On more than one occasion I have heard the story of the furniture purchase that didn't quite fit. Whether it was too big, too small, the wrong color or it just didn't look as good as in the store, it's a common tale of good money after bad. Designer's training and experience can save you money by simply making the right purchase the first time around. The cost of a design consultation is less than the cost of shipping the sofa back to the store, if they'll take it back. As simple as that sounds, Interior Designers can prevent more costly errors in larger scale projects. Designers are trained to consider the details of entire projects not only the design portion. A good designer can look at a set of floor plans and tell if it will work for your lifestyle before the foundation is poured. It's considerably less expensive to move a wall on paper than on site.

If I'm working with an architect should I hire an Interior Designer?

Yes. Some architects are trained in both disciplines of design, but not as many prefer to handle both. An interior designer picks up where the architect leaves off and handles the details of the interior structure. The interior designer will handle work such as lighting design, kitchen design, millwork and space planning as well as colors, furniture, window treatments and such. The designer is involved until the end of the project and in many cases coordinates the move in process with the client.

We're buying a new home from a builder's floor plan, can you help?

Yes. Part of an interior designers responsibilities is to make sure a house flows and works for the owners lifestyle. If your buying a home that hasn't been built, yet, an interior designer can help you make final changes prior to construction, so the space works for you. The best time to make even the smallest revisions to a building project is during the planning stage. It's much cheaper to move a wall on the floor plan than one that's been constructed.

I don't have a lot of money to spend, but I want to make changes in the interior of my home, how can a designer help?

Depending on the budget that has been set for your project a designer can work several ways to accommodate your needs. For projects with smaller budgets designers often have consultation fees where you benefit from the designer's knowledge, but don't pay them to do the footwork. Usually, there is an initial meeting to go over the scope of the project, the designer will work with the client to come up with a design plan and suggestions for where to shop and how to proceed. After the initial plan is set the designer can be called in on an as needed basis.