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Has anybody ever hired an interior decorator?

Shadowofyoursmile

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Find out what you like style wise and go to the interior designer and they can help you put all of your likes together in a cohesive manner.
 

omgsmhlol

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I can't decorate for sh!t. I can go to stores and pick out things I like pretty easily but I can't put it together right. I live in a townhouse now and plan on moving in another 1.5 to 2 years. I refuse to go out sad in my new house and I WILL hire a decorator. I hope it doesn't cost an arm and a leg but it is what it is.
This is a subject close to my heart. I majored in the subject and consulted recently housed people on low income through a social enterprise.

Quick fix tip:
Cheapest paint is white. (Blank canvas)
Accessorise with colour. (Like soft furnishings, art work etc)
At a later date paint/wallpaper an accent/focal wall. (To complete/bring together)


Floors/ceilings. They can match or contrast the walls depending on your chosen look.

just remember. It’s personal. You’ll have to live in it. colour affects us in more ways than you’d think.

If you’re able to have someone working for you to create your dream space. Remember they’re human too and if you micro manage and want to make changes AFTER you’ve finalised the design. The job won’t get finished on time and may end up costing you more.
The advantage of having someone work for you is they’ll be able to draft or 3D render the space so you can see how it’ll look along with sample boards so you can feel see the finishes.

Hope this is helpful.
 

ziaaa

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Yes. 3 times.
1st time was an apartment. My budget was 3-4K. Mostly accessories. I remember there were some custom barstools. I already had the big items.

2nd time and house rental.
3rd time at the pre construction stage of a condo.

You start with a budget.
They like to present custom ideas to your space.
I had to wait up to a months for completion.
I want to hire a decorator for my apartment. I want to budget 4K but the furniture I have I want to get rid of. Do you think this is enough?
 

Oooo

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Came here to recommend these 2 options. Many designers to choose from and affordable.

I too cosign havenly. Just used them back in March for my place. It was a great experience.

I will recommend to anyone that you should cross reference the prices of products the designer recommends. They do a price match only for their seller partners. If a wayfair item on havenly is more expensive than on the wayFair site, they’ll honor the lower price.

They also honor seller promotions but you can not use a havenly code plus a code from the partner site.

because their partners fulfill the order, I also recommend checking to see if an item is on back order. There were several items on havenly from west elm & pottery barn that were shown on back order when I went to those websites. Def check that before pulling any triggers on buying directly through havenly.

I didn’t buy my couch thought havenly because if this. It would have been late summer or early fall before I had my couch. I have ordered some of the less expensive items through havenly since the designer earns commission on those items.
 

Reflection

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Try spacejoy. They do a 3-d 360 degree design of your space once you provide measurements and tel, you where to get everything, they also include a free redesign the space if there are things you don’t like in the first two options they give. I used it for my living room and it gave me some great ideas.
 

Cryeisha

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I never understood how people made a living doing this...

-
demand and supply reasons, I understand it’s value
 
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LadyElle0301

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Don’t mind me just taking notes.
giphy.gif
 

Southernchic

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No just me, my mom, and aunt who have an eye for home decor and decorating. If you have friends or family near you that like to decorate I’d use them and give them something for helping. You’re moving in another few years too so it’s not much of a big deal
 

colgatesmile

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No, but I want to get to that point in life. I probably would'nt ever hire one, but would maybe consult w/ one then do my own thing. It's not like i have a large house to tackle.

My parents are renovating, and I would like for them to get one eventually bc you can't use the old furniture after the renovation, and the layout will be different.
 

Madox

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I want to hire a decorator for my apartment. I want to budget 4K but the furniture I have I want to get rid of. Do you think this is enough?
My sectional was 1800 on sale. A 9x12 rug can run you 2000 easily. I would up that budget or repurpose the items you have.
 

twistedsista

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I prefer to spend my entire budget on the things I need for the house. What I've learned from my own experiences is that function comes first. Having a beautiful room that doesn't flow well with your lifestyle is a recipe for disaster.

Once you figure out function, collect pictures on Pinterest to figure out your style and possible color scheme. Create a mood board and then source the items you love but at a reasonable price. Clip pics add them all to your mood board to see if they mesh. Once you figure that out get as many samples as you can. Also, focus on the accessory items last. Those are the pieces you can get from thrifting, antique stores and estate sales. Those are the items that will give the room character. Also, if you're trying to paint the rom do that last. Once you get everything set up you can get a feel for the wall color.

I'm in the process of doing this now and the best part is being able to change things on a mood board instead of buying things and realizing it doesn't work well. It takes time but the more planning you've done the better. I used to spend so much money redecorating when the problem wasn't what I purchased it was because it didn't work well with my lifestyle.
 

breezywaves

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I plan to hire one when I purchase my home, hopefully later this year. For me, it's a good investment as I'll be spending the majority of my time at home (working, etc.) I have a good idea of what I'd like, just need someone with the vision and expertise to help make it happen.
 

Locs121

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Pinterest! It’s free 99! Copy and paste. Even with interior design they’re going to ask what you like or what your vision is ( maximalist? Minimalist? Cozy? Coastal? Scandinavian, mid modern century? Colors? Lighting?) if you can’t answer that yet I wouldn’t even hire one simply because you end up with someone else’s touch in YOUR home. Parlay that on to Pinterest search and make boards. They even have design styles quizzes online that can generate your “style” based on how you answer the questions. If the quiz results says your style is “Scandinavian flare” plug that result into Pinterest and thousands of pics come up. Then save and narrow down. If you’re creative with your search the ideas start flowing and I’m pretty sure you won’t have to pay anyone or if you do they won’t have to do much but tack on to what your ideas are.
 
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Locs121

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My sectional was 1800 on sale. A 9x12 rug can run you 2000 easily. I would up that budget or repurpose the items you have.
I repurpose and upcycle like crazy and I get a lot of compliments. I’m revamping my living room again : unamused:and I found a gorgeous Fenton lamp that goes with my “vision” along with a shell backed arm chair that was dirt cheap at an estate sale. The rest of the things I already are being painted painted or swamped out to another room. I saved a lot of money doing this vs clearing everything out and starting all over again with a clean slate. Nothing wrong with that but it’s pricey and people generally want to change things every 3-5 years.
 

rennieD

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Not me personally, but my home is under 2000 sq ft so I can't see paying someone to decorate. I would get decorating or design ideas from magazines etc.
 

Dutchess

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The best way to do it on the low is look into the local university to see if they have a degree in interior design. Find a 3rd or 4th year student who needs a portfolio. They will do it for little or nothing. Some of those students are really good.
 

Sallie Blair

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I'm hiring my friend when I move. I know what I like and the vibe I want, but I hate shopping for furniture and household goods. Because of this, I end up getting frustrated because I'll see something cute and buy it, but because I just bought whatever when I move in, it doesn't match.
 

internetsweetie

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I have, but she's my friend and did it for her portfolio. You'd be surprised how many up and coming interior decorators/stagers who would do it free of charge for their portfolio. You buy all materials, of course.

Look into local stagers and interior decorators just starting out. If you have any design schools check out there too. But the cheapest place would be Pinterest. They have pins that tell you where to buy everything. no different than a person buying the mannequin's entire look to wear.
Any Pinterest boards that you recommend -- could you post the links?
 

Andenam

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You can't look at a room you like and recreate it? That's what a lot of people do.
 

Shaneille

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I hired someone fresh out of college. She had a great portfolio of things she did at her place and for family/friends, so I let her do my living room. To this day, I keep in mind with things she told me about decorating. Has helped me decorate my home throughout the years. Very worth it.

What tips did she share?
 

Shaneille

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The best way to do it on the low is look into the local university to see if they have a degree in interior design. Find a 3rd or 4th year student who needs a portfolio. They will do it for little or nothing. Some of those students are really good.

very smart
 

Notthatserious

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I hired one for a kitchen and master bath. The kitchen was a tight space but I didn’t want to spend a lot of money taking down walls. She helped me reconfigure my kitchen, select back splash and new countertops and suggested I repaint the cabinets which saved a lot of money. She was focused on me staying on budget and even charged things on her store cards to get the designer discount. The costs was pretty reasonable for the job, about 5k.
 

Sa1825

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What tips did she share?
My current place doesn’t have a lot of natural light so lots of mirrors and light colors. To not make it “bland” I have colorful throw pillows, rugs (placement made the place look more put together), and throw blankets.

living room is oddly shaped so I have furniture strategically placed to make it look more even/sectioned off.
 

PrettyMa

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I can't decorate for sh!t. I can go to stores and pick out things I like pretty easily but I can't put it together right. I live in a townhouse now and plan on moving in another 1.5 to 2 years. I refuse to go out sad in my new house and I WILL hire a decorator. I hope it doesn't cost an arm and a leg but it is what it is.
I haven’t but my friend has for her mother . She did an awesome job too .! Here is her IG name









 

Blackpearl

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I can't decorate for sh!t. I can go to stores and pick out things I like pretty easily but I can't put it together right. I live in a townhouse now and plan on moving in another 1.5 to 2 years. I refuse to go out sad in my new house and I WILL hire a decorator. I hope it doesn't cost an arm and a leg but it is what it is.
We have hired a decorator, and recently asked her to come back and help, us redecorate our home office. Interior Designers save you a lot of time. She helped us choose an interior color palette, select furniture, rugs, and art work. She also found new ways to use pieces we already had. Designers have lost a lot of income in recent years. Consultations used to be free, but then people started taking the ideas they got in the free consultation and using Home Goods, Ross, and other stores to implement the ideas themselves. Now, most designers charge a fee of up to $250 for up to 2 hours of their time. This helps them to avoid giving ideas away for free. I would suggest starting by getting recommendations from friends or people you know who have beautiful decor.
 

Fab Bridges

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I used Modsy for my master & living room. I spent like $200, they stuck within my budget and the pieces were amazing.
 

Lady Luck 321

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I would like to but I grew up so poor that I physically can’t hire an interior decorator.

Google images is another great tool. It will even offer copycat versions in lower price ranges.
I'm actually been running into this problem too. Some stuff I have a hard time paying other people to do or splurging.
 

omgsmhlol

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I plan to hire one when I purchase my home, hopefully later this year. For me, it's a good investment as I'll be spending the majority of my time at home (working, etc.) I have a good idea of what I'd like, just need someone with the vision and expertise to help make it happen.
Start collecting magazine cut outs and make a note of where the sun rises and sets.
 

omgsmhlol

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The best way to do it on the low is look into the local university to see if they have a degree in interior design. Find a 3rd or 4th year student who needs a portfolio. They will do it for little or nothing. Some of those students are really good.
Totally agree that’s how I got my start before graduating. But bear in mind a student can ONLY fix the aesthetics. Anything structural you’d still need to get a qualified designer/structural engineer.
 

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