Make
What You Already Have Fab: Hire a Redesigner
You don’t need to replace
all of your furniture and purchase a bunch of artwork
to breathe new life into your home. Simply hire a redesigner.
These professionals can turn what you already have into
something fabulous!
When they wish to give their home a
new look or freshen things up, many homeowners immediately
reach for their wallets to buy new furniture, new décor
or even to fund a renovation. Spend a few hours with
a professional redesigner, however, and you may save
thousands of dollars by using what you already have,
says a recent article from Wall Street Journal Online.
“Before you spend a dime on anything new, I say
let’s do the very best with what you have,”
says Marie Kinnaman, a San Diego County-based redesigner
with 15 years of experience. “Sometimes then you
just buy a lamp or an end table or nothing at all.”
Redesigners can work with common decorating
challenges such as off-center fireplaces, odd collectibles
and cavernous ceilings. Trained redesigners have an
eye for mixing and matching items from different areas
of your home, grouping accessories and hanging artwork
for impact and rotating the display of accessories.
“I love the idea of recycling and reusing,”
explains Kinnaman. “People just grow tired of
their things. You can give a new feeling to a room just
by rearranging what you have and it turns out, what
you have isn’t so bad at all.”
Many homeowners start to feel frustrated
when they move into a new home with a different layout
than their old home and have trouble arranging their
possessions. Other challenges include the blending of
two households, the division of a household and a move
from a larger home to a smaller home or condo. If you
feel stymied by your home’s layout or are bored
by the same old stuff, day after day, it may be time
to hire a professional.
Redesigners can charge by the hour,
day or job, so you should ask beforehand how your expert
wants to be paid. You should also ask for an estimate
of the cost and the length of the project, as both can
vary depending on your home and whether your redesigner
brings in a team or works alone. Hourly rates for redesigners
vary by region, but tend to average just below $100;
team efforts for moving furniture can cost closer to
a couple of hundred per hour but should take a shorter
period of time.
Rochester, Minn.-based redesigner Cindy
Hughes says that you should plan on a minimum of three
hours for most full room makeovers. Some may take more
than a day, although some redesigners offer shorter
appointments for beginning consultations, such as color
advice, tricks for editing your possessions and furniture-buying
strategies. Kinnaman explains that real savings can
be had when homeowners avoid buying the wrong furniture
for the space. You may be able to reupholster your existing
sofa rather than purchasing an expensive sectional,
for instance.
Before hiring a redesigner, you should
be familiar with the extent of services offered. Redesigners
do not typically paint and may or may not do minor construction,
such as hanging shelves. Not all redesigners will move
heavy furniture or collectibles, so if you have items
like this, you may have to hire a moving company or
do it yourself based on the redesigner’s recommendations.
Another limitation may be reconfiguring electronics,
since your original settings are tailored to your preferences.
Mindy Miles Greenburg, owner of Encore
Décor in New York, recommends giving your redesigner
access to your entire home, storage spaces included.
“I go in the garage. I look under beds and tables;
it’s flea-market shopping in one’s home,”
she explains. This can help break up the showroom and
catalog looks that homeowners often have and bring in
more personalization.
Some redesigners may prefer you to leave
for the entire day while they have free rein in your
home. Others may be fine if you hang around and may
even ask you to contribute. If you do choose to hang
around or even shadow the redesigner, make sure to trust
his or her opinion. If one room looks empty, trust that
the redesigner will balance it all out in the end. If
you leave for the day, your redesigner may add simple
touches such as fresh flowers or new accessories, and
he or she may leave you a list of things to buy that
could further enhance your home.
Remember when hiring a redesigner
to be open-minded. It can be difficult to open up your
home and your most prized possessions to an outsider
who may make difficult recommendations. Redesigners
tend to limit the risk of unacceptable redesigns ahead
of time by conducting extensive client interviews. The
redesigner should understand how you live and what your
tastes are. And since they are working with your existing
possessions, your preferences and tastes should still
be apparent when the project is completed.
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