https://boards.hellobee.com/ Pregnancy, Baby and Parenting blog, by Hellobee en Thu, 14 May 2026 11:51:19 +0000 https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/have-you-ever-hired-a-decoratorinterior-designer-or-are-you-one-professionally#post-1014923 Wed, 14 Aug 2013 04:37:12 +0000 hummusgirl 1014923@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>We paid around $500 and I think it was totally worth it. She had us fill out questionnaires in advance and then she came to our apartment, talked to us about our design aesthetics (no small feat to merge the two considering I described my style as "Crate and Barrel" and my husband said his was "Wu Tang"). She helped us figure out where to position the furniture and then emailed us a list of links of exactly what to buy and where (Overstock, Ikea, CB2 etc.) within the budget we'd given her. It included big stuff like living room rug, dining table and chairs, and little things like throw pillows, art prints and knick knacks. </p> <p>Overall I think our place looks much more "put together" than we could've done on our own. She spent about 5 hours total, so $100/hour (2 hours initial consultation, 2 hours on her own sourcing things for us to buy, 1 hour phone follow-up to discuss/explain the things she recommended and make changes if we didn't like them). </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/have-you-ever-hired-a-decoratorinterior-designer-or-are-you-one-professionally#post-1014921 Wed, 14 Aug 2013 04:24:02 +0000 Mrs. Oatmeal 1014921@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>As a housewarming gift from my MIL, we had a decorator come in and pick out paint colors for our entire house. She did a whole questionnaire of things we liked, looked at our furniture and artwork, and then gave us a big sheet of all the colours for each room.<br /> Totally worth it for us, IMO- plus we got a discount on paint at her store because we used her. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/have-you-ever-hired-a-decoratorinterior-designer-or-are-you-one-professionally#post-1014579 Tue, 13 Aug 2013 20:21:18 +0000 Cole 1014579@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>A neighbor paid "a few hundred dollars" and had a pair of new decorators come in and help her pick some fabrics as well as change around her wall art using the things she had. She was overjoyed with the results. It seems like it might be worth calling a few people and asking what options they offer. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/have-you-ever-hired-a-decoratorinterior-designer-or-are-you-one-professionally#post-1013535 Tue, 13 Aug 2013 13:17:20 +0000 looch 1013535@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>You can also try the blogosphere, a lot if the designers will do boards for you. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/have-you-ever-hired-a-decoratorinterior-designer-or-are-you-one-professionally#post-1013047 Tue, 13 Aug 2013 11:12:23 +0000 SweetiePie 1013047@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@oliviaoblivia: This is awesome info!<br /> If someone asked you to just help pick out some wall hangings and accent pieces (rugs, knickknacks, etc) would you do it or is that not a big enough project?<br /> A student is a good idea! I guess they are trying to build up as much experience as possible. Now to figure out where to find one! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/have-you-ever-hired-a-decoratorinterior-designer-or-are-you-one-professionally#post-1013045 Tue, 13 Aug 2013 11:11:58 +0000 prettylizy 1013045@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@SweetiePie: She charged us $350ish and that included a meeting in our home for like an hour where we discussed everythign we wanted to do, then she came back a few weeks later for another hours-ish and presented us with a bunch of options and helped us pick which ones suited us most. She left the samples with us too. She was great! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/have-you-ever-hired-a-decoratorinterior-designer-or-are-you-one-professionally#post-1013041 Tue, 13 Aug 2013 11:10:44 +0000 SweetiePie 1013041@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@char54: You are so lucky!!!! I'll watch things like interior therapy and be so inspired by using different colors and patterns and textures. But when I go to do it I'm like "ok is this right or will it be a train wreck???" And then I chicken out. </p> <p>@Mrs. Pen: We are kindred spirits! I drool over magazines and home TV shows but feel lost when I try myself.<br /> I end up getting scared to try too much color or pattern and just end up with a lot of beige and neutrals. Our apartment is beautiful but I feel like its boring! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/have-you-ever-hired-a-decoratorinterior-designer-or-are-you-one-professionally#post-1013035 Tue, 13 Aug 2013 11:09:14 +0000 oliviaoblivia 1013035@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I am one and work on a per project basis. It works out to be about $175-$200 per hour. I'm on the higher end. You can probably find lower rates with students or new companies. Good luck! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/have-you-ever-hired-a-decoratorinterior-designer-or-are-you-one-professionally#post-1012947 Tue, 13 Aug 2013 10:49:14 +0000 Mrs. Pen 1012947@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I've been considering this but I have no idea how to go about finding someone! I feel so motivated and at peace with myself in beautiful spaces and I'm the same as you- I look at pics magazines and say I love that I want it but I can't create it. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/have-you-ever-hired-a-decoratorinterior-designer-or-are-you-one-professionally#post-1012925 Tue, 13 Aug 2013 10:43:55 +0000 Charm54 1012925@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>My mom is amazing at this (she owns a home decor store)... we close on our first home next week and I have been bombarding her with questions about furniture, paint colors, etc... I wouldn't have been able to do it without her! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/have-you-ever-hired-a-decoratorinterior-designer-or-are-you-one-professionally#post-1012917 Tue, 13 Aug 2013 10:42:14 +0000 SweetiePie 1012917@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@prettylizy: Ok good to know! DH doesn't really give a crap as long as nothing is too girly! Which actually does make it harder for me because I need opinions. I'm bad at decision making when it comes to personal opinion. We are still renting so I don't want to go over the top (wall paper, painting, and the like). I just need details more than bigger picture and don't know where to start. </p> <p>Do you mind my asking how much it cost? If you don't want to give a $ amount maybe you can just say what % of the overall cost it was? I'm just trying to get a sense for if they charge hourly or if its based on % of what they purchase for you, etc.<br /> I'm not even sure if they'd want to do what I'm asking because its so minimal! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/have-you-ever-hired-a-decoratorinterior-designer-or-are-you-one-professionally#post-1012874 Tue, 13 Aug 2013 10:24:41 +0000 prettylizy 1012874@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>We did!! We hired a professional to come in and give us direction for our main living space (kitchen/dining/sitting). We wanted someone to help us pick the wall colour, counter tops, backsplash etc. We hired someone to come paint (vaulted ceilings + lots of cutting = divorce! lol!) so we only wanted to do it once and didn't want to mess around with 'It doesn't really go'. Best decision ever. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/have-you-ever-hired-a-decoratorinterior-designer-or-are-you-one-professionally#post-1012859 Tue, 13 Aug 2013 10:19:14 +0000 SweetiePie 1012859@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I am the person who can look at a room in a magazine and say "I love that!" but never actually do the work to pull it together. I might get the primary pieces (the couch, a few pillows, maybe a rug) but I don't do all of the knick knacks and wall hangings and so forth.<br /> I'm wondering if anyone here has ever hired a decorator and what that experience was like? What was the rate/pay scale? </p> <p>I would love to hire someone to just pick out some knicknacks and some things to hang (or tell me where to hang the things I've had under our spare bed for two years!) I love the idea of decorating but actually doing it (making the decisions and pulling the trigger) is just so daunting! </p>