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Hiring A Decorator – How Does it Work

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I’ve been asked a few times recently about how it works, …I mean how it works when you hire a decorator to help you with your space.  I can’t speak for my peers but here’s what you can expect if you choose to work with me.

1st. We meet. Free 1 hour consultation. You tell me how much younger I look in person and we get along famously…

At this meeting you tell me your design dilemma, we discuss budget and I convey some of my initial thoughts and suggestions. Mostly I use this time to ask questions and listen.  It is SO important for me to understand your taste direction, your lifestyle and the uses for the spaces we are going to work on. I will have immediate ideas and instincts and I may be more excited than you…but I act cool.

2nd. I prepare a plan. My design board takes into consideration the direction you want to go, the budget you have and my suggestions to make it all work together.

I often show clients a selection of rooms that I think capture what they told me in the meeting…this helps me further understand likes and dislikes.  The design board is electronic and serves as a general direction for us going forward. Once you LOVE the plan then we can get to work. The plan usually takes me an hour or two worth of work.  The thing about me is that I don’t settle for any old piece…everything I add to your board is tailored to your wants, needs, location and budget with a little something extra that you didn’t expect…but totally dig…I promise.

3rd. We prioritize.  If there is ordering to be done, we ORDER it and if there is Do it Yourself to be done, we DO it. I often help clients with projects and sometimes I actually do all the DIY myself. Some clients like to get involved and get their hands dirty…either way each item gets checked off the list.

Sometimes I do all the shopping and bring it all to the client.  Sometimes we will work on projects and shop together and for those who like to go it alone I provide homework..such as “find a linen lamp shade with these measurements” OR “go rug shopping and find a couple options you like in this size”…I can be a real task master…

4th. INSTALL. The final chapter is the installation. Sorry dudes, It’s not like on TV…it usually happens in bits and pieces over a period of a couple weeks but I do like the opportunity to style a space once all the pieces are finished to give my client that wow moment. This also gives me the opportunity to photograph it for my portfolio.

The biggest question is usually about money…and rightly so!  Yes, It is affordable! I bill hourly or you can purchase  a day ( 7.5 hours) of my time in advance for a reduced rate that I can just bill against (and no, the work does not all have to be on the same day)  Project rates are reserved for large undertakings.

So as you can see. Not so scary…pretty fun really! Plus you get to hang with a cool chick like me, use my designer discounts and take frequent Starbucks breaks.   Contact me if you want some help making the place you live a place you love!

I hope this answers some of your questions, and makes it a little less scary to take the leap. You know you want to:)