5 Reasons to Hire an Interior Designer

While it is true that you can do design your home on your own, you can make the task easier and less stressful by hiring an experienced interior designer. Even if you are a creative person, redesigning your interiors may not be something that you are familiar with.

Renovating a home can be tiring and exciting. You might have great ideas, but you may lack the experience or creativity necessary to implement those ideas correctly. If you feel that you lack the required skills, a practical solution is to hire an interior designer. An experienced designer can suggest unique solutions to make your home look and feel better.

Here are a few things to consider before hiring a professional interior designer:

You get to save money

Interior designers work with contractors and local dealers all the time. As a result, they can buy materials for the best price. If you walk into the store and buy stuff you will probably have to pay a higher price. You may also end up buying too much.

On the other hand, a designer knows exactly how much paint you need for your walls or how many tiles you need for the kitchen or the bathroom. This eliminates wastage. Better still; a professional designer knows how to stick to a pre-determined budget.

You get to save time

Interior designing might require some research. Unfortunately, very few homeowners can spend several hours searching for the right dealers, supplies, materials and manufacturers. When you hire an interior designer, they will do all the research. Consequently, you don't have to flip through the pages of a design magazine to find the best designs and brands. As we have already said, designers know the best possible deals in town. This totally eliminates the need to compare prices.

 

Contacts

An interior designer has established relationships with vendors and suppliers and this gives them access to the best deals. By taking advantage of these contacts, they can maximize their options and create unique spaces.

An eye to detail

You probably want to do away with the old elements in your décor and embrace the new. However, if you are working with an experienced designer, they will be able to use both new and old elements. This saves money. It also helps conserve resources and create a unique look. Since these people have an eye to design, they will be able to suggest new wall art or repaints to highlight the best features of your living space. Repurposing saves money and is crucial to a successful design.

A professional designer can suggest the right creative solutions that will make your space more attractive and inviting.

Selling the house

Professional interior designers know how to stage your home well. So if you are planning to sell your home, you should definitely consider hiring a designer to help you showcase your space at its best.

The way your home appears often determines its sales price. In fact, homes that look attractive get sold quickly and for the best possible price. A designer can suggest ways to get your property ready to sell.

Designing Your Guestroom

Your guest room is unlikely to be the most used part of your home unless, of course, you have guests all year round.

Whether you frequently entertain guests or not; a guestroom is a great addition to your home. It also presents a great opportunity to try out new decorating ideas. And if you like some of these ideas, you can implement them in other parts of the home. Here are a few ways to decorate your guest room.

Buy a great bed

In a spare bedroom, the focal point is more likely to be the bed. Make it great. If your bedroom has hardwood flooring, you should invest in a country brass bed. Sleigh beds, trundle beds and canopy beds are all great choices for your guestroom.

If you just bought a new home, you probably can't spend a lot of money on furnishings.  That said, you must still splurge on good bed linens. Bedding is perhaps the most prominent design element in a bed room. A classic bed with luxurious linens will instantly make your spare bedroom attractive and inviting.

Choose an attractive color palette

Watercolor palettes tend to work well for spare bedrooms because they provide ample opportunities for experimenting. Country coastal designs and patterns are quite popular right now. Make sure that your color palette includes natural beach colors and muted shades. Peaches and pinks that remind you of seashells and sky blues will lend a soothing touch to your spare bedroom. You may also add a touch of yellow to create the feel of a sunset. Choose a white palette for your walls and furniture. They will allow the colorful linens to instantly grab attention.

Furnish the room well

If your guest room is spacious, there is ample scope for furnishing. Your guest may prefer to have breakfast in the bedroom. In that case, a table and one or two stools are a must.

As a great host/hostess you will definitely want to invite your guests to join you for tea or coffee. However, you must still consider adding a coffee maker in your spare bedroom. You should also provide a comfortable chair.

If your guest enjoys reading, a lamp, a chair and a table will be highly appreciated. Think about what people might like and add those elements.

Provide entertainment

Provide all possible forms of entertainment. Your guest room should have a television, stereo, DVD player and radio. You should also have a nice collection of DVDs, MP3s, and a cable connection.

Include a small bookcase. While choosing books for your guestroom library, look for both classic and new titles. You don't know what your guest will enjoy reading.

A well-designed guest room will make your guests comfortable when they spend time under your roof. It is also a great place to showcase your taste and hospitality.

While designing your spare bedroom, forget about your personal preferences. Remember that a guestroom is not the right place to experiment with those garish colors and patterns that you secretly admire. Instead, opt for colors and patterns that will appeal to a wider audience. Neutral shades are ideal for this.

 

When You Should Replace Your Carpeting?

As a homeowner, you want to make the best investment decisions when it comes to improvements and upgrades. Not only should you be concerned with home value, you probably want your home to have an attractive style. Carpeting is a great addition to complement your home’s décor and look, but you probably already know that it doesn’t last forever. The life span of carpet depends on the use, but regardless, it will have to be replaced sooner or later.

So how do you know when it’s time to replace your carpeting? Consider the following signs:

Your carpet has rips and/or tears in it. This is a sign that your carpet should be replaced. While some carpeting can be repaired, this usually depends on the severity of the damage. Big tears are usually a sign that you need a total carpet replacement.

Your allergies are triggered. If you have older carpet in your home, there is a possibility that it is retaining allergens that are triggering your allergies

There are lingering odors. Pet odors and smoke can penetrate deep into the fibers of the carpet. There may be even some mildew growth if it the carpet hasn’t been properly cleaned for some time.

It’s worn bare. This may be another obvious reason to replace your carpet. If it no longer has that soft, plush feeling, it’s more than likely worn to the point of needing replacement.

The carpet is older than twenty years. According to experts, you should replace your carpet at least every 20 years in order to maintain good indoor air quality.