1. "Shop in the Right Store and You May Not Even Need Me."
In many middle-range to upscale stores, such as Bloomingdale's or Ethan Allen, shoppers are
encouraged to work with in-house design consultants. While they are paid by the retailer --
and are therefore shilling for the boss -- they are bona fide decorators. At Ethan Allen,
most decorators have three to five years of high-end furniture sales experience and 80% have
been to design school, the company says. "The big problems that people have in decorating
their own homes are the placement of furniture, scale of furniture and combinations of
colors," notes Peter Bolton, a Los Angeles designer. "Those in-store services can be very
helpful, and they are free."
Aren't you at a disadvantage because you're dealing with a store employee? Well, it's true
that your choices are limited. But then, as Bolton puts it: "You're always at the mercy of
somebody's taste."
2. "My Title Doesn't Mean Very Much."
Interior decorator is a title that almost anybody can use. There is no governing
organization, no licensing requirement (except in Puerto Rico), not even a test to prove
that you know your Jacquard from your jack of all trades. Traditionally, decorators limit
their services to buying and arranging furniture, fabric and accessories.
Interior designers are the ones who draw up plans and oversee contractors -- and flash
impressive-looking licenses. A handful of states require interior designers to pass a
six-part test and have two to eight years of education and job experience. Trade groups like
the American Society of Interior Designers make a big fuss about this exam. But in many
respects, it doesn't amount to much. Sure, the test includes a lot of technical information
about such topics as electrical and fire codes. But only in a handful of states does failing
the test prevent you from practicing interior design. What's more, because they only oversee
the use of a title, most state boards have limited authority. If you call to find out
whether any complaints have been lodged against someone, the boards that give out such
information -- not all of them will -- generally can tell you only if the person has abused
the use of his title, and nothing more.
How can you check out a designer's standing or ethical practices? You might call the ASID to
see whether the candidate is still a member or not. But since less than half of all U.S.
designers are members of the association, you probably won't find out a great deal -- so
check your designer's references carefully.
3. "You Might as Well Use My Estimate as Wallpaper."
Once you've settled on a designer you like and feel you can afford, your first step will be
to sit down and go over your budget, with an estimate of how much the job is going to cost.
But the fact is, that estimate doesn't mean a whole lot. You're likely to pay 20% more -- at
least.
What happens? When designers present their clients with a choice of items -- say, fabrics
costing $30 a yard or $50 a yard -- they often don't bother to note that the more attractive
option is considerably more expensive than what the budget called for. Some designers will
also play to customers' insecurities, assuring them that the job will look unfinished
without countless additions and unexpected alterations. "A lot of designers think that if a
client says he'll pay $100,000, there's another $20,000 or so hidden away somewhere,"
notes Joel M. Ergas, a partner in Forbes-Ergas Design Associates in New York City. Caught up
in the moment, with the project hurtling toward completion, you may find it difficult to put
on the brakes or to switch designers.
You can do a few things to protect yourself. First, before hiring a designer, be sure to ask
his references how closely he stuck to his budget. Then feel free at any time to
have the designer account for how much has been spent on your job and how that amount
compares with the budget. You can also tell the designer that before he spends a cent, you
want to see a full proposal with pictures of everything you'll need to buy, and exact
prices. Finally, don't just rely on the designer: Keep your own running total of costs. This
is a business transaction, after all, not an art project.
4. "You'd Save a Bundle if You Knew How I Set My Fees."
Designers use a hodgepodge of methods to determine their fees. The traditional method of
choice, called cost-plus, lets designers buy furniture, fabrics and accessories at a "trade"
discount of 20% to 40%, then mark the item back up to around the retail cost, using the
markup as a design fee. Another alternative is to charge clients a commission -- usually
about 25% to 30% -- on items purchased. These days, however, designers increasingly bill
either at an hourly rate or a flat fee; sometimes, they also charge cost-plus or a
commission for items they buy for you.
The problem is, your designer's chosen method might not be the best deal for you. If all you
want are curtains and carpets for your living room, an hourly rate makes sense. If you're
building and decorating a house from scratch, you're better off with a flat fee. And if you
just want your designer to purchase furniture, it may make the most sense to go with
cost-plus -- as long as you keep an eye on how much "plus" is being tacked on. Sometimes the
difference between what your designer pays and what he charges you is huge. Let's say a
designer buys an Empire chest of drawers for $1,000, but it is really worth $2,500. "There
is nothing wrong with marking it up to that price," maintains Jean Michel Quincey, a New
York interior designer. "Why shouldn't he? Particularly if he's spent the weekend looking
for it."
As a consumer, you may feel differently. In your initial interview with a prospective
designer, make sure he tells you how he charges and whether he'll consider another option.
When push comes to shove, most will.
5. "My Bills Are Laden with Hidden Costs."
Though most designers will send you invoices for what they're purchasing, it's easy to hide
all sorts of costs by being vague. "Draperies for living room; materials and labor, $3,000,"
doesn't tell you a whole lot, does it?
The way to cover yourself is to demand details -- lots of details. You should always ask
that material costs -- fabric, trim, lining, padding -- be accounted for separately from
labor costs. Never let the designer buy anything without sending you a detailed invoice, as
well as a picture or sample of the product, the quantity you're getting and the price.
Stipulate in writing that the only fees the designer can receive are those you've agreed
upon. True, not every designer will agree to these demands, but it's worth asking.
It's a bit more of a long shot, but you could also ask to have copies of all bills from
outside contractors sent directly to you. "That way, the designer can't add anything on
without going through monumental contortions," says Eleanor Windman, who runs the
Rent-a-Decorator service in New York.
6. "It's Not In My Interest to Hunt for Bargains."
Designers may know where the best deals are, but that doesn't mean they'll lead you to them.
For one, they don't tend to see that as their job. But in many cases, there may be more to a
designer's reluctance to bargain-hunt than that. After all, if he's working on a commission
basis, he stands to make more when you spend more.
The same is true when it comes to finding outside suppliers, from upholsterers to painters.
Designers usually work with their own team of handpicked "resources," and the designers
often collect commissions or fees for the referrals. Sarah Jenkins, an interior designer and
co-residential chair for design specialties for ASID, says members of that group are
supposed to tell their clients about all compensation they get from outside suppliers. But
even if you know beforehand, you may find these outsiders are high-priced. You may be able
to assemble your own qualified team for much less.
What can you do? If your designer gets a percentage of everything he buys, consider
insisting on a sliding scale. That is, the more the designer spends, the more his percentage
cut is reduced. If you're dealing with antiques, you can always have them appraised
independently before buying. This helps make sure that neither you nor your designer is
being taken for a ride.
As for outside labor estimates, ask the designer for one or two less expensive
possibilities. They may not guarantee top-of-the-line workmanship, but that might not matter
if, for example, you're decorating a child's room that'll have to be redone in a few years
anyway.
7. "You Don't Need Me to Get Big Discounts from Showrooms."
Any designer who picks out new furniture or fabrics for you will probably make the purchases
at "trade only" showrooms, where goods are priced up to 50% below retail. Although these
showrooms were traditionally the exclusive domain of design professionals, that is not
necessarily the case today.
According to Barbara Schlattman, a Houston, Tex., interior designer, many design centers
have programs where ordinary shoppers can come to the showroom to be paired up with a
designer. The designer will then help you pick out items, often at a discount below the list
price. But call ahead to see if the design center near you has a similar program. "Potential
buyers might get there and find out they need an interior designer's license card just to
get in the front door," says Schlattman.
8. "I Prefer Big Projects, but I'll Take Whatever I Can Get."
It used to be that if you wanted help in decorating your digs, you had few options but to
commission a person to buy your furniture, arrange it, organize it and charge full freight
for the service. Not anymore. Now, more and more decorators and designers are willing to do
some work for some of their normal fee.
Use-What-You-Have Interiors in Manhattan, for example, offers a service in which a decorator
comes to your home, checks out the furniture that you already own, and shows you how to make
the existing stuff look better. Other decorators are willing to limit their services to
consulting on colors and fabrics, recommending tradespeople or even just doing your
shopping.
9. "You Have Little or No Recourse If I Screw Up."
Think the worst thing a designer could do is lose your custom-made lamp or crack your
favorite ashtray? Those are certainly possibilities. But a designer can do much greater
damage than that. "A designer may suggest knocking out a wall that can cause the whole side
of a building to collapse," warns Bo Henderson, an interior designer in North Carolina. (He
knows first-hand, since he was once called in to resolve just such as problem.)
Unlike home-remodeling contractors, who can be bonded -- that is, they hold insurance
policies that guarantee that the work will be finished or damages paid if the job isn't
completed -- most designers aren't insured for that sort of problem. Some have what's known
as errors-and-omissions insurance to cover problems such as giving bad advice or failing to
comply with building codes. But it's a hard sell, because most don't think it's as important
as they should, says Marisa McCarthy, manager of ASID Service Corp., a for-profit group that
offers insurance to designers.
When problems crop up, clients and designers usually have to work them out themselves. To
safeguard against an ugly scene, particularly on larger jobs, you can include a clause in
your contract that unresolvable disagreements should go to arbitration. If worst comes to
worst, the American Arbitration Association (212-484-4000) can provide arbitrators who
specialize in the construction industry.
10. "My Work in Architectural Digest Is a Mirage."
Showplace homes in glossy magazines are great showcases for designers. It stands to reason
that they will work hardest to get the best pieces for those deep-pocketed, high-profile
clients who can get them spreads in "wish books" such as Architectural Digest or even
in the "home" section of regional newspapers. While it's a good idea to peruse your favorite
shelter magazines for ideas, remember that there are only so many great pieces of vintage
Stickley to go around.
Additionally, the photographs you see in the publications have probably been enhanced in one
way or another. "Frequently, the photographer moves a chair or adds a few details because
the camera lens can only see so much of the room," says Schlattman, who has had her designs
profiled in a number of magazines. "But it's usually not a major to-do."
The same holds for a designer's portfolio photographs. A little fancy lighting here, a few
artfully placed flowers there, and you can produce a room that's a whole lot nicer on the
page than in reality.
A better approach is to ask for names of clients who've hired the designer and then go see
their homes for yourself. That way, you can talk to the references in the flesh -- usually
more effective than a phone call for getting honest answers or determining whether the
person is someone whose opinion you trust in the first place. Make sure to ask what was done
by the designer, and what existed before. You should also ask whether the designer stuck to
his budget, and where problems -- if any -- surfaced.