Why Use An Interior Designer? How Much Do Interior Designers Charge?

Interior Designers pull it all together

 

While it may be true that years ago an interior designer could make a substantial living marking up goods to sell to their clients, today's interior designer's main focus is to give value to their clients by sharing their expertise and professional experience, rather than depending on selling and marking up goods.

How do we share expertise and provide professional service?

• We provide professional service to our clients when we visit with our clients to discuss the project at hand and listen and note everything needed to create the best solutions for home or office.
• We collect information at design centers, research new concepts, visit trade shows and showrooms for noteworthy products that may be used to design a home or office.
• We design floorplans, concept boards and elevations of rooms, so that our clients can see what their spaces will look like before the project is installed.

For instance, a recent project I worked on was based on a design fee for creating the design of the room. The only markup was a small percentage for administrative handling of the items purchased. I copy all receipts and present my hours and the cost of the items to my client for payment. There are no hidden charges, no over-the-top fees or surprises.

Of course, not all designers want to work this way and some projects may be based on a different fee structure to keep record keeping easier for both client and designer.

But in this day and age with the Internet, clients already know how much some items cost. Keep in mind though that there are many aspects to creating a room beyond picking furniture. You won't have a custom looking room by purchasing items off the shelf.

The rooms you see in Houzz or Pinterest were mostly done by designers who spent hours working on everything including floorplans, window treatments, flooring, furniture, lighting, accessories, artwork.

In essence, our value to our clients as interior designers is in our expertise, our creativity, our experience, professionalism and willingness to create the most beautiful space for our clients.

For more information on what's new in design for the home, check this Blog innovative ideas for new construction, renovation and remodeling.

Mary Alice Smith of M. A. Smith, Ltd. - an interior designer serving New Jersey, Ocean and Monmouth County, the Jersey Shore and metropolitan New York areas.

To schedule an appointment call: 732 690-2030 or email me at masmith729@comcast.net.

M. A. Smith, Ltd.
Interior Design
732 690-2030
masmith@masmithinteriordesign.com
Allied Member ASID
http://masmithinteriordesign.com
Blog: HouseZenGarden and Best Design Coach
Serving New Jersey and Metropolitan New York

 

Part II of a Three Part Series on Choosing Paint Colors for Your Home

Soft and calm colors courtesy of House Beautiful

How long will it take till I find the right colors for my home?

Last week we discussed the steps taken with clients on a paint consult for their home. While choosing paint colors is not 'rocket science', it should not be taken lightly! Colors have an effect on all of us and we don't share the same response to every color. Color is personal to each individual.

For instance, your favorite colors may remind you of a cruise to the islands where the color of the sea was an incredible blue. Or, you may have a deep need of calming colors in your busy home. If it's a company office, it may be colors that would either soothe or inspire your clients that you'll choose.

So when I visit my clients homes to choose colors, we take time to determine the colors that 'call' to them. While it would be easy to choose a color from a Pinterest board or a Houzz photo they liked, those particular colors or shades may not 'read' well in their home. 

How long will it take to find the right colors for your home? The truth is we'll need at the minimum 2 hours to find the right shade. Ok, we have the time it takes covered, but what about the cost to get professional help?

How much will it cost for professional help in choosing your paint colors?

Let me ask you - do you need help with:

• Paint colors for one room's walls
• Choosing a color for a room that 'flows' into another (open plan homes offer a challenge on how to change colors from one space to another)
• Paint colors for a whole house
• Paint colors for walls, trim and ceiling
• Paint colors for homes without furniture (new construction houses)
• Paint colors to work with existing furnishings
• Exterior paint colors

As you can see, everyone is unique when it comes to their home. So the best way to answer "how much will it cost for professional help in choosing your paint colors?" is to reply that it depends on the size and scope of the project. In other words, some projects may take an hour and some a few hours to determine the best choices.

So, to keep it simple, typical designer fees run from $75 per hour to whatever the market will bear in the metropolitan cities like New York. Here in Ocean County New Jersey, for a 2 hour meeting the fee is 150.00 (one hundred and fifty dollars) within a 50 mile radius to Toms River. (By the way, I do not charge travel time to and from your home!)

I hope this information helps you. Color is so important in your home. Whatever you do, whomever you rely on for help - just make sure you take the time to choose a color that you love!