Top 10 Reason to Hire an Interior Designer

You might think that hiring an Interior Designer is only for the rich and famous, but actually hiring an Interior Designer is a smart way to go at any budget.  Here are some of the tops reasons.

1.  Hiring an Interior Designer will save you money.    How many times have you purchased something and have no where to put it, or purchased something and it doesn’t fit or look quite right and you end up getting rid of it shortly there after?  Hiring an Interior Designer can help save you money by suggesting purchases that will work and fit into your home decor.  A Designer will help you purchase quality items that will last longer and can transition with moves or changes.   Designer’s also have trade access and discounts that are often passed on the client, so you can purchase higher quality items for the same or lower than you would pay buying retail.  An Interior Designer can help you get it right the first time.

2.  An Interior Designer has access to trade only showrooms and products.  Buying retail is like have a choice of vanilla, chocolate, or strawberry ice cream.  But buying through an Interior Designer opens the world to a whole rainbow of colors.  When you purchase through an Interior Designer you have access to a fabulous world of fabrics, furniture, and other products that cannot be found in retail.

3.  Designers have an array of associates.  One of the biggest challenges facing homeowners and business when deciding on a new project or remodel is how to find quality craftsmen and trades.  Designers work with the trades daily, and they often know the best of their craft, from general contractors to upholsters to custom woodworkers, a Designer has contacts that will help ensure your project is done professionally.

4.  Coordination and Project Management.  Projects such as renovations and remodels can involve a lot of different processes and a lot of different people working on the same space.  A Designer has experience coordinating such projects, and can facilitate the work flow and timing of the installation.  A Designer can also act on your behalf to manage and oversee the project, and ensure that the work is proceeding according to schedule and most importantly correctly.

5.  Fresh ideas and perspective.  Sometimes it doesn’t matter how talented you are and how good your taste is, when you live in a home for a while, you can lose the ability to have an objective perspective.  Bringing in a Professional can give you a new and fresh perspective of the space.

6.  You’ll get more use out of your furniture.  A Designer can help you make quality choices in furniture that will last decades.   With such quality and classic pieces, you may only need occasional reupolstering to refresh your look.

7.  You’ll get more use out of your space.  A Designer can help you get more use of out of your space by designing a space that is functional and useable as well asesthically pleasing.

8.  Free marriage counseling!  Some couples have differences of opionions and tastes when it comes to buying something as simple as a couch; image the complications that arise when redoing a whole room or renovating a home.  Hiring a Designer can help find keep your marriage sane, by offering an outside perpective and recommeding materials that you will both love.

9.  You’ll have more time to do the things you love.  Let’s face it not everyone loves designing and buying for their home.  Hiring an Interior Designer will allow to you avoid the things you dread, and move on to enjoy the things you do love.

10. Your home is still not done.   And it may never get done!  Give your home the priority it deserves.  Bringing in a Professional Interior Designer to get those rooms and projects done once and for all, and enjoy your home the way you dreamed it to be.

Design Trends 2011 - Trend #5 Kitchen Design

As 2011 arrives, a few design trends have emerged into the forefront of kitchen design. Particularly as the economy continues to improve, homeowners are expected to invest more money in their homes through remodeling, rather than buying completely new houses. Here are 5 top predicted trends for kitchen design in 2011:



Cork Flooring



1. Going Green

As we are becoming more aware of the impact their lives have on the environment, they look to more eco-friendly product options. This holds true in kitchens as well. Natural design options, like cork, bamboo, and reclaimed wood are experiencing a surge in interest, as well as decorating essentials like low-VOC paint and varnishes. Eco-friendly appliances like induction cooking and those with an Energy Star rating are continuing to be popular as well.

2. Hidden Surprises

Even while appliances may be increasing in size, new building trends and design technologies can allow them to be essentially hidden within a kitchen behind custom cabinetry. This provides kitchens with all of the regular functionality, but also with a truly seamless appearance that we are just beginning to be seen in kitchen design.

3. Sleek vs. Mod

Although some homewoners may desire to hide their kitchen appliances, another trend for 2011 kitchens is the continuance of the sleek and modern look. Most homeowners will do this with stainless steel appliances, and pair them with a darker wood cabinetry for a sophisticated appearance. A new trend in cabinetry that we’re seeing for 2011, particularly in kitchens with stainless steel appliances, is white cabinets and countertops. This combination creates open and airy kitchens while still retaining full functionality.

4. Multipurpose Room

Speaking of open and airy, kitchens have long been a gathering point for family and friends, especially during the holidays. The increasing number of multipurpose islands being created and installed in kitchens shows that more consumers are both cooking and gathering in their kitchens. Homeowners are also gravitating towards open floorplans, which allows the kitchen to be connected to a living or dining room, and provides even more space to cook and entertain.

5. Pops of Color

While it might feel a bit like a return to the colorful kitchen days of the 1950’s and 1960’s, one of the biggest trends designers are predicting for this season is for kitchens to include whimsical and often unexpected pops of color. Usually, these will come from appliances, like the traditional KitchenAid stand mixer in a bold cherry red hue. If clients express their wishes to include such bright bits of color, consider your material choices in the rest of the kitchen design and you can provide the ideal kitchen experience!

Design Trends 2011 - Trend #3 Vivid and Bright

Bright colors are another trend for 2011. With the economy still suffering, people are relying on youthful, bright colors to cheer up their homes, and their moods. Whether in a new wall color, lighting, occasional tables or accessories adding bolder hues makes even traditional pieces seem more unique and adds an eclectic element.  Experts say intense turquoise and vivid greens can play up a dull and dreary looking room.

Aspiring to restore balance to society and the economy has initiated a return to the way it was when life was easier and less complicated. A return to simplicity coupled with our search for certainty has us learning to live with less and embracing an uncluttered lifestyle. White offers a fresh start with a focus on re-building and re-evaluating personal and professional growth, as well as encouraging self-sufficiency. White evokes the feelings of a safe place, the nostalgia of old-fashioned values, innocence, and the protection of a white picket fence.

Neutrals play a leading role in the color story. These low chroma colors of brown, gray and beige may be clear, or grayed, and may have a very distinct undertone of color. There is an attraction to the more complex neutrals (the colors you can’t pin down with a single word- described as bluish, greenish, gray or pinkish beige), which signals a higher level of sophistication and sensitivity to color.

Collectively color is being used more confidently.  The key is to keep it simple and use neutral colors to balance these bright hues out. White furniture and curtains would certainly do the trick.

Design Trends 2011 - Trend #2 Vintage, Vintage, Vintage

Not just furniture but art, accessories, dishes, and fabrics too.  Give the new life to old treasures.  If you are lucky you have pieces you have inherited from your grandparents and great grandparents, pieces that you may think are dated or out of style but sometimes just adding a coat of paint and repurposing your treasure is all you need to not only have a conversation piece but also bring some history and maybe even childhood memories into your home. The green buffet shown to the right was my grandmother's.  She actually painted it herself in 1970's (hence the olive green finish) but it fits perfectly into my turquoise and green color scheme, plus people ask me about it all the time, which is great way to remind me of  how special she was to our family!

If you aren’t lucky enough to have family heirlooms, go to flea markets and estate sales.  Look at the shape and lines of the piece not the finish or the fabric, those can be changed.  Not only is it green to buy and reuse vintage furniture but they are usually built better, made of solid wood and much sturdier (I am not sure they knew what particle board was back then!).

Don’t store you grandma’s dishes and only get them out once a year for that prefect occasion, use them, enjoy them, hey if they are really cool, hang them on the wall.  If you have some really unique vintage fabric but don’t have much, have accent pillows made for the sofa or placemats for the dining table. If you have at least 3 yards, you could have an accent chair recovered for your room. 

A lot of the time old artwork looks terrible because it is framed terribly, but don’t let that deter, trash the old frame and pick a frame that is more fitting to the piece of art.  Be creative, think outside the box and if you can’t, let me know and I will do it for you!