Since I’m no longer taking any design clients, I thought this might be a fun topic to tackle—or at least to open up for a good discussion. Blogs and HGTV have definitely put the idea in lots of people’s minds that it’s possible to redecorate an entire room without spending loads of money with the help of thrifting, DIY’ing, repurposing, repainting, etc. . . But, what happens with those people want to hire a decorator to help them do all of it?
Can you design on a dime AND hire a decorator?
my thrift store dining chairs ($12.50 each!)
I think people are attracted to my blog because, well . . . I decorate with pretty cheap stuff and manage to make it look okay. I found that when I was decorating for other people, I would get lots of emails from prospective clients saying they liked my budget-friendly style and wanted help recreating the same thing in their own homes.
the Habitat Restore lantern I “restored”
I still stand by my philosophy that good design doesn’t have to be complicated or pricey. But, I think you know what I’m getting at. Decorating my own home on a budget has been a process that has included hours of shopping, scavenging, sanding, repainting, and just plain old sitting and thinking about how to change things up. It takes time. Time that might surprise clients if they’re being billed by the hour.
So, let’s discuss. . .
Designers/decorators: How do you set realistic expectations so that you’re fairly compensated for clients who want to design on a dime?
Budget-minded homeowners: Do you think a budget-friendly decorator is an urban legend? What are your expectations when paying someone to help design a room with repurposed and thrifted pieces?
