102 Charleston Interior Designers and Decorators

What Is an Interior Designer?

A good interior designer will hone your style down to its very essence and be able to choose a functional layout that feels natural to you. An interior designer can be involved as much or as little as the client desires. Many clients who hire interior designers — particularly those who are remodeling — have a good sense of how the room should look and what products they should use. Often clients will insist that a designer use the products already present in the home. Other times a designer will need to start from scratch — especially if this is a just-purchased or just-built home. A designer will need to figure out exactly what the client needs. This means organizing rooms, laying tile, picking carpeting and colors, and finding furniture to complement it all. Sometimes that means he or she willl have to recruit help from other Charleston Metro Area professionals to help create the perfect look. Here are some related professionals and vendors to complement the work of interior designers & decorators: Architects & Designers, General Contractors, Home Builders, Design-build Firms, Photographers.

Do your research before meeting with an interior designer. Ask yourself what you want your space to become and what it will be used for. Figure out the extent of what you need help with, what your must-haves are and what your budget is. Interior design services can add up fast, so be up front with potential designers from the beginning. Also, pick a designer that fits your style. Browse through a designer's portfolio and decide if you would live in those houses. Not just if you like any, but if you could live in any. There's a big difference! You can find more interior designers & decorators in Charleston, North Charleston, Mount Pleasant, Summerville and Goose Creek.

Questions to ask when you meet with an interior designer:

• Can you give me a referral? (It makes a big difference to talk with a client who's worked with the designer before.)
  
• Can I see an interior design portfolio?
  
• When will the project be done?
  
• Do you charge an hourly rate or a flat rate, or use the cost-plus method or a mixed method?
  

Find an interior designer on Houzz. Narrow your search in the Professionals section of Houzz to Charleston Metro Area interior designers. You can also look through Charleston Metro Area photos to find a room you like, then contact the professional who designed it.