Interior Designers can bring their expertise in drafting floor plans, purchasing of furniture that is the correct scale for the room, recommending fabric choices for upholstery, drapery, and pillows that create a pulled together cohesive look.  And help you with the mired decisions of kitchen and bath renovations.

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.

For additional information on taking your kitchen renovation from "Drab to Wow", please check out my blog.  Learn more -->

1.  42nd Annual Decorator Show House - Kips Bay -"The Villard House attached to The Palace Hotel".  Each year celebrated Interior Designers transform a luxury NYC home into an elegant exhibit for fine furnishings & art.  May 1-29th.  457 Madison Avenue, NYC.  www.kipsbaydecoratorshowhouse.org/.  

2.  Greenwich Great Estates -  Revisit the era between 1848-1921 as Greenwich became a favorite summer retreat for the New York elite. Explore this fascinating era through clothing, photographs, and objects for the collection of the Greenwich Historical Society.  April 9-August 31st.  39, Strickland Road, 

Cos Cob, Ct.  www.greenwichhistory.org

Susan Marocco Interiors is a full service interior design firm, staffed with professional American Society of Interior Designers (ASID) who have the training and expertise to plan, schedule, execute and manage your project from concept to completion. Our firm creates interiors that are elegant, distinctive and comfortable. Our inspiration comes first from listening. We then meld our skills and experiences to our clients' wants and needs. We develop design solutions that reflect their taste and lifestyles. Our website has a variety of pictures of the work we have done for many of our clients and you are more than welcome to view them.

To find out how Susan Marocco Interiors can help you with all your design needs, please contact Susan at 1-914-234-7066 or via email.