Tips on Hiring an Interior Designer

Designer Kimberly Merrit's project include transforming this kitchen. Before it featured lots of oak and basic countertops.

By Kathy McCleary, special to HGTV.com

Every morning I walk into my kitchen, look around, and wish I could hire an interior designer. The kitchen walls are spotty yellow plaster since we stripped the wallpaper six months ago. The wood trim is painted a depressing putty color, and the five huge windows are completely bare. If I could just figure out what colors to paint the room and what to put on the windows, we could live with the slightly dated cabinets and countertops for a few more years. But I’m stumped.

I’m also afraid that hiring a designer will cost way more than I want to spend. Hey, I watch Designer's Challenge, and the budget always seems to be in the tens of thousands of dollars. This is a little job. I’m not buying new furniture, moving walls or installing new cupboards and appliances.

Nevertheless, I need an expert. And, as I discovered once I did a little research, many experts are happy to consult on a job as small as mine. Interior design is a rapidly growing field. Membership in the American Society of Interior Designers (ASID) has increased by 30 percent over the last five years, to nearly 39,000 in 2005. Still, according to an ASID survey, most people would rather do remodeling or redecorating work themselves. Just 12 percent of those surveyed (all with annual incomes of $75,000 or more) had used an interior designer in the past two years.

That means many designers are glad to take on small projects as a way to help consumers understand how valuable interior design services can be. For me, it’s a great way to explore what it’s like to use a designer without spending huge wads of money. "It’s a misconception that you have to have a hefty budget to work with an interior designer," says Barbi Krass, director of design for Colorworks Studio in West Bloomfield, Mich. "If you need to just buy three hours of time, that three hours for $300 may save you thousands in avoiding future mistakes, and you can do the actual work yourself."

I’m ready. Now, where do I find an expert, and what do I need to know to make sure I’m hiring the best? Here’s what I found out.

Next: Designer or Decorator?

Merritt's changes were all cosmetic except for new granite countertops. Other highlights include new finishes on cupboards, wallpaper and window treatments.

Designer or Decorator?
Interior decorators are not required to have any formal education; "you just have to have a knack," says Charla Blake, lead instructor with the Interior Design Program at the Art Institute of Dallas. Interior designers, however, must have completed a certain amount of course work, taken a nationally accredited exam and have a set number of hours of on-the-job practice. In addition, 23 states require designers to have licenses, just like doctors or lawyers. If designers are licensed, that means they are accountable to a state licensing board, so you have some legal recourse in the unlikely event the designer messes up in a major way.

"It’s a very technically oriented profession," says Blake. "The public perception is that it’s all about picking colors and finishes and fabrics. But designers deal with historic preservation or restoration, building codes, lighting issues? 80 percent of the job is dealing with manufacturers or writing specifications — the minutiae. Twenty percent is the actual fun stuff." ASID offers an online referral service to help you find interior designers in your area.

For a job like mine that doesn’t involve anything more complex than paint colors and fabric swatches, a decorator may be just fine. "Some people just want advice," says Kimberley Merritt, owner of Beautiful Living Interiors in Peterborough, N.H. Merritt is the membership chair for IRIS (Interior Redesign Industry Specialists), a non-profit networking and referral group for decorators.

Either way, "personal referrals are the absolute best way" to find a design expert, says Krass. "If you’re in someone’s home and see something you like, ask if they worked with a designer." You can also attend designer show houses in your area to see work firsthand and get names. If your area has a local home magazine, look for rooms you like and get designers names. The Franklin Report is a kind of Zagat guide to designers and architects in New York, Chicago and Los Angeles (even if you’re not in one of those areas, there’s some great info on hiring an interior designer or decorator and explanations of fees).

You should interview at least three potential designers. Ask when you call if there’s a charge for the initial consultation. Some will charge for this; some won’t.

Ask Plenty of Questions
Do your research before meeting with a designer. Ask to see samples of their work and when you do get together, come prepared. Bring clips from magazines or catalogues of looks you like; whether it’s an entire room, a single piece of furniture or just a color. And bring a list of questions.

How much do you charge?
Designers and decorators can charge by the hour, the job or even by a percentage of overall project costs. Many designers use a "cost plus" fee structure, meaning the designer buys materials, furnishings and even services (carpentry, electrical installation) at cost and sells them to you at cost plus an agreed-upon percentage, often 30 to 35 percent. Big jobs, say redoing an entire room, can be expensive, as furniture and window treatments are often custom made for the space.
"People don’t realize that when you do a job on Designers Challenge, you do it at cost, so it is really even more expensive," says Krass, who has appeared on the show. "Jobs are often double that."

LA-based designer Chris Barrett says the average cost for a small to medium project, such as doing every room in a two-bedroom condo from flooring to lighting to furniture, is roughly $250,000. On the other end of the scale, Kimberly Merritt charges $75 for a one-hour consultation, which might include color recommendations for a room or even two.

Before work begins, make sure you have a contract. "Even if you’re just hiring a decorator to come in and give you color advice, you should always expect to have a contract," says Charla Blake, of the Dallas Art Institute.

What was the last project you worked on?
Get the designer to talk about other jobs they’ve been involved with. "Don’t just ask about style and design expertise; ask about how the project was executed," says Colorworks’ Krass. Was it finished on time? Did it go over budget? If their last job was a soup-to-nuts design of every room in a multimillion dollar home, that may not be the best person to give you a three-hour color consultation.

In addition, don’t forget to ask about the designer’s schedule and availability (do you still want this designer even if he can’t do your project until 2007?).

What will you do with my velvet painting of dogs playing poker?
Seriously, you need to ask the designer how he or she would work with an object the designer despises but you really love and want to put in your space. "The homeowner is the one who lives in the house, not the designer," says Kenneth Brown, Los Angeles-based interior designer and host of HGTV’s ReDesign. "Let the response to that question guide your decision."

"There are times when I’ve walked into a home and thought, ‘This isn’t what I would have done,’ but I can always find some way to appreciate where the homeowner is coming from, whether they like ducks and chickens or urban flair," says Merritt.

Krass had one client who requested bright purple carpeting throughout the entire house. "She wears purple and eats and breathes purple, so it had to be in every room," Krass recalls. "We custom-colored all the carpeting and did a very contemporary back and white and lavender scheme. It’s not something I personally gravitate toward, but it worked. The house was really a show place and ended up on a house tour."

What’s your design philosophy?
"That’s when you find out if they want to get their signature look across, or if they want to express the clients’ look," says Krass. Some designers have built their reputation on a certain look. Just make sure they understand — and are willing to implement — your vision.

"A designer is taught to be proficient in doing all kinds of styles," says Krass. "What’s really important is whether the client is asking not so much for a style you don’t like, but for a design decision you don’t feel is a sound one, like putting a 42-inch chair into a 43-inch space. You’re going to be squished no matter what style the chair is."

Do I like this person?
This is the last, but one of the most important, questions you need to ask. "If you know they’re competent, then it’s really about personalities," says Barrett, owner of Chris Barrett Design, Inc. in Santa Monica, Calif. "You have to get along with this person and be comfortable enough to sit down and have a cup of coffee with them on a regular basis."

Answer a lot of questions.
Any meeting with a designer should involve a lot of "back and forth," says Barrett. Look for a designer who asks a lot of questions, particularly about how you and your family live in the space you want redone. Questions to expect might include: How does the room function now? What’s working? What doesn’t work? Is it too cluttered? Do you have enough seating? Do you have enough lighting? Is your favorite painting stashed in the attic because you feel it doesn’t go with the décor?

The designer should ask you for pictures of rooms or furniture or colors you like, to give them an idea of your taste and preferences. If you haven’t already discussed the nitty gritty details, the designer should also ask about your budget and timeline, to make sure they can meet your expectations.

I’m still in the process of interviewing designers over the phone for my little kitchen job (a $250,000 budget – I wish!) and I’m excited about the possibilities. After months of yellow plaster, it’s time for our kitchen to feel like home again. I’ll let you know what happens in an upcoming column.