There are many ways an Interior Designer can be helpful to you in achieving your design needs and they can be tailored to your particular project to facilitate time and money. Here are the general service concepts:
Consultation is when the designer comes to your home and discusses the issues you are having with an existing space. The designer then offers suggestions as to how best develop and enhance what you already have. They may actually shift some furniture, rearrange shelves, suggest that you buy specific accessories for specific places, propose a new piece of furniture or recommend that you paint an accent color on a certain wall - all to improve the balance, function and look of the room. My fee for this level of service is $125.00 per hour and I do not charge for travel.
Plannning and design is when you have an empty or near-empty room and you want a plan to be developed that will maximize the function and beauty of that space. Again, the designer comes to your home to discuss your lifestyle and the needs, wishes and budget you envision for this space. They will then precisely measure the room and return to their workplace to draft, to scale, the footprint of your room. Next comes the design phase, wherein a furniture layout is developed that meets the criteria that was determined during the interview. The designer will then meet with you again to review the design and, if you wish to implement the plan yourself, will give you a copy of the floor plan along with a list of furniture by type and size ( for example: an upholstered chair 34" W x 36" D x 34" H), as well as key accessories, and a value study of the plan that explains where the lighter, medium and darker tones and colors should occur throughout the space to ensure balance. You will then have the information you need to purchase the pieces for your room. Again, my fee for this phase is $125.00 per hour.
Design implementation is when you, the client, want the designer to proceed to the next level and actually select the precise elements for the room - paint/wallcovering, furniture, fabrics, floor covering, key accessories and window treatments. These selections would then be reviewed and explained and, once any adjustments are finalized, purchasing would begin. At this point I would work against a retainer, to be determined by the scope of the project, at the rate of $100.00 per hour.
There are other services that a designer can provide above and beyond the actual designing of interiors. For instance, they can meet with you and your architect, builder, contractor or tradesman to ensure that the needs of the interior are respected during each stage of development. Or, they can assist you if you are down-sizing by inventorying and prioritizing your existing possessions and developing a floor plan for your new home that utilizes and supplements your prized pieces. As part of this service, your designer is available to meet the movers at the new residence and oversee the accurate placement of your furniture. My fee for the above services would be $100.00 per hour.
Remember this - if you experience a situation that is design-related but not discussed here, Beth Stolze Interior Design is just a phone call or email away.
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