I’m considering hiring an interior designer/decorator to help repaint our apartment, re-upholster a few chairs, choose fabric for window treatments throughout the house and maybe install a few new fixtures.
I’m torn between thinking I can do this myself (choose colors, hire contractor) and thinking I need someone’s help but I’m fearful that the decorator fee’s is money that I’m wasting rather than putting it toward better fabric/fixtures…etc.
Can anyone weigh in on what costs I can expect to incur using a decorator? One person I spoke with said he charges 30% fee on top of labor and then an hourly rate for consulting on fabric/paints. Is this standard? Is this money well spent?


Comments

  1. Divide your to-do list into things you’d like help with and the part you can or would like to do yourself. For example, the decorator could help you choose paint colors and fabrics, but you might hire and supervise the painting. I don’t know what is standard practice for how decorators charge, but you could always call a few shops and see what their policies/suggestions are.