Oh My Styled Life

Like many of you, our ideal Saturday morning activity is strolling the aisles of Target. While it’s easy to shop at Homegoods and find ideas on Pinterest, it does not compare to in-person guidance. In an era where DIY is all the rage, HGTV shows clog DVRs and ordering furniture can be accomplished with the simple click of a button, you may ask yourself – “why do I need to hire an interior designer?” Great question! Below are just three reasons, of many, for you to consider.

1. To Tie it All Together

You probably know what you love and you may even enjoy the thrill of discovering beautiful furniture. As fun as this can be, the challenge arrives when it’s time to turn those individual furnishings into a cohesive space and home. Whether you’re not sure how to turn those furniture items into a complete look, or you need your new finishes to coordinate with the old for a successful remodel, an interior designer can tie it all together for you.

And rest assured, a great designer will get where you’re coming from! Even designers will turn to other pros. Take Martha, for instance – with over 30 years of design success, she still “hired” her own design team to take the lead on her personal home. “When you’re working on your own home, it’s incredibly difficult to make the sort of choices that create a beautiful finish. I knew I had a lot of strong opinions, but I trusted my team more than myself to pull together the the final look.”

An experienced designer’s expertise includes technical skills, access to furniture lines unavailable to homeowners and the flexibility to design in a variety of design styles that will usually exceed the scope of styles embraced by a specific neighborhood or community. And let’s be real – that’s not something you gain from binge-watching 25 episodes of Fixer Upper. (No matter how fabulous Joanna Gaines may be.)

In turn, they use this vast knowledge and experience to not only help you make the right choices for your home, but to help you choose finishes and permanent fixtures that will stand the test of time. While trends are fun and all, we often recommend incorporating them in small, but impactful ways such as a new paint color, rug or piece of furniture. Not only will this prevent you from having to re-do a room once it “goes out of style,” it will also greatly help with the resale value of your home.

And those interior design Pinterest boards we mentioned? An interior designer can help your ideas come to fruition in a way that makes the most sense for you and your lifestyle. And in turn, take the guesswork out of your choices. No need to determine if that backsplash “goes” with that flooring – we’ll decide for you. Make sure you are pinning the right things, and determine your true design style by taking our style quiz!

2. To Choose Unforgettable Pieces

An interior designer has endless access to pieces that you simply can’t find anywhere else. Our relationships with vendors allows us to design rooms that are not only extraordinary, but one-of-a-kind. This includes, but is not limited to, furniture, accessories, lighting and rugs.

Fay + Belle Rugs is a perfect example! Fay + Belle is a collection of artisanal rugs curated from around the world and sold excusively thorugh interior designers and showrooms. It carries two distinct types of rugs. Its vintage line is a collection of overdyed, patchwork and oushak rugs and its handknot rugs are custom-made in Nepal. Because Fay + Belle only sells through interior designers, you can’t find these pieces in a store. Each rug tells a story and becomes a topic of conversation for your home.

This home custom Fay + Belle runner won 1^st place for Custom Designed Object/Detail at the 2019 ASID Minnesota Design Excellence Awards! View additional photos from this Boston, MA home HERE.

3. To Save Time and Money

Believe it or not, hiring an interior designer will save you time and money in the long run. While many believe that hiring an interior designer will cause their project to be more expensive, this isn’t necessarily the case.If you’re in the market to sell, a designer can help you choose exactly which aspects of a renovation may increase the value and selling potential of your home. We helped a recent client do just that, and were rewarded with a sold sign and a homebuyer excited to move in only weeks after we completed our design!

On the other hand, if you’re custom building or renovating a house to be your forever home, designers can be critical in providing you with the proper choices for positive investment. For example, homeowners can expect to spend an average of $25,054 on a kitchen remodel. And while many homeowners want to opt for more luxury upgrades in their kitchens to follow trends (such as quartz or marble countertops), a designer will steer in you in the direction of what’s practical in terms of budget and what’s right for your home. Having an industry expert by your side to make these decisions will in turn speed up your renovation or building process.

These days, when home design inspiration is at your fingertips and HGTV stars are as influential in the interior design worls as Ralph Lauren is in fashion, you may think hiring an interior designer is silly. When in fact, not only does it allow you to take advantage of knowledge and opinions or experts in their field, it will save you money and time. Take a look at our services here – we are looking forward to hearing from you!

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