Interior Design: Professional or DIY?

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When you move into a new home, it is common to have the urge to redecorate completely. To find just the right pieces and perfect the design style you desire you may want to hire a professional. Employing an interior decorator to help you with your new home décor might be a great idea, but it may not be the right idea for you. Here are three questions to ask yourself before hiring a professional. 

1. How much redecorating are you planning to do?

Do you plan to redecorate the whole house, a couple main rooms, or are you really just looking for a new sofa and dining room table? Outlining what exactly you plan to use an interior decorator’s help for will help you determine if you need one or not. If you’re only looking for a few new pieces you can probably make a good decision using your own preferences and a bit of shopping around. 

Visit different furniture stores and ask questions and advice from the designers or salespeople. You might be surprised to find how insightful they can be by simply looking at a picture of your home or room and suggesting solutions for the singular pieces you seek. If you’re redecorating the whole house and you want to start from scratch, help from an interior professional might be just the thing for you.

2. How much time do you have to shop?

Many people love visiting different furniture and home décor stores to see what’s out there. They want to try out different fabrics, sit on each sofa or test out each writing desk and dining table. Others either find this activity tedious or simply don’t have the time to put into finding the perfect pieces. Here’s where a professional comes in. If you don’t have time to shop, your interior decorator can help you narrow down your selections and bring you different fabrics, finishes and even whole items to try out before purchasing them. Sometimes the process can take a bit longer this way with more trial and error. 

However, a professional can help negotiate trial periods or viewing opportunities with different dealers, so you don’t end up paying a bunch of restocking fees. With a pro you can make selections without having to be present for all of the shopping.

3. What is your budget?

You may want to redecorate your whole house, but do you have the budget to do so? Furthermore, do you have the budget to hire a professional to help? An interior decorator will typically charge you an hourly fee for their services, plus potential mark-up or commission fees on each furniture piece they help select and purchase.

It’s all a normal part of how the industry works, but the additional costs are something you need to consider when reviewing your budget. You may have enough money to purchase the furniture yourself, or even pay for white-glove service, but can you afford the additional help?

If you can hire a professional without sacrificing too much of your budget, it can be well worth it.