On a recent visit to my son and daughter-in-law, I noticed that their walls were painted different colors. Rooms that were near each other were painted different shades of the same color, blending together seamlessly.
“How did you decide what colors to paint your walls?” I asked in astonishment. Most of the walls in my house are either white or off-white, or the color the painter had in stock.
They let me in on their secret. They had hired an interior designer, who had suggested which colors to paint the different rooms to make the rooms look warm, cozy, and unique.
This conversation made me curious, and I decided to find out more about interior designers and what they do. Two local interior designers, Nina Elman and Batsheva Liberman-Messing, kindly agreed to answer my questions about interior design.
1. When would you advise a person to hire an interior designer?
Nina: Interior designers help on all sized projects – from picking paint colors before moving into a new house, to redesigning a contained space – say a kitchen or living room, to full-scale construction like building a new house.
They can help streamline decisions and guide the client to the right resources, saving time, energy, and money. They assist the client in making decisions, especially since designers are accustomed to seeing finishes installed and can imagine a finished look.
Any renovation or redecorating project could use a consult with a designer. Designers have seen many spaces transformed and can give a client great ideas in a very short amount of time. Redoing work can be very costly, and consulting with a designer from the beginning can prevent mistakes and help a project turn out even better.
Batsheva: I would advise a person to hire an interior designer when he or she is undertaking a home project, large or small, and needs some guidance. It’s important for the person to have a basic idea of his/her own likes and dislikes, as well as a budget, before contacting an interior designer.
2. What kinds of decisions does an interior designer make?
Nina: A good interior designer will work with both the client and contractor to make sure all decisions made are the most aesthetically appropriate. She helps a client make the right decision for him/her. When the designer has a good relationship with the contractor as well as the client, the contractor will be able to call the designer to ask questions about paint transitioning, molding, and other small details that the client might not necessarily know how to answer.
Batsheva: An interior designer assists with home project decisions, including, but not limited to paint color, furniture, and décor selection, dimensions of new construction, kitchen and bathroom design, flooring, electricity, plumbing, and sometimes even outdoor spaces.
3. Are interior designers only for people who live in big, fancy homes, or can they also be a good choice for people who live in apartments or small houses?
Batsheva: An interior designer can be a good choice for anyone with any size home. Although they do charge for their time and services, just as all skilled professionals do, they often help their clients save money by avoiding costly mistakes and purchasing items at a lower cost through their professional trade discounts. One should consider before hiring an interior designer whether or not s/he can pay the interior designer’s fee. Clear communication about costs and fees throughout the duration of the project can help avoid confusion.
Nina: As a designer, I love working with all types of clients, but often the ones who only hire me for an hour appreciate our time the most. A one-hour meeting can cast a whole fresh take on a space and a good designer will have lots of creative ideas to share during that time whether the client has a large budget or small budget. Also, no matter what size project one is doing, no one wants to make a mistake, and an interior designer can help prevent costly (or ugly!) mistakes.
4. What kind of training does an interior designer have?
Nina: An interior designer generally goes to school for interior design and has a degree or certificate from an accredited program. I went to FIT for my design degree, and during my training I learned how to plan spaces in addition to decorate them. Someone who runs a decorating business but doesn’t have a degree would be called an interior decorator or design consultant.
Batsheva: The professional field of interior design, in fact, requires no education or training. There are many talented designers with master’s degrees and many with no degree at all. There are several professional associations and certifications, but these are not requirements for one to work as an interior designer. Education and ongoing training are, of course, helpful and should be seen as assets, as is the case with most professions; however, experience is the best teacher. Some designers may be outstanding at designing in only one certain style, while others are able to create a beautiful space using any style or vision.
Some of my favorite projects have been those that have pushed me to design within styles I hadn’t previously appreciated. A person looking to hire an interior designer should look at the designer’s portfolio of past projects, and speak to some of the designer’s other clients to ascertain whether that designer will meet his/her needs.
5. Does the recommendations made by an interior designer change depending on the year or the location?
Nina: Great question! Like clothing trends, home trends go in and out of style as well. Currently, mid-century modern (1950s) is the new modern! Stores like West Elm, Crate and Barrel, and CB2 are selling mid-century styles and are very popular. Some other popular styles are ’80s glam with lots of crystal, fur, and velvet and cozy farmhouse, which dates back to the early 1900s. These styles have come and gone and are having a moment in 2018.
Batsheva: Just like food and fashion differ in different countries, the same is true with interior design. For example, Scandinavian countries tend towards natural materials, functionality, and comfort, while Moroccan design incorporates geometric patterns, bold colors, and texture. Eclectic design might incorporate one or more elements from different places to create one’s own personal style.
In terms of the year, interior design evolves over time due to cultural influences. Design was mostly ornate until post-World War II, when economical cutbacks and the desire for family comfort led to what we now call mid-century modern style. In the 1980s, when shoulder pads and hair got bigger, so did design elements such as overstuffed furniture and puffy window treatments. In the late twentieth/early twenty-first century a focus has been on being environmentally conscious or using “green” materials and sourcing. Interior design is sure to continue changing and evolving over time, which makes it so interesting!
6. Do interior designers also sell furniture, accessories, or pictures, or would that be considered a conflict of interest?
Nina: They do. Some designers sell kitchen cabinets, and some sell furniture and accessories. I personally stay away from sales and stick to service.
Batsheva: Some interior designers do sell furnishings and decor. Sometimes this is because they work for stores and companies, and sometimes it’s because they have themselves designed these items. The client should be aware of the designer’s connection to what they’re selling, and shouldn’t feel pressured to exclusively buy those items.
7. If a person hires an interior designer to help design their house, do they also hire workers to implement their suggestions and supervise those workers?
Nina: It depends on the job and the designer. I have found that when I recommend someone, my seal of approval is on them and it becomes my responsibility to make sure they do a good job. It’s not necessarily my responsibility to supervise the vendor’s work, but it ends up falling on me. At this point in my career I recommend those whom I work with often, people I can really trust to do a good job. They, in turn, stand behind me and give my clients excellent service because I’m a repeat customer.
Batsheva: Depending on the specific project, sometimes the interior designer’s role ends with his/her recommendations, and sometimes s/he is hired to stay on to oversee the work being done by workers that the client has hired. Sometimes the interior designer acts as a contractor and hires his/her own workers to implement the work. Each of these scenarios is possible and is discussed between the client and designer at the beginning of the project.
8. Are there any colors, furniture, or wall decorations that are popular now?
Nina: Gray has been in for a while and the trend is moving towards neutrals, lights and whites. Regarding style, rustic chic is very big, as is modern glam, and also classic modern (mid-century).
Batsheva: Over the past few years, it’s been neutrals, with a tendency toward grays. Though grays are still popular, we’re beginning to see a resurgence of color, particularly deeper hues such as navy blue and emerald green. Similarly, while simple furniture was in demand for a while, but patterns and decorative elements such as fringe are making a reappearance.
With all this in mind, it’s always more exciting to be a trendsetter than a trend-follower. As long as enough of balance is achieved among all of the elements in the room, the space will look and feel beautiful. An experienced designer with a keen eye can achieve this.
Thank you, Nina and Batsheva, for your enlightening comments!
