I have to begin this blog by saying it is worth the time and investment to meet with a design professional, even for an hour, to go over your ideas for a re-design of a room. They can offer some fantastic ideas and tips to make your project more successful.
I recently met with an old friend who moved away. We were talking about her new townhouse and how she and her husband are going to do some work to bring it up to date. First she says she and her hubby are considering tiling the kitchen countertop - bad start! I begged her to not do it! I told her that a tiled countertop is about as 90's as it gets and it would date that place even more than the old formica! Then she was talking about the layout of the living room. She had some good ideas, other's were a bit scary.
I told her that I have a friend who is an interior decorator in her neighborhood and that she should call her and have her come take a look. "Oh, my husband's too cheap for that!" she exclaimed. Literally, I talked to her until I was blue in my face and could get nowhere.
This is what that conversation sounded like to me:
Dentist? Oh, no I don't go to the dentist. I bought one of those metal picks at Rite-Aid, the one that the dentist's use to clean your teeth and so I don't need to go to the dentist.
It's just as ridiculous.
She would not spend $150-200 to have a professional come to her home, help her with the ideas she'd already begun to formulate and give her caution to areas that may become pitfalls - how foolish! (I am not saying that $150-200 is pocket change, but when it comes to avoiding very costly mistakes, especially ones that will cost double that, it is worth every penny.)
Unfortunately, I have many clients who come to me because they've made mistakes. They started a kitchen or bath project on their own (and it looked like it), they purchased (with good, hard-earned money) furniture that is too big/too small for their room - that they can't send back, they have painted a most dreadful shade of something on their walls instead of calling for a paint consult. The list goes on and on. And all of them WASTED money on something that they will never enjoy.
Many reading this will see the light - other's will still think they have no need for trained and educated professionals. To the former, I say call me if you need help with a project or simply a second opinion before you spend all your hard-earned cash. To the latter, I say "Good luck with that."
