Interior Designer Recommendations and Costs

R

rkp

Well-known member
We are getting closer and closer to buying our first place and ideally, I would like to have a professional guide us on painting and furnishing the place.  My dream is that someone project manages the whole thing and sources all the furniture and we walk into a model home like setting. 

How much do these services run?  Any one have experiences they can share?
 
Jeff Lewis Design, anyone?
(another local Mater Dei grad, btw)
jeffinaction.jpg


I admit it... I love the show.
 
I recall that one of the Design Star contestants actually lives in Irvine (saw her at the Quail Hill Alberstons)... I'm trying to remember her website because I think she did something like this.

<< Google-Fu Activate!! >>

Okay... found her... Stephanie Cook, Plural Interior Design:
http://www.pluralid.com/
 
How much are these services?  The Jeff Lewis Design site seems to be more about the physical design elements vs decorating.  The houses we are looking at are pretty much really nice on the inside (or at least nice enough for us) and the help we really need is making it look like a model.  The easy thing to do is just tour the models and replicate but it still takes a ton of time.  Would love for someone to shop for us and do the whole thing but if we are talking double or triple what the furniture actually costs, then it really doesnt make much sense. 
 
I am interested as well! Looking at the page for Stephanie Cook, her online service starts at $495 for a 400 sf area, and the material budget requires to be >$2000.
http://www.pluralid.com/design.php

For those who have employed an interior designer before for their homes - is this reasonable?


irvinehomeowner said:
I recall that one of the Design Star contestants actually lives in Irvine (saw her at the Quail Hill Alberstons)... I'm trying to remember her website because I think she did something like this.

<< Google-Fu Activate!! >>

Okay... found her... Stephanie Cook, Plural Interior Design:
http://www.pluralid.com/
Click to expand...
 
Please read: "Why Your House Will Never Look Like a Model"

Once you have adjusted your expectations based on practicality, consider if you want an interior designer or an interior decorator. With extra education may come a higher rate. If you really want to keep things on a budget, you could do a "one day wow" type of service, incorporating your existing pieces as described in the "baggage" section of the article above.
 
Good article - mostly common sense that one easily forgets.  We fortunately or unfortunately dont want any of our existing furniture and have very few must have art pieces.  The challenge for us is that we arent very decorative people.  Both of us grew up in households that kept plastic on the remotes and never allowed posters on the walls.  Basically bland households. 

What I ideally want is someone to come up with the design plan based on our tastes and then buy all the furniture, get the walls painted, and do whatever other decorating they want to do.  I realize it wont always look like a model but it sure will look better than our best attempt at buying furniture and trying to coordinate things. 
 
And we got some good recommendations so will be getting quotes and keep this thread updated as we move along.  But step 1 is closing on the house.  We ended up dropping out of escrow so back to square 1. 
 
rkp said:
And we got some good recommendations so will be getting quotes and keep this thread updated as we move along.  But step 1 is closing on the house.  We ended up dropping out of escrow so back to square 1. 
Click to expand...
Do you mind me asking why you dropped out of escrow?
 
USCTrojanCPA said:
rkp said:
And we got some good recommendations so will be getting quotes and keep this thread updated as we move along.  But step 1 is closing on the house.  We ended up dropping out of escrow so back to square 1. 
Click to expand...
Do you mind me asking why you dropped out of escrow?
Click to expand...

I PM'd you some details.  Just wasnt meant to be. 
 
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