lpmenache Where are you located?

janishill Check with local colleges and find out if they offer design courses. Or check for a redesign (use what you have) company in your area.

Ingrained woodworking Inc Student designers? Make it a project for a local college design class?

missangel99 Located in the suburbs of Detroit, Michigan.

Sharer Design Group LLC We are located in downtown Plymouth, Michigan. What type of project are you looking to have done?

michellejohnson54 Sorry, but after my experience with a designer, I say DON'T hire one! Cost a fortune, looked beautiful, but didn't work for the lifestyle we have, which is very relaxed with lots of family entertaining. Let me just say an $8,000 sofa covered in a fabric that lasted 2 yrs.! I say find a friend whose style you like, and get her to shop with you. Go through magazines and see what catches your eye in regards to color, style, prices. Go to new home "Open Houses" to get ideas. Start with a single piece of frabric that you love and base your colors on that. And if you must, hire a decorater or stager. You don't have to have a degree to have good taste!

ginale Bookmark photos in Houzz to your idea book. I have gotten tons of great ideas! I couldn't afford a designer either but my builder has done a great job of looking at the photos and guiding me through THREE renovations. We are working on the third one right now. Bottom line....get a super builder! Good luck!

Stanton Designs-online design services I offer online services at a very affordable cost. Email me if interested jocelyn@stantondesigns.com. By using a designer and investing in your project will help you save money by avoiding costly design mistakes. Many of my clients come to me that way. Let me know if I can help

Ingrained woodworking Inc I sense personal experiences by some are being infused into this thread. I'm a builder, I've been trained as an architect, I'm a home owner, but first and foremost I'm just a person. Working with any other person be it a friend, a decorator, a designer, a builder, etc. it comes down to knowing what you want and finding someone you feel you can trust to help you implement that. You, as the client should be guiding the people whom you hire to help you through honest feedback. It comes down to wether or not the relationship you develop works or not. Start with an idea book like here or sit with a coffee at Barnes and noble, or visit showrooms. Find what speaks to you. Present to whomever you hire these ideas and ask them to help you refine them to a cohesive design.Best of all, you will feel the input you had in the project be present when it's all done. Good luck

LB Interiors There is affordable Interior Design. A professional designer should stay in tune to the client's tastes & lifestyle and budget. As far as friends offering help, they can be great support, just be sure you stand on who you are individually. Magazines & "open houses" offer great ideas, however, the entire room most likely you will not be able to duplicate in your home. A designer is able to take inspiration from the bits and pieces of the choices you prefer & marry them in your own home in a creative way. A professional designer can suggest things that you may have never considered. Yes, fabric is a great starting point for inspiration. However there is much more involved in a design plan other than color, style, and furnishings. I agree that you don't have to have a degree to have good taste. What is the definition of good taste? It's as unique as how one feels about an artist or artwork.

I'm a designer offering a service called E-Decorating, I live in Granada Hills, Ca, and re-designed a living room in Florida, 3,000 miles away using almost all of the client’s own things. Designing online, from floor plans to re-arranging her furnishings, choosing and sending art ideas and where to buy. You just fill out a questionnaire, send your photos, receive an "estimate" for solutions, then choose what types of services will fit your budget. Usually you will receive more than one solution for each question. Convenient, thorough, fast and affordable. This is the most inexpensive way to hire a designer and get professional help for your dilemmas. There are terrific designers and some not so much, as in any profession.
My advice is find someone that fits your taste, lifestyle and budget. Good luck!

Vikrant Sharma Homez I totally agree with Lorraine of LB Interiors , its worth hiring a professional .

2dogssashatess yes it is worth hiring a professional. when i renovated a friend who is an architect worked for me and he suggested stuff I would not have considered, but I trusted his judgement as a professional and ended up liking everything he put forward.

Maybe some people can work out what looks good , but if you are not experienced you will make mistakes, if you do research it will take time, do you have the time

lpmenache I agree with Ingrained.., There are designers and decorators at all price points. You are close enough to a big city that you should be able to find one within your budget. Meet with them and get an idea of what it will cost to execute your ideas and see how they respond to your ideas. Look at the portfolio of their work and see if it meshes with your taste. Also ask how they charge, by the hour or a % above cost etc. Remember just because a designer is ASID only means that they have passed certain requirements and can do things that a decorator may not be aqble to do. It does not mean that they have your taste. A decorator with experience may be enough for your job.
Todays modern sleek clean look can be done from Pier One as easily from a high end store. The thing to remember is that good things cost money. At the end of the day, it is who you feel comfortable with as well as a budget that is reasonable.

LB Interiors I agree with Ipmanache's comment above. I would like to add that not all designers have a one-path vision or capability. I pride myself in being able to design many design styles. Much of my work has been caught up in a similarity of design style due to recommendations requiring that similar flavor. As designers, sometimes we do not get the opportunity to be versatile and show our capabilities. As with many of us homeowners, we prefer a particular design style for our own homes, whether it is Contemporary, Eclectic, Traditional, Transitional, Modern, Country, Country French, Mediterranean, Old World, Asian, Ethnic, etc. I have a great appreciation and interest in the variety of styles of which many can be mixed and become so much more interesting and different.

Getting to know you is my top priority. I design your home Your Way. The design must say you! During an "in home" consultation or E-decorating questionnaire is where it all begins. Then comes a Plan which is absolute & crucial. During the process, ideas and preferences can change which many times can change the entire design plan. For many DIYers, this is when a professional can provide the best alternatives without making costly mistakes. The design plan is built on many stepping stones to complete the final results that you will love.

I also pride myself with lots of creativity for Low Cost decorating. Believe it or not, I am a farmer's daughter with Beverly Hills dreams. I know how to make something out of nothing or re-design your items for a brand new facelift. That's my nature and conservative upbringing! Sometimes I feel like it's a curse. I have created new rooms with Thrift Store, Discount Store and simple Retailers, including Garage Sales and Online Sites. There are a lot of lonely treasures out there. Saves money and you get the difference.

Money is a key factor here, so having a designer that is capable to Design on a Dime and/or spend money on high end items and who is Versatile, is a Plus. Both avenues of clients' expenses can be utilized in the same project. Many times a high dollar has been allotted for an item and a bargain price for another in the scheme of things. It's all up to the client.

I love saving money and have no problem with using or re-designing something that you can't part with. I will make it work for you! You can do the same as a Do-it-yourselfer. Start with a Plan & stick to a Budget. That's why a designer will ask you how much is your budget. This makes ALL the difference in the choices of options that the designer will present to you!

If you find yourself confused and unable to be comfortable about your choices, then you may need a Designer to help you find the solutions. I am one of those Designers that will work with any Part of the Project where you require assistance. Decorating should be fun! Happy Decorating to all who are starting this new journey!

missangel99 LB wish you lived in my area.

missangel99 Decided to bite the bullet and hire a designer. Really liked her. When she found out I didn't have $10,000.00 to spend on what she called good quality furniture for one room she said we might not be a good fit. She stated that was how she made her living. Very soured on interior designers. Do they really think everyone can afford a 5,000.00 couch? She said 3,500.00 for a couch was low but a good starting point. She suggested two of those. That's no tables, chairs or lamps. Guess we're done!

curacaoblue I spent that kind of money on furniture but I didn't get a designer. I don't disagree with the comment that you weren't a good fit. If you don't have 10k for furniture then why spend a dime on a designer? I'm not saying you need to spend that kind of cash but they have to make a living somehow. Not a good fit is the right words. Neither one of you was being unreasonable.

Marilyn Wilkie missangel99, thanks for your follow up. I guess some people are amazed that some of us would not spend $5000 on a couch even if we could afford it. I say trust your own judgement and make your surroundings reflect what YOU like, not the latest trends and colors or what someone else thinks your taste should be. We need to make ourselves happy and not spending a lot of money for someone else's opinion can't hurt.

LB Interiors Yes, I wish I lived near you also, However, we can always work online using my E-Decorating service. It's less expensive than if I were there. I've done this for many clients! I work very well with low-budget homeowners.

I'm creative using what you have and finding inexpensive items that look expensive. It's the interior design knowledge of how to put it all together, choosing the correct scale, finishes, color and space planning. I work with your tastes, lifestyle and budget. If you can't do it yoursef, you may need someone's help, who is willing to work this way.

Not everything has to be decided and done right away. I worked with a woman that took us one year to complete her home, using my E-Decorating service.

Working this way, your dollars are wisely spent. No large sums of money are out of pocket all at once. You alot monies where and on what you choose to use it. When you have more funds, then we continue with your project. I'm a very patient person and I understand financial concerns.

P.S. The only items that the client purchased up to this phase of the project were the 4 art pieces and a few pillows. Window treatments were later purchased that I found for her.

E-Decorating
Before - Living Room, Florida
E-Decorating Before & After
After - Living Room, Florida
E-Decorating Before and After

LB Interiors Whatever decisions you choose, it should be fun and exciting! Good Luck and Happy Decorating !!!

Ingrained woodworking Inc I would let LB interiors have a shot. Seems she may be a good fit. Creative people can design on a budget in my opinion. If making money on marking up the products doesn't work on a lower budget project then perhaps a flat rate approach would work better. It all comes down to the right relationship.

LB Interiors Thank you very much, Ingrained Woodworking.