Interior designers - yes or no?

[Desres]

Hello, I'm new to this sort of thing.  Hope you don't mind me asking but I could do with your help!

I'm trying to do some research on Interior Designers - Would you consider using one? If yes, what do you expect from them? If no, why not and what would change your mind?

Looking forward to hearing from anyone that wants to give me their opinions & thanks for your help.

[boobesque]

i would have to say no, decorating a house is a personal taste thing, and i dont think a stranger could really capture what you want after a few meetings! i really enjoy doing it all myself!

[rampart]

Mrs rampart uses one from time to time in some areas, but not all. The one she consults shares interesting ideas that mrs r would not have considered. Different colours, textures, accessories.

Mrs r expects the designer to listen to her desires and then come back with several options for mrs r to consider. For example, our home is quite traditional and full of antiques and large ornate furniture. Mrs r would never expect the designer to come up with a contemporary design of chrome and glass, but she does expect the designer to come back with something very interesting that brightens up the place. We do not want the place boring and old fashioned. The designer can merge new and exciting things with our old furniture. In addition, mrs r expects the designer to honour the amount mrs r wants to spend. The designer's job is to create everything she wants within that amount. So some pieces are re-used, some are created from inexpensive materials. The designer knows ways to do this where mrs r has no idea and no skill in that area. The designer can make a drapery panel quite cheaply, but mrs r cannot darn a sock.

There is a price to using a designer. That is something to consider.

[woofgang]

I wouldn't use an interior designer. I know what  I like and don't change my house when the fashion changes. Having said that, I might want to use one as a personal shopper when the lottery comes up. This person would know my taste and what I want and then source stuff for me.

We did use a landscape designer when we re-did the garden. Actually we didn't know he was. We had had about 3 companies in who listened to what we wanted and then came back with a design totally unlike what we had asked for and wanted to charge a bomb so we thought blow this we'll just get a gardener /hard landscaper  in and we'll do the designing. Turned out the guy was a proper garden designer...he listened to what we wanted, made some great suggestions and then created it...fabulous

[shivvy]

If you know what you want then you should have belief in yourself and go for it.

If you have no idea, then an interior designer can be good to give you a few ideas - some you might like - some you might hate!

Good designers will spend time asking you what you like but you gotta remember that ultimately the designer is a total stranger and might well not hit the nail on the head as far as your tastes are concerned.

I have done it once but I wouldn't do it again.  Of the ideas that I did go for, I ended up feeling as if I was sitting in someone elses room and it wasn't a nice feeling (even though the room was lovely). 

[shivvy]

By the way - I see that your name is in green and that you are therefore new to answerbank.

Welcome, welcome, welcome!!

[www.des-res.]

Welcome to the answer bank.
I have spent many years in the new-homes industry and so have had more than my fair share of dealings with interior designers presenting show houses. This is now an advice sservice my web-site offer free.

KEEP AWAY....... In my opinion, which if you ask any sales negotiator is probably shared by most. They are nothing more than a load of arty - farty types practicing their self indulgence on the unsuspecting.

I have never seen one put a scheme together that does not involve speciality ordered fabrics and even wallpaper. In one house in Bracknell of all places, they imported double width fabric from the south of france. The place was awful and cost a fortune.

Get the 'next brochure' and see how the colours and room designes are put together. At least you will know that the products are co-ordinating, reasonably priced and of agood quality.

If you want to talk more [email protected].