When I first encountered real interior design it was in the home of my very best friend in elementary school. Her dad had hired a woman working for House and Garden Magazine in New York City to come and decorate the entire house. It was spectacular! From the blue and white kitchen down to every bedroom having a matching bathroom; to colors and finishes I’d never seen before. Even at age 10 I knew this was something special. It was beautiful. I went home and started to rearrange my room and dream about different color combinations for my bedroom. I’m serious. I had a recurring dream about redoing my bedroom!
My second encounter with interior design happened when I was a bit older. My parents’ best friends in Allentown always had a designer from NYC do their interiors. That was how I met and became friendly with Jeffrey Bilhuber. When I was trying to make a decision about doing interior design after my career in dance, he was the one who encouraged me to go to design school. Because I witnessed firsthand what a well thought-out interior could do, and how it could enhance all aspects of living, I enrolled at the New York School of Interior Design. Jeffrey was right. There was so much to learn.
Nowadays, when I watch clients pay plumbers, electricians, and installers thousands of dollars for work, I wonder, why isn’t an interior design service considered just as important? Is it a luxury to have a plan that is beautiful, pulled together and that actually works? Would you go on a long trip without a road map or a plan? Actually, I do know some people who do that…. and things don’t always go so well.
Most homeowners have a general idea of what they want to do and know how it should look, but they don’t know how to get there on their own. They also may not know why they think what they think. A designer can answer the why and help you determine whether your ideas make any sense. Most people could use someone who is making decisions based on what’s current and available that has a fresh perspective on the space and why something will work. In my experience, avoiding one wrong purchase by the homeowner can more than cover the cost of the designer! Don’t even get me started on the time it will save you. Not sure if you’ve noticed but there are way too many choices out there. 🙂
Interior Designer…..Luxury or Necessity??? Let me know what you think.
Some of you have been asking to see some of my completed projects. To see photos and testimonials on my Houzz profile please click here.
As always, thanks for reading. I’d love to know your thoughts. Is there a design topic you would like me to write about? Let me know.