Jan
Dec
How to Choose an Interior Designer or Redecorator
Kim Stone asked:
What types of professional interior designers are available?
Have you heard of Interior redecorators? These professional interior decorators transform your home using things you have accumulated over the years. The end result is a balanced, harmonious space that reflects the personality of the people who use it. Many interior designers have added this service to their repertoire. Alternate terms for professional interior designers specializing in interior redecorating are interior redesigners, interior arrangers, interior stylists, one day decorators, visual coordinators or interior refiners.
What is a Certified Interior Designer? (from B&P Code Section 5800,5538)
A Certified interior designer is a competent design professional who is qualified to design, prepare, and submit any type of nonstructural, non-seismic interior construction plans and specifications to local building departments. Certified interior designers have demonstrated through education, experience, and examination their knowledge of the Uniform Building Code as it relates to space planning, life safety, flammability, and disabled access code issues. Most interior designers have a minimum four-year education. Many have Master of Interior Design degrees or other additional education in architecture or interior design. Interior designers who have many years experience may not have a Bachelors in Interior Design, but usually are well educated and have many years of qualified experience. All qualified interior designers will indicate that they have passed the NCIDQ (National Council for Interior Design Certification) examination and/or are registered/ certified/ licensed in their state.
How do Interior Decorators charge for their services?
Flat Design Fee: The client pays a flat fee for the professional interior designer’s services based on the design plan, time required, and scope of services.
Hourly Rate: The interior decorator bills a negotiated rate per hour.
Cost Plus Method: Professional interior designers charge a set percentage on all merchandise purchased and tradesmen’s services rendered.
Mixed Method: The client pays both a set percentage on purchases and a base design fee for hourly rate.
Per square foot: This method is used especially in new construction.
What to ask at the first meeting:
• Ask to see the interior designer’s portfolio, but remember that the designs reflect other people’s tastes,¬ not necessarily the interior decorator’s, and possibly not your own.
• Ask what size projects the interior designer has worked on, where, and what was the budget range.
• Ask how the established budget will be handled, and the kind of payment schedules the interior decorator requires.
• Ask about the types of services the designer can provide.
• Ask for a list of references.
What you may be asked at the first meeting:
It is a good idea to prepare for your first meeting with a professional interior designer by creating your own folder of clippings from magazines, catalogs, and books of design ideas that appeal to you.
You may also be asked some or all of the following questions:
• For whom is the space being designed?
• What activities will take place in the space?
• How long do you plan to occupy the space?
• What is your time frame for completing the project?
• What is your budget?
• Are you relocating or remodeling?
• What image do you want to project?
• What colors, style, and effects do you like?
• What are your objective and lifestyle needs?
• What is the approximate square footage to be designed?
If a professional interior designer, or anyone, for that matter, tells you the process is easy, stress-free, and will be complete in two weeks, they’re either lying or stupid. Don’t hire that person.
Aug
How to Choose an Interior Designer or Redecorator
Have you heard of Interior redecorators? These professional interior decorators transform your home using things you have accumulated over the years. The end result is a balanced, harmonious space that reflects the personality of the people who use it. Many interior designers have added this service to their repertoire. Alternate terms for professional interior designers specializing in interior redecorating are interior redesigners, interior arrangers, interior stylists, one day decorators, visual coordinators or interior refiners.
What is a Certified Interior Designer? (from B&P Code Section 5800,5538)
A Certified interior designer is a competent design professional who is qualified to design, prepare, and submit any type of nonstructural, non-seismic interior construction plans and specifications to local building departments. Certified interior designers have demonstrated through education, experience, and examination their knowledge of the Uniform Building Code as it relates to space planning, life safety, flammability, and disabled access code issues. Most interior designers have a minimum four-year education. Many have Master of Interior Design degrees or other additional education in architecture or interior design. Interior designers who have many years experience may not have a Bachelors in Interior Design, but usually are well educated and have many years of qualified experience. All qualified interior designers will indicate that they have passed the NCIDQ (National Council for Interior Design Certification) examination and/or are registered/ certified/ licensed in their state.
How do Interior Decorators charge for their services?
Flat Design Fee: The client pays a flat fee for the professional interior designer’s services based on the design plan, time required, and scope of services.
Hourly Rate: The interior decorator bills a negotiated rate per hour.
Cost Plus Method: Professional interior designers charge a set percentage on all merchandise purchased and tradesmen’s services rendered.
Mixed Method: The client pays both a set percentage on purchases and a base design fee for hourly rate.
Per square foot: This method is used especially in new construction.
What to ask at the first meeting:
• Ask to see the interior designer’s portfolio, but remember that the designs reflect other people’s tastes,¬ not necessarily the interior decorator’s, and possibly not your own.
• Ask what size projects the interior designer has worked on, where, and what was the budget range.
• Ask how the established budget will be handled, and the kind of payment schedules the interior decorator requires.
• Ask about the types of services the designer can provide.
• Ask for a list of references.
What you may be asked at the first meeting:
It is a good idea to prepare for your first meeting with a professional interior designer by creating your own folder of clippings from magazines, catalogs, and books of design ideas that appeal to you.
You may also be asked some or all of the following questions:
• For whom is the space being designed?
• What activities will take place in the space?
• How long do you plan to occupy the space?
• What is your time frame for completing the project?
• What is your budget?
• Are you relocating or remodeling?
• What image do you want to project?
• What colors, style, and effects do you like?
• What are your objective and lifestyle needs?
• What is the approximate square footage to be designed?
If a professional interior designer, or anyone, for that matter, tells you the process is easy, stress-free, and will be complete in two weeks, they’re either lying or stupid. Don’t hire that person.
By: Kim Stone
About the Author:
Kimberly M. Stone, is the owner of Adore Your Décor™, an interior decorating firm specializing in interior redesigns and home staging. She also serves as the Feature Editor of http://www.MySpaceDesigners.com, a resource directory for professional interior designers and for consumers looking to locate professional, innovative designers for small space, residential and/or commercial design projects. For more valuable tips on how to choose an interior designer, visit http://www.MySpaceDesigners.com.
Aug
How to Choose an Interior Designer or Redecorator
Kim Stone asked:
What types of architects professional decorators are available? Have you heard about the redecorators interior? These professionals interior decorators transform your home using things that you have accumulated over the years. The final result is a balanced and harmonious space that reflects the personalities of people who use. Many architects, designers have added this service to their repertoire. The terms Alternate architects decorators professionals who specialize in internal redecorating are redesigners interior arrangers interiors, interior designers, decorators by a day, coordinators visual or domestic refiners. What is an architect decorator certificate? (B & Part 5800.5538 code of P) An architect decorator certificate is a professional competent design that is qualified to plan, prepare and submit any type of programmes of construction and interior nonstructural specific and non-seismic to local construction departments. The architects decorators certificates have shown through training, experience and testing their knowledge of building regulation uniform while referring to spatial planning, safety of life, all’infiammabilitA editions and disabled access code. Most architects decorators have a minimum of four years training. Many have degrees of master of interior design or the additional training in architecture or interior design. The architects decorators who have experience of many years can not be celibate in interior design, but usually are educated and have many years of experience qualified. All qualified architects decorators indicate that have passed the examination of NCIDQ (National Council for the certification of interior design) and / or certificate have been allowed a licence in their condition. Like interior decorators complain that their services? Flat design fee: The customer pays a flat fee services internal professional € â„c s of the designerAc based on the development plan, the time required and the scope of services. Rate time: The interior decorator bill negotiated a rate per hour. Cost plus method: The architects professional decorators charge a percentage of all merchandise bought and tradesmen ’s services rendered. Joint Method: The customer pays is a percentage of the purchases that a low tax drawing the hourly rate. For square foot: This method is used particularly in new construction. What to ask the first meeting: John of Ask to see the designers’ internal folder s, but please note that the designs reflect the people ’s really smells, not necessarily the decorator’ internal, if possible and not your own. John Ask the format that projects the architect decorator has worked above, where and what was the range of estimates. John of Ask as the prior established will be dealt with and the sort of programs that payment requires the decorator. John Ask the news on the types of services that the designer can provide. John of Ask a list of references. What you asked to be the first meeting: It is a good idea to prepare for your first meeting with an architect professional decorator generating your own folder of residues of mechanical pruning magazines, catalogues and books of ideas that are drawing aa call you. You can also be done any or all of the following questions: John For those of the space is planning? John, What activities take place in space? John, How long planned to occupy the space? John, What is your timetable for completing the project? John, What is your estimate? John of which You are reassigned or retouched? John, What image you want to project? John, What colors, means and effects are you gradicono? John, What are your needs and lifestyle of goal? John, What is the approximate square footage by design? If a professional architect decorator, or anyone for that matter, says the process is easy, solicit-free and will be complete in two weeks, they ‘with reference or lies or stupid. Don ‘t hire that person.



