create a design board so generally a good designer is not going to take a project that doesn't make economic sense for them. However you can hire a designer on an hourly basis to get advice on discrete aspects of a project (paint color; design board; arranging furniture etc.) or you can hire a designer to take you through the D&D building and order for you using their trade discount.


From your quotes here I realize that you have very expensive and probably fantastic taste.
And your budget seems to be very high. I guess you’re one of those who can afford and may spend $1m or more on a Reno.

Good for you! I’d love to see your house! Enjoy it!
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amother
Peony


 

Post Sun, Jan 16 2022, 12:20 pm
I regret hiring my specific designer, bec. she is terrible with project managing, but I still dont think I'd have the house I have if not for her.

if you dont want high end, you can get your kitchen place to design your kitchen, and and space planner to figure out where to put what room, and it'll cost you much less. If you want advice on paint colors, you can hire a designer on an hourly basis for consultation. Find designs you like online. and go from there.
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professor




 
 
    
 

Post Sun, Jan 16 2022, 12:43 pm
A designer is worth it because he gets you the people and finds good prices etc. The design, though will cost money.
If you do it yourself, if you design it badly, you'll have to redo a lot of it....
Talking From bad experience
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amother
Snapdragon


 

Post Sun, Jan 16 2022, 12:57 pm
amother [ Peony ] wrote:
I regret hiring my specific designer, bec. she is terrible with project managing, but I still dont think I'd have the house I have if not for her.

if you dont want high end, you can get your kitchen place to design your kitchen, and and space planner to figure out where to put what room, and it'll cost you much less. If you want advice on paint colors, you can hire a designer on an hourly basis for consultation. Find designs you like online. and go from there.


I dropped a designer due to bad project managing because I needed someone to take charge.
Reading these posts though makes me wonder about my current one.
The items and services aren't cheaper through the designer at all. I don't have any of the perks mentioned here, only actual design guidance and product choosing.
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amother
Antiquewhite


 

Post Sun, Jan 16 2022, 1:03 pm
amother [ OP ] wrote:
From your quotes here I realize that you have very expensive and probably fantastic taste.
And your budget seems to be very high. I guess you’re one of those who can afford and may spend $1m or more on a Reno.

Good for you! I’d love to see your house! Enjoy it!


LOL I didn't spend $1,000,000 on my renovations. I had put off spending money for my older builder grade place for a long time and so I had "deferred" money to spend.

My point really was that a lot of the cost is within the control of the client as the designer can help you achieve a better look whatever your budget is. Of course the budget has to be reasonable in terms of the scope of the project. I chose to make some more expensive choices even though she had provided me with less expensive options.

The "cost" of a good designer is probably at least the amount you will save if you attempt to do it yourself and the result won't be nearly as good.

As with any other skilled profession, not every designer is good, talented or even ethical. I was extremely lucky because I had a very talented designer who knew a lot about construction and fabrication and furniture and was able to "project manage" and supervise the GC better than I would have been able to do.
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amother
Antiquewhite


 

Post Sun, Jan 16 2022, 1:16 pm
amother [ Snapdragon ] wrote:
I dropped a designer due to bad project managing because I needed someone to take charge.
Reading these posts though makes me wonder about my current one.
The items and services aren't cheaper through the designer at all. I don't have any of the perks mentioned here, only actual design guidance and product choosing.


I was extremely lucky with my designer.

She obviously helped me with aesthetic design choices but she also helped me with figuring out how I wanted things to function especially in the kitchen and bathrooms. She would sit with me and explain exactly how certain things would work - for example I have drawers in some of my lower cabinets but I also have roll outs in other cabinets and so she would explain how materials I used would affect function and advise me of spacing of drawers.

She would explain why certain design choices made sense in terms of size, shape, how they worked with other choices etc. That way even when I looked for stuff on my own I had certain criteria that I knew would work and then we would discuss choices. When I was selecting material for my two occasional chairs - for example - we discussed material and color etc and had decided that leather would work. She then brought me about 12 swatches and said she had a favorite but wanted to see what I liked. I went through each one eliminating them and wound up choosing exactly the same one
Very Happy

When I moved back home she came on multiple Sundays and worked with my cleaning lady and my designer's mother who was a retired designer and the put everything back including clothing and miscellaneous stuff. She didn't charge me but I bought lunch for everyone and paid my cleaning lady obviously and I also paid her mother a nominal amount which made her mother feel good.

She also acted as my Project Manager and supervised the GC and inspected work before telling me it was either fine or it needed some touch up work. So I only paid when she approved that it was okay. I didn't want up paying for shoddy work and I also didn't freak out because I had reassurances from my designer that the work was fine.
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amother
Snapdragon


 

Post Sun, Jan 16 2022, 1:18 pm
amother [ Antiquewhite ] wrote:
I was extremely lucky with my designer.

She obviously helped me with aesthetic design choices but she also helped me with figuring out how I wanted things to function especially in the kitchen and bathrooms. She would sit with me and explain exactly how certain things would work - for example I have drawers in some of my lower cabinets but I also have roll outs in other cabinets and so she would explain how materials I used would affect function and advise me of spacing of drawers.

She would explain why certain design choices made sense in terms of size, shape, how they worked with other choices etc. That way even when I looked for stuff on my own I had certain criteria that I knew would work and then we would discuss choices. When I was selecting material for my two occasional chairs - for example - we discussed material and color etc and had decided that leather would work. She then brought me about 12 swatches and said she had a favorite but wanted to see what I liked. I went through each one eliminating them and wound up choosing exactly the same one
Very Happy

When I moved back home she came on multiple Sundays and worked with my cleaning lady and my designer's mother who was a retired designer and the put everything back including clothing and miscellaneous stuff. She didn't charge me but I bought lunch for everyone and paid my cleaning lady obviously and I also paid her mother a nominal amount which made her mother feel good.


Okay then, what's her name? She sounds amazing.
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doodlesmom




 
 
    
 

Post Sun, Jan 16 2022, 2:15 pm
U got me sold! Who is this wonderful designer?
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cupcake123




 
 
    
 

Post Sun, Jan 16 2022, 2:40 pm
I also want to know!
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