Greetings!
 

Happy New Year to all my valued clients and friends! I wish you joy, laughter, and good health for the New Year. All else will follow.

This month we tackle the "secret fear" many of us have experienced when we have considered hiring an interior designer.  Are they going to take over and not design to my taste and style?  Will they only show me items that are over my budget?

January is a great month to concentrate on the inside of your home. Take advantage of the snow days we have been having. Here's some suggestions to help you take the leap.

1.   Start slow.  Discuss the full scope of your project, understand the process, and agree on a time frame and a budget.  You are entering into a partnership with your designer, so this has to be a relationship based on trust, comfort and communication.

Make sure you understand the terms of your agreement well.  It is important to structure a fee schedule that is transparent.  Designers have different approaches to billing, whether it is a retainer, an hourly fee, mark-up on a trade discount, or a combination of terms depending on the scope of the project.  Make sure you educate yourself in finding what suits your budget and personality.

2.  If you enjoy the creative aspects of interior design and know what you like, outline what role you would like to maintain throughout the project.  It is helpful for the designer and yourself to review your collection of tear sheets in order to identify what elements of design appeal to you.

Your choices will be the foundation to help your designer find her/his creative inspiration.

3.  Take a look at the interior designer's previous projects.  Ask for references and actually call them.  Some Designers can be very creative but fall short on the administrative end.

It is equally important to have the behind the scene details expedited, and the ability to problem solve if the need arises.

4.  By hiring an Interior Designer you will be given a "Master Plan".  This Master Plan will prevent you from purchasing home furnishings and accessories that don't fit into the scheme of your home.  Our basements are full of 'wrong purchases'. An Interior Designer can make these mistakes avoidable.

Choose a professional that can work in tandem with you to create a home for yourself and your family.  Let them design your dreams and perhaps show you a few new ones.

The 57th Annual Winter Antiques Show - Manhattan's Park Avenue Armory. 
 

The Winter Antiques Show marks its 57th year as the most prestigious antiques show in America, featuring the "best of the best" from antiquities through the 1960s.

This year's event features in addition to treasures from 75 dealers, an exhibition of art and furnishings loaned by the Historic Charleston Foundation.

January 21-30 Park Avenue Armory, Park Avenue at 67th Street, New York City

Hermès First Left Bank Store- If you are lucky enough to be visiting Paris, stop by for a full French cultural experience including a bookshop, florist and cafe in a revamped Art Nouveau landmark.
 

Beyond offering complete collections for men and women, this flagship store spotlights home furnishings by being the first Hermès location to carry renditions of chairs and tables by famed Art Deco designer Jean-Michel Frank created in collaboration with the company in the 1920s and '30s.

17 rue de Sevrès, 6th Tel 01 42 22 80 83