We all love those design shows on TV where they design a room in a day or two or build a house in one week from the foundation up, right? Who doesn’t? The possibilities of redoing an entire room/house in just a few short days gets me all excited, too—but ladies, let’s keep it on the down low. This type of thing doesn’t happen! It’s very optimistic of us to believe such hype! You have heard of “the magic of TV?” I’m not saying finishing a room or two isn’t possible within a TV timeframe, but in the real design world, this will rarely—if ever—happen.
I realize that I may have just popped your dream and fantasy balloons, but the truth of the matter is, if this sort of thing ever really happens, it’s simply because the television producers have an entire team of people at their beck and call, having already done weeks of design preparation in advance. Unless you are Steven Spielberg, you probably don’t have access to such conveniences. It’s in my best interest, and yours, to bring to light the real situation behind the entire design process, and the true cost of what a project might run you.
The design process begins with finding a reputable designer—an essential step in achieving the look and style you are envisioning. Talk to someone you know who hired an interior designer and was pleased with the outcome. You’ll need to research candidates, interview them, and preview their design portfolios before selecting one. Time required: a day or two—at least!
Once you’ve found the optimal designer for your wants and needs (and assuming the budget is there), we move forward. The designer will then do an on-site evaluation of the space in which he or she will assess the interior architectural features, take measurements, photograph the space, and collect samples of anything that needs to be included in the design. Once all the pertinent data is collected, the designer is armed with the basic info needed to begin designing. Time required: a day!
The designer then embarks on the process of laying out the room, on paper, to scale. In doing so, this is where they will incorporate any necessary structural changes and work them into the design. The process can take many hours, depending on the scale of the project. Finally, the designer will put together a design proposal, present the design, get your approval, and take note of any additional suggestions or requests regarding the design. Once all this is done, the designer will redraft the proposal and have you sign off on it. Time required: about one week (assuming the normal amount of time it takes for client and designer to settle on the final proposal).
Let’s just fast-forward through the remaining sequence of events that need to take place and how long they will realistically take …
- Procuring permits (if required for structural changes): two weeks or longer
- Resource/material research (shopping for materials/finishes to be used): one to seven days (sometimes more)
- Finding reliable contractors: one to two weeks
- Receiving bids for the job: one to two weeks
- Ordering materials/furnishings/window treatments: eight to twelve weeks
- Installation of all new materials/textiles/structural changes: one to twelve weeks
Note: many of these steps are happening simultaneously. The entire process should take about eight to twelve weeks. Again, the time required depends upon the number and scale of renditions or changes to be made.
You should now have a more realistic notion of a design timeline: it is extensive and involves many steps. The reality is that designing a room or building a home are jobs requiring much more time and money than the dream projects you see produced on TV. Don’t be alarmed when your designer/contractors come back to you with estimates for a time frame of eight to twelve weeks. Be prepared to pay more than $1000 for the cost of even a small project—it’s difficult to find a sofa of good quality that isn’t $1000 or more. Window treatments, especially custom treatments, begin at $500 (for the simplest), and can run over $300.
Please respect the time and effort a designer puts into creating your desired lifestyle. A lot of work may happen behind the scenes before any product is visible to you. Also, good interior design is a very personal process, requiring the designer to work very closely with you, and sometimes become very involved—both with you and your family’s lifestyle—in order to understand the way you live.
Now that we’ve ended the myth of design being accomplished at no cost and in no time, you can walk confidently into the jungle of home design with your head held high. Your new knowledge and understanding of the process will support you on the journey and give you a better idea of what to expect when you hire that designer.
