Dear Jean and Richard, I admit that I have trouble with the idea of hiring interior designers to decorate my home. With great furniture stores around—many with FREE design help, why should anyone hire an outsider to do the same job?” Jan, North Asheville

Richard: Hi Jan. Ouch! “Decorate?” Well I agree that it makes no sense to hire someone to do the same job others might do for free. I can only imagine what your friend, neighbor or mother-in-law’s design would be. I think you may have some basic misconceptions about our industry, and if you’re measuring success by cost cutting, your home’s interior could suffer from those misconceptions. Be careful—that “free” advice could ultimately be expensive.

Jean: Jan, to your point about store advice, we know there are many good store designers—in fact, I once supervised the design department in one of Kansas City’s largest furniture stores. But think about it—those staff designers choose from the resources available to them, and usually that means from the inventory they carry or the limited manufacturers they represent. In other words, your final choices are from selections made by store buyers, whose choices are based on what they believe will appeal to the masses.

Richard: Yes, and that’s not necessarily bad, as long as you want a safe, predictable look. But some people want their home to be unique, to make their environment an extension of themselves, and the most it can be. Those goals will require more creativity and wider resources than you find in a local retail environment or in a magazine from the grocery checkout line.

Jean: Aha! You read those “100 decorating tips for under $100” articles, don’t you?

Richard: And a million others do too, which supports my point. Magazines, television shows, home improvement stores—all show you “how it’s done,” as if there are easy recipes for cooking up a great interior. You also find house plans in some magazines, but ordering a house plan is not the same thing as hiring an architect.

Jean: Architects have also been our clients, as well as developers and even custom home builders. And it is usually because they also want something that’s not “off the shelf.” You might compare the difference between a decorator and interior designer to the difference between a landscaper and a landscape architect. They both do important work, but their roles are different. A self-appointed home officed and part-time decorator—someone who has no credentials and buys retail for their assignments—is simply not a true professional.

Richard: Jan, I agree that our services are not for everyone and most professional designers have a minimum on purchases. Not everyone needs the services of an investment broker, either, but some investors wouldn’t think of building their portfolio without one. Most of our clients realize that their home is also an investment in their happiness, and they spend a lot more of their time in it than in, say, their car—another big ticket item. It’s a matter of priorities. I think Jean and I agree (yes, it happens) that when a space is professionally designed, it is completely unique.

Jean: We work within a client’s budget, and like the stores, we buy wholesale. We attend international, national and regional home furnishings markets, which keep us ahead of the styles that trickle down to magazines and local stores. In the long run, you may wind up spending a little more with a professional, but you may be surprised at how little more. The real difference is in the results, which can be amazing!