Dear Expert: It seems like I have access to almost any product on the market these days through websites, open designer showrooms, and retailers offering complimentary interior design. Why should I consider hiring a professional interior designer?
A. First of all, because design isn’t only about buying things. It starts with assessing needs, solving problems, and possibly reusing items you didn’t realize you could use.
When it is time to make purchases, it takes professional education and training to understand differences in quality, comparative scale of different items to be used, suitability of fabrics for the conditions in which they’ll be used, compatibility of stylistic detailing, etc. Many designers are happy to help you make some selections from a variety of sources, but their trained eye will pull it all together into a cohesive space.
There are a lot of individuals who call themselves designers yet have no training. Unfortunately, we’ve seen a lot of money wasted on ill-conceived “design” work by amateurs.
—Laura Ramsey, Design Principal
Ramsey Engler Ltd.
