You may have occasionally heard the terms for interior decorator and interior designer interchanged. However, there is a difference between the two titles. An interior decorator generally refers to someone who deals with finishes, surfaces, furniture, and wall coverings. Also, an interior decorator may work in a variety of venues from a design showroom to a remodeling retail store.

An interior designer is a more specialized career field, requiring a certain combined level of education, work experience, and licensing. An interior designer may create spaces for the inside of a commercial office building, design the lighting for a restaurant, or select the furnishings of a home. An interior designer may also deal with issues of safety like accessibility and building codes.

• It helps owners/renters to avoid making unwise decisions and chaos when it comes to purchasing materials, furniture, lights, etc.
  You can be confident and proud to show off your property or home! Particularly if yours is a shop or restaurant where first impressions matter.
• A professional interior designer sees and conceptualizes the BIG picture, whereas owners/renters more often than not, merely focus on individual issues / materials / colors, etc.
• A professional interior designer can help to advise on an appropriate scheme to suit your lifestyle and budget.
• Property owners doing their own interior design will usually end up with a “miss-match” or somewhat “chaotic” interior; especially by neglecting consideration of color, lighting, furniture and soft furnishings and other crucial details that “completes” the whole interior.
• A professional interior designer will help to ensure and co-ordinate all the above for you!
• Owners may feel the pinch when incurring cost on the professional fee. However, just imagine for a moment how much more you will have lost (in terms of money and time) when you make the wrong commitments due to inexperience of choosing fixtures and inaccurate measurements.
• For a fraction of the cost of your property, is it not wise to leverage the knowledge and experience of those who know best and to free yourself to do the things that you do best?
  Design Matters! A good design truly improves the way you live as seen from the many examples around us (e.g., electricity, computers, escalators, airplanes, etc.

• Ask to see the interior designer’s portfolio, but remember that the illustrations reflect other people’s tastes NOT the designer’s, and probably not your own.
• Ask what size projects the interior designer has worked on, where, and what the budget range was.
• Ask how the established budget will be handled, and the kind of payment schedules the designer requires.
• Ask about the types of service the designer can provide.
• Ask for a list of references.

Our initial consultation brings you a highly qualified interior designer to your home or office for an in-depth interview to identify your design objectives and outline the steps needed to accomplish them. This first meeting usually lasts one to two hours.

At the first meeting we will:

• Measure and photograph areas to be designed.
• Create a room by room list of necessary construction, furniture, colors and accessory needs.
• Compile client’s existing materials that will not change.

As soon as we have your approval, we prepare purchase orders for required items and services. We select the best price from a variety of reputable sources. Although your interior was designed for construction efficiency, it’s no secret that building projects can be time-consuming and stressful. As your concept comes to life, count on us to assist you in managing contractors, architects and building officials. On your behalf, we’ll work with all parties to ensure that your design is executed with the least amount of stress and hassles.

Our fees are charged by the hour to assure that only the time required by your project results in charges to you. The hourly fee covers such actions as:

• Space planning, rendering, concepts and working drawings
• Design of custom window treatments, shades or blinds
• Preparation of estimates and purchasing
• Coordination with contractors
• Subsequent consultations with the client and suppliers
• Researching sources for materials or products

Consulting with an Interior Designer is not about imposing ideas or personal taste onto a client, but rather how a client and designer come together to create a unique interior just for you. It’s about helping the client develop their vision while analyzing their design requirements, and in the end, creating a space that is both aesthetically pleasing and functional. Together with Barb’s Interior Design, Inc. you can create the dream you have always wanted.

• When you are contemplating buying or building a new house…
• When you plan a major addition to your home…
• When you consider restoring an old manor…
• When you want to renovate or remodel your living space…
• Whenever you need to relate interior design considerations to an existing or as yet to be formulated architectural plan.
• When your lifestyle is about to change, such as working from your home…
• When your residence will be used for occasional social functions…
• When your expanding family needs to “reorganize” space allocations…
• Whenever you need full project coordination.
• When you like a variety of styles but are not sure how to group them together…
• When your current furniture arrangement requires an infusion of inspiration…
• When you feel the collectibles you own and love require more attention…
• When your rooms needs new drapes, floor coverings, furniture and accessories…
• Whenever you feel that you need professional guidance.