“Anyone can go to Homesense and buy throw pillows”
If this how you feel, then please use this blog as a guide for how to decorate your own home and all of the elements you’ll need to prepare for – no hard feelings and I wish you all the best. However, if you want to know what interior decorators do because you are looking to hire one and want to make sure you understand the value you are getting, here is a breakdown of what you can expect – from us anyway.
What interior decorators do – Services
- Consultation
- Create design concepts
- Develop decorative plan
- Source and purchase design elements
- Oversee and liaison between trades and contractors
- Project manage budget and schedules
- Install and implement design
- Decorate and style for showcase
What interior decorators do: Products
There are hundreds (if not thousands) of elements that make up a room, and it is our job to plan, source, and shop for all of those physical pieces.
- Flooring
- Tile, laminate, wood, carpet, etc.
- Window treatments
- Blinds, drapery, shades, shutters, etc.
- Wall treatments
- Paint, wallpaper, wainscotting, tiling, etc.
- Lighting / Light Fixtures
- Chandeliers, track-lighting, pot lights, sconces, floor lamps, table lamps, flush-mount lights, etc.
- Fixtures / Hardware
- Faucets, shower heads, door knobs, drawer pulls, curtain rods, etc.
- Furniture
- Couches, chairs, beds, dressers, shelving, benches, coffee tables, side tables, vanities, dinging tables, etc.
- Soft furnishings
- Upholstery, Area rugs, throw pillows, throw blankets, etc.
- Decor/Accessories
- Plants/florals (real or silk), books, memorabilia, boxes, pictures frames, sculptures, bowls, figurines, KnickKnacks, etc.
- Wall Art
- Paintings, pictures, clocks, metal/wood wall sculptures, etc
What interior decorators ACTUALLY do:
Take your desire and turn it into a physical reality
- With your inspiration photos and open communication we create mood boards and furniture layouts and detailed design plans so that you know exactly what you are getting and can visualize and approve each and every piece.
Dig deep to find out what you really want (which may be different than you thought you wanted on the surface) and bring it to life
- I need to understand who you are at your core so that the design we create resonates with you – which is very different than just ‘looking pretty’.
- Design should be guided by functionally, your activities, what you like and dislike, and where you are in your life as well as where you want to be heading. Design is the intersection between joyful and inspired living.
Budget and prioritize to manage expectations
- This is not the fun part but it is one of the most important. As a decorator I work with your budget and do what I can within that. However it is also my job to manage expectations and let you know what will be needed to accomplish your vision
- $10,000 is a great budget for styling a living room, however, it will be tight if we need to paint and wallpaper and get all new furniture and soft furnishings and window treatments… (for example).
- I work with your budget to prioritize what is most important to you and work down from there so you get the most bang for your buck.
- It is also my job to consider all of the little things that can press a budget – things like labour, shipping costs, delivery fees, GST, and small things like curtain hardware. Decorators track and budget for all of this so you don’t have to.
Project manage and coordinate subcontractors and act as a buffer to streamline the experience of home beautification and improvement and filter down only what you need to worry about
- Some projects require painters and wallpaper installers and handymen and custom cabinetry – all of which need to be individually managed. There is a certain order to things so nobody is climbing overtop of each other and things run smoothly. And should things come up, I will handle them. And if they are things that need to be brought to your attention you can hear it all from me as your one point of contact, rather than being bombarded with questions from every angle.
Source materials for design and take the research, back and forth, shipping, payments, and headaches off your shoulders
- Decorating is a blast and ‘shopping at Homesense for throw pillows’ is certainly one of the most fun aspects of the job. However, there is a lot of less-fun behind-the-scenes work that we protect you from. Things like schlepping all of the decor, tirelessly driving around town in traffic looking for product, working out billing and deposits and shipping with suppliers, troubleshooting delays and out of stock supplies, etc. Things I don’t mind, but that will likely take the wind out of your sails.
Managing transport and execution of all elements
- We ship big items to your house unless it is a larger project and we need to rent a storage facility – and we can be there for that delivery to help direct the movers. This also requires scheduling and booking delivery dates and working with the supplier to ensure everything arrives as expected.
- We collect all of the smaller items ourselves and store them and bring them all at once on install day so you don’t have to worry about collecting things and finding places to hold them in the meantime.
Designing with the bigger picture in mind
- We are specialists in creating cohesive designs right down to the nobs on a dresser and the pile of a carpet. Each and every decision, no matter how small, can have a huge impact on the overall aesthetic of a room. We are hand selecting each item, and those decisions are based on key design elements: scale, texture, colour, shape, price (value), and how those elements balance with each other element in the design.
- Our job is also to ensure everything not only works together but is functional for the space and tying it back to your original goals and lifestyle.
Our expertise and eye (and knowledge) of design
- Similarly to the point above – you are hiring us because we are experts in design. What this really means for you is that we are constantly doing research and finding inspiration each and every day. So we know what is out there, we know what is trendy, and we know which systems and layouts and fabrics work for different uses.
Staging and styling for a big ‘wow’ impact
- Seriously though… how fun is it to have a ‘big reveal’ like on all those HGTV shows. Even though you will be included in the project (as much or as little as you want to be), we still do keep lots back until install day so you also get that huge rush of seeing it all come together better than your wildest dreams. FUN!
Peace of mind. Calm. Experience.
We offer peace of mind that your home is being taken care of and your dreams are seamlessly becoming a reality. We understand that you are investing in your home and yourself and have hired us to give you a space that you can finally enjoy.
We offer ‘calm’ by removing all of the stress and management and headaches that are common place in a decorating project.
We offer an experience. Redecorating your home should be exciting. It should be something you simply ‘can’t wait’ to see come together, rather than something you ‘cant wait’ to end. An experience that gives you butterflies every time you see a new element for your home that you absolutely love. With us it is an experience, and not a task.
Does it sound like an interior decorator is right for you? Book a call!