Decorating Your Home

Today, home interiors emphasize comfort and reflect personal style. The new interior decorations have evolved from styles popular in the past.

Generally when you are doing interior decorating with a familiy member, or with a professional interior decorator, the first thing that you should do when you start is to communicate what you would like the room to look like. This will help all parties involved communicate and put together a decorating scheme that will work for everyone. When people communicate their requirements, they help to ensure that no one will be surprised at the end result.

When you tackle an interior decorating project, it can be difficult to know where to start. Many interior decorators would say a good place to start is with a key piece of furniture or a rug. Using this philosophy, you start with an expensive piece or a piece that you want to base your color and decorating scheme on. Then you develop a color scheme and then slowly add accent pieces that can fit the color scheme.

Another way of doing it is to focus on the floors, since the floors can do a lot for setting the overall tone of the room. Hardwood floor types, color, and finish can be a good place to start for developing a suitable color scheme. Alternatively if you have carpet, selecting the carpet color is a good place to begin if you have carpet types that you would like to look at. Then gradually match pieces with the carpet and the color scheme that you have developed.

The final suggestion, if you have not decided to start with carpet or a key piece of furniture is to start with the color of the wall. For most rooms, this will be white since it adds a good deal of flexibility to a room or scheme. Others will want to get the wall paint color or wallpaper the correct color and then go from there in terms of color scheme and other types of decorations.

Consider Hiring a Interior Design Expert
Contracting an interior designer can help take the guess work out of a decorating project

Designers are schooled to look at the big picture and to help their clients avoid costly mistakes. They also know where to find the right accessories and furniture to get the "look" their clients want. They also consider the traffic patterns of a home, the scale of proportions between furniture and rooms, and create a "master plan" based upon their client's tastes.

Many consumers are intimidated by the thought of hiring an interior designer to help with a renovation and/or decorating projects. Some fear the designer will take over and there will be no resemblance of their own personalities left in the home when the project is complete - or that they will have to throw out everything we currently own and start over.

Another common misconception about hiring a designer is that working with a designer is only for the wealthy. Not true!

Today, designers and decorators are being consulted and hired to work on the homes of everyday people, and for projects that range from small to large budgets. No job is too ordinary or too small not to solicit the advice of a trained professional. If you are sick, you consult a doctor; if you need legal advice, you consult a lawyer; if you need design and decorating advice, consider consulting a designer.

Expertise
Designers have spent years training to create functional and beautiful spaces for living and working. They are familiar with current products, trends, building codes and resources. Designers have the education, experience and expertise not only to help you create the home of your dreams, but also to save you time and money.

Letting a designer guide you through the world of wallpaper, artwork, furniture, appliances, fabrics, colour, flooring, lighting and accessories can ensure a finished room that will bring you years of enjoyment. As an advisor, the designer can help:

	confirm a style and theme for your home/room;
	assist in creating a space that accommodates your lifestyle;
	guide you through the communication process with contractors and trades people;
	help to set and maintain a realistic budget;
	create an overall plan for your space;
	offer innovative design ideas, advice and solutions;
	avoid costly mistakes; and/or
	share a pool of resources for manufactures, retailers and professional trades people.

Selecting the right designer for a project is very important. Ask friends, family and co-workers to recommend designers they have worked with in the past. Visit display homes, furniture and design stores, and trade shows to talk with, and view the work of potential designers. A relationship with a designer is one that will span many years. Take the time and find a designer whom you trust, and with whom you can easily communicate your needs.

A designer should be receptive to your needs, likes, dislikes and suggestions. Honest and open communication between designer and client is imperative to a successful project.

Fees
How a designer charges may vary from project to project. If your budget is small, consider hiring a designer for one or two hours as a consultant. The designer's hourly fee will vary between $50 and $300 per hour, depending on your location and the designer's experience. Regardless of their hourly fee, this could be the best money you spend. For larger and lengthy projects, designers will offer a variety of payment options.

	An hourly fee
	Hourly fee, plus commission on all purchases
	Flat rate
	Flat rate plus commission
	Straight commission
	Price per square foot

Choosing to work with a designer to guide you through the world of design, decorating and home renovations, is a wise and worthwhile investment. It is most often the difference between a satisfactory home project and a simply sensational home.