This won't surprise anybody, but one thing I've been considering is doing some kind of residential design for clients with smaller, more realistic budgets. I feel like people in that situation get intimidated when somebody says "interior designer," and assumes we'll just force zillion dollar furniture on them. (Not so.) There's a show on HGTV where a client is shown a room that's waaaaay over their budget, and then the host redoes the space for less. I thought that was kind of cool, and maybe something that would work in real life.
So here's a room I found on Houzz that looks like it cost a pretty penny:
And here are some items I pulled to create a similar look with a more affordable price tag:
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| Affordable style room board. |
--The biggest purchase for any room where you do a lot of sitting should be the couch. You're going to be using that thing everyday for years, so you want it to be comfy. This sofa is from Room&Board (a personal fave) and is $1,099.
--The pedestal side table is from Overstock and is a mere $99.
--Creating the look of built-in bookcases is easy, and while white shelves are for sale everywhere, my favorite for the custom look is the Billy line from IKEA. The specific example here is $220.
--The wicker chair is also IKEA and costs $119.
--The yellow buckeye pillow is $65 and the orange-y throw is $71. Vintage posters are also easy to find on sites like AllPosters for around $20 unframed.
If you add it all up (I used a calculator, don't worry) that's a totally new room for a hair under $1,700. Not too shabby! So now I need to get your opinion: if you were having trouble figuring out a space in your house, would you hire an interior designer for help if you knew it would be within your budget? Would you ever be interested in something like a room board/idea board for inspiration? What interior design services do you wish you could take advantage of?
Thanks in advance for any responses about that. I'm trying to figure out if this idea is even possible. Fingers crossed!
I think this is such a fantastic idea. I would be afraid to hire an "interior designer" but would be much more willing to pay a fee to a "home design consultant". My friend hired a designer to help with her house who put together a pinterest board of ideas first before getting to work. My friend found this really helpful because she is not artsy and just needed help visualizing possibiliites. I think so many people would love the idea of a pinterest board or idea board like you put together above. It's too bad my house is "done"...otherwise I would totally be your first client!
ReplyDeleteThat is such a good idea! My boyfriend recently got an interior designer to help him arrange his office and it looks nice now. She did it for free because she is starting out but I think it is a good idea for people(like myself) that have no idea how to do interior design. I'd totally hire you once I have a budget in mine.
ReplyDeleteIf you check etsy for interior design, there are some people who offer something like what you did above, creating an affordable furniture plan for a room. I don't know how successful they are, or costs, but maybe you could offer services like that online too. You definitely have a designers eye, and I love the pieces you pulled together above -especially that white bookcase!
ReplyDeleteI love this idea Paige! One of my very best friends is an interior designer and I have to be honest in saying that although she mainly works with wealthier clients, she doesn't get a lot of work these days. I think offering people the option to redecorate in an affordable way would benefit both the client and you (in terms of getting gigs). The mood board is a great idea too!
ReplyDeleteI don't think I'd hire an interior designer, even if I could afford it. I think what goes in your home should come from you. That's just me. I wouldn't hire a party planner or wedding planner either for the same reason. I feel like if I hired somebody to do it, then it wouldn't be fully ME. Then again, I don't know much about interior designers. Maybe all of what I've been exposed to is the overpriced, over-budget experience (like you mentioned). But a home decor planner, one for the average person wanting a little help with making their house a home, that could be huge in getting people like me to see the value of a little help.
ReplyDeleteIf I had a trouble area in the house, I'd brainstorm and gather ideas from friends & family, then see what I could come up with from there.
I love the BILLY Line at IKEA!
~Kim
I'm so glad you brought this up! Hiring a designer isn't about taking away from the homeowner's taste or style. I think of it as more of a helping hand to someone who might not be as good at visualizing a space.
DeleteBilly is my fave, too. :-)
You've picked some really nice pieces that look like they'd go great together. Just wondering, if you would consider using refurbished or vintage pieces, as well? Personally, I'd love to have someone do this for me, and I think the board idea is vital. Right now, I'm renting, so I'm extremely limited in what I can do. If I had my own house, yes, I would hire someone to help me.
ReplyDeleteRefurbished and vintage pieces are some of my favorites! We have several in our house, and I totally plan to use them when I'm working for other people.
DeleteI think this is a great idea! Letting people know that it doesn't have to cost an arm and a leg to hire someone and redo a room is great!
ReplyDeleteI like Dana's idea of finding the right title to let people know what you're specializing in. And Holly has a good point of offering your services online too.
I love that idea - I think I mentioned before that if you want to take a stab at my guest room I'm in! I think it would also be good to be able to incorporate some items the client already owns for the low budget idea as well.
ReplyDeleteYES! I completely forgot we had talked about your guest room! I'll email you tonight. :-)
DeleteI love Dana's idea of being careful what you call yourself. It's like me calling my items "handmade" vs. "handcrafted" or "sewer" vs. "textile artist". This has a lot to do with perception. I would not call a designer, but maybe a consultant, if I had the money. It always helps to get another eye! Love the board idea! and the online idea!
ReplyDeleteYes, I definitely think you are onto something here! As some of your other readers have mentioned, there are some Etsians who offer "the look for less" curating. You of all people have this in you! I super super love the couch you've got in this particular collection. Classic, clean lines are sure to stand the test of time.
ReplyDeleteI guess I'm probably not the best person to answer this, haha. I think all of your finds are great! It is interesting to hear people's comments about what to call yourself. I don't know how it works in IL, but around here you can't legally call yourself an interior designer unless you are licensed (and you can't even sit for the exam without a 4-yr degree from an accredited school + 2 yrs full-time work experience (or 3-yr degree + 3 yrs work experience, etc). Also, I can't stress the "accredited" part enough. I had a friend at SCAD, and they lost their accreditation when she was halfway through the program because I guess it wasn't up to snuff or whatever, and she was forced with the decision to continue in the program and have a worthless degree or transfer and essentially start over. Most people would assume because SCAD is a good art school that that sort of thing couldn't happen. Anyhoo, sorry I'm rambling. I think we've already talked about you doing this online. I think you would definitely be good at it. But as Melissa mentions, it can be up and down as far as money goes. Working at a firm you'd definitely have a steadier income.
ReplyDeleteIt works the same way here, and I actually don't plan to sit for the test. (Scandalous!) I might change my mind someday, but since I'm leaning so hard toward virtual design with small budgets, I feel like it's not as crucial as somebody who does high-end kitchens and baths.
DeleteHonestly, I don't want an interior designer coming in and doing the space for me. I like to get hands on, and I'm kind of a control freak about that kind of stuff.
ReplyDeleteBUT I don't always have a clear direction! I'd love the ability to have a design consultation. Then I could sit down with a designer and plan out what I want for the space and over a period of time work on it myself. If at any point I feel like it is too much or I just don't want to do it, I can go back to my designer to finish the room for me and be confident that he/she knows exactly what I want.
I'm a control freak about my house, too, so I totally understand. :-)
DeleteGreat idea! I feel as though this is a constant struggle for us. We find something that we really, really love, but then realize that it out of our price range. I think being an interior designer that catered to those on a budget would also cater to more of your average American. So many times we start to think that the norm is these big houses with fancy furnishings simply because we see that so often on tv. In reality, most people can live in luxury like that. I really like your picks as well-- they go together fabulously!
ReplyDeleteI love this idea of a post, I hope you'll do more of them. :) As far as what I would prefer, I honestly don't think I would go to an Interior Designer because I want to be in control of every little detail. I love the planning, sorting, scouting, mapping out so I probably would not be your ideal customer. However I'm sure there are plenty of people who just don't have the time to do all of those things and would benefit from affordable outside help. I think you're on to something. :)
ReplyDeleteI'm glad you like it! More are on the way!
DeleteYes, you will do such a wonderful designer job, I am sure! And having real people in mind is a great idea!
ReplyDeleteWow, this is a seriously great and applicable talent that most people would love! Come do my house!!
ReplyDeleteWhat a great idea! It's always hard to be in school and figure out what exactly you'll do with your education! Anythign is possible :)
ReplyDeleteI am clueless when it comes to interior design and would love to work with someone who could present timeless, classic options that were within my budget. I think you're right that the market is flooded with high end interior designers. Most reality shows don't help with the perception that this is all that's available. I don't know what the market would be for this service, but I think that it's worth exploring.
ReplyDelete