By Myra L. Montoya, Interior Designer, A.S.I.D.

Are you tired of being bombarded with countless home improvement and DIY shows all touting, “Save money! Do it yourself! You will be amazed with the results! It’s easy!”

These shows mislead people to believing that the results of these endeavors come out beautifully every time. If you have ever attempted a makeover or remodeling project, you know it can be daunting. Without the help of a professional interior designer, many fail miserably. Too bad we don’t all live in TV-land. Hiring an interior designer is one of the wisest decisions you can make if you plan to invest money into remodeling or updating your home.

Interior decorator or interior designer? This is a great question. They look similar on the surface but are quite different. While both can decorate, only a certified interior designer is trained to design for structural and functional changes to your home. An interior designer works with focal points, space, shapes, contrasts, unity, light, color, textures, and patterns. They select materials such as tile, grout, hardware, paint, lighting, appliances, plumbing fixtures, flooring, and so much more. This can be overwhelming for most folks and outside the scope of an interior decorator.

An interior designer will ask questions and listen to your ideas. Utilizing their trained eye, they will offer suggestions, and offer ideas you may not have considered. Most people have a general idea of how they want their spaces to look, but they often struggle to pull all of the changes, selections, and looks together to fit their home and lifestyle.

By investing in an interior designer, you can collaborate with them to carefully measure your space and develop an initial concept. They will provide you with drawings and perspectives of the new space, so you can visualize the finished product. This will ultimately lead to a well-designed final concept and plan. This plan boosts your confidence in the project’s end result. This allows you to more confidently make all the decisions and selections that are needed to complete the project.

Avoid costly mistakes! An interior designer can be a much­ needed liaison between you and your contractor. You can avoid those dreaded change orders that ensue from a lack of planning. This ensures your hard-earned dollars are spent efficiently, SAVING you money in the long run.

Eliminate taking time off work running all over town or wading through seas of people on your weekends shopping for supplies. By spgnding time together gathering your unique styles and tastes, your interior designer will utilize all this information and make suggestions and recommendations to reduce  overwhelm. No one likes the experience of walking into a tile or paint store unassisted. Your designer will present these recommendations in a showroom setting that allows you to visualize your finished space long before the demo begins. In addition, a quality interior designer will be able to leverage their relationships with vendors to secure you better pricing on your selections.

When starting your next renovation project make sure to invest in an interior designer that you can trust and who has the expertise to assist you with everything from material selections to layout changes. You really will be amazed with the results!