Decorating: Do-it-Yourself or Use an Interior Designer?

Martha Stewart, I'm not. But having just redecorated a couple of rooms in our home, I have a pretty good idea of what it can cost. And the bill was enough to make me sit up in my Lazy Boy and take notice.

According to American Express, the average family will spend $768 this year on home decorating. The tight housing market has made it difficult for many to buy a new home, so redecorating has become a priority.

Of course, if you're fortunate enough to afford a new home, you can expect to spend substantially more on decorating. According to the National Association of Home Builders, buyers of newer homes spend an average of $3,695 on decorating the first year. Those who buy a home more than 10 years old average $1,983 that first year.

Trying to match the showcase look of a builder's model home can be especially pricey. The average decorating budget for a model home is $12 to $18 per square foot. At that rate, one 12x12 room could cost at least $1,728 to fully furnish.

Once you have an idea of your decorating budget, you're ready to go shopping. But a word of caution is in order. The Better Business Bureau says home furnishing stores rank third among retailers in the number of consumer complaints. Often the problem lies with the buyer. Furniture shopping can be confusing and lead to costly mistakes.

To achieve the look you want at a price you can afford, you may want to use an interior designer. Designers work in one of two ways. For an hourly fee, he or she can provide a plan and obtain competitive bids from retailers. Or the designer can buy your furnishings at wholesale and charge you the retail price. You may pay no more, yet save time and get a look that is uniquely yours.

An interior designer can locate that special wallpaper for your breakfast nook or that unique lighting fixture you saw in a magazine -- and may even get it at a better price! He or she can not only provide unique furniture, accessories and fabrics but also a team of reliable subcontractors such as painters and wallpaper hangers.

Before selecting an interior designer, ask to see photos of his or her work, paying particular attention to styles that match your ideas of what your home should look like. Make sure the work is pleasing to the eye, functional and affordable.

Learn if he or she belongs to American Society of Interior Designers (ASID), or International Interior Design Association (IIDA). Ask for the names of references.

Find out how much the original consultation will cost and what it includes. Will you see scale layouts, sketches, color swatches, paper samples, paint chips?

Be sure to get a written quote based on a fixed amount, an hourly rate or a percentage of the cost.

Ask what happens if you don't like some or all of the designer's ideas. Do you have to buy everything or anything through him or her? Can you switch to another designer?

When it comes to decorating, you have to live with your decisions.

Jim Larranaga is executive vice president of Priority Publications, a Minneapolis-based publisher of financial newsletters.

Courtesy of ARA Content, www.ARAcontent.com, e-mail: info@ARAcontent.com

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