'designers' Interior Design  

designers

When is it decoration and when does it become interior design? Do you need a license in Massachusetts to be an interior designer? What does someone with a design license offer you that you can't do yourself? Are designers in league with manufacturers of certain products, or do they pick the best product for your needs?

Mona Ives (140.186.106.105) -

To answer your question from inside the industry - it really depends on the specific designer you hire. Many designers sell certain manufacturer brands because they stand to make a good profit on those items, but they also do their best to find you the products that suit your design needs. Many manufacturers sell similar products - and so designers often align themselves with certain wholesalers in order to make the best profit. Other designers only charge you for their time and therefore, don't really care what you buy or how much you spend as long as it makes a beautiful design. The problem is there is no consistency in the way this is done. Most designers do want to make a profit on selling you products they can make good margin on. But that doesn't mean they are not doing their best to design a space that suits your functional and stylistic needs. If you're concerned, ask the designer you are interviewing if they do "cost plus" pricing or if they only charge hourly. Ask them if they mind if you purchase your own merchandise or if they extend "to the trade" discounts to their clients. Understand that if they are not making margin on product, they will most likely charge you a higher hourly rate and bill you for every minute they spend assisting you. Many of my clients tell me they do not want to buy custom furniture, but would like to purchase from Pottery Barn or some other retailer. I usually tell them that this is no problem for me, because generally speaking, I just charge my hourly rate. What manufacturers my clients purchase doesn't affect me - I just apprise them of differences in quality and the number of choices they may have for upholstery fabrics. Every designer is different - so ask the question. Hope that helps!

• www.stylishspaces@cape.com

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