Interior design - hire a pro or go it alone?

So... you've decided it's high time you do something about your worn pale blue counter-top and mustard yellow appliances.  Now what?  You've got your pile of cut out magazine photos with rooms you like.  But can't see exactly how to incorporate this mountain of ideas into a cohesive design.  Perhaps only slightly less scary than the faint reminders on your walls of your brief foray into the world of splatter paint, is the terrifying fear that, after spending a good portion of your life's savings, bad design decisions will leave you with the residential equivalent of Frankenstein’s monster - a disjointed mess of pieces and parts.  The answer may be one you previously hadn't considered...

Call in a designer

When the word designer comes up, we often dismiss the idea as a luxury reserved for the "rich and famous."  In reality, that's a far cry from the truth.  Sure, there are the designers who work exclusively for "A-listers" - and charge accordingly -  however,  most are relatively inexpensive - especially when you consider the disappointment, not to mention retinal strain, they can save you down the road.  Designers have hundreds, and sometimes thousands, of rooms of experience to draw from.  Don't kid yourself, even with your good taste you don't have near the skill a professional designer can bring to the table.  They are expert in helping you define the design style fits you and your lifestyle, and adept at giving that style to you within your budget's parameters.  Professional design services start for as little as $500 dollars.  In the "grand" scheme of things a half a dozen “Benjamins” is a pretty small price to pay to avoid living out the next few decades in a room that look's eerily similar to a McDonald's Playland.  

For the DIYer

Fear not DIYers, if you choose to forgo the pro, there are still some good ways of designing your space.  For those who prefer to solve problems with dedicated software packages, industrious programmers have provided for a plethora of "Interior design" software packages ranging from simple free online one to more in depth options costing thousands dollars.  Punch offers a fairly inexpensive option with their Interior Design Suite - it even has a button that will tell you how to "green" up your project.  There’s a fairly steep learning curve to any of these programs, so give yourself a couple of weeks to familiarize yourself with the one you choose – even after you’ve learned the program bear in mind you will still probably not find the exact textures or furniture you are looking for. Most of these are little more than a "dumbed" down computer aided drafting program and unless you plan on devoting the next decade to designing interior spaces they will more than likely leave you feeling less than satisfied.  Rather than investing in some expensive software you're likely never to use again, you are better off to keep clipping photos of the rooms you like and consult with people who have done it before – especially if they have done it well.  How did they go about it and what would they have done differently.

Professionals will tell you to start by selecting a piece of artwork or furniture that you love, and design your room around it.  In this way you are less likely to stray for the design plan and are more likely to end up with the beautiful cohesive room you have 

envisioned.  

This nifty little personal style quiz from sproost.com may help you find just such a piece.  After clicking through a series of about two dozen photos of different room designs and selecting your level of “like” (or dislike) for each, Sproost gives you a brief assessment of your design leanings along, some information on ways to achieve the style that tickles your fancy and recommendations for décor - including furniture choices and textiles.  You can even let your friends know on facebook what style design you are (In case you're wondering, I'm a Zen Contemporary with a dash of Rustic).  It’s not all-encompassing by any means but will get you going in the right direction. 

Ultimately whether you choose to go with a designer or choose to DIY it is up to you.  But either way, the most important thing you can do is go in with a plan.   So give it a shot - or better yet, get a hold of a professional designer and let them help.  You could be living like a "A-lister" before you know it!