Interior Design VS. DIY – Why Should I Pay Someone When I have Really Good Taste?

Hiring an interior designer does not mean you’re not design-savvy or that you don’t have a sense of style. It simply means that you have enough common sense to realise that it is oftentimes a lot cheaper to have a professional take care of something for you so that you can avoid costly mistakes and save up on time.

So why do you need to get an interior designer?

Think of hiring an interior designer as simply like opting to have dinner at a fancy restaurant. You may be a fabulous chef but there are simply times when it is better to have someone do the heavy lifting for you. Sure, you know how to pick the best entrée and maybe replicate it at home but the restaurant’s chef can prepare it more efficiently. All you have to do is wait for your professionally prepared meal to be brought to your table! That’s how having your interiors professionally designed works!

So how do we move forwardto you actually hiring someone for your home improvement or home renovation job without you thinking that you’re doing the wrong thing?

First of, you’ll have to get past the fact that…

There’s Nothing Wrong With Hiring an Interior Designer!

Gone are the days when only the rich, famous, and snobby are the folks who would hire interior designers to do their place’s interiors. It is a shame that up to this day, a lot of people are put off by the thought of hiring a bathroom designer or a kitchen designer because they think that doing so would be a reflection of them not having a good aesthetic eye, or that it would make them seem like they are too ‘grand’ to be like ‘normal’ folks. You have to get your head off this kind of limited thinking and see that getting a professional for your home’s interior design is just the same as having your wedding dress sewn by a specialist or having your bread baked by a baker. See? It really is no big deal!

Are you now okay with hiring an interior designer or would still you prefer to go the DIY route?

Here are some reasons why paying someone to do your home’s interior design can be a lot better than DIY:

Hiring an interior designer gets things done faster

Professionally executed interior design means no frills and getting to the core of what you want your home to look like plus how you want it to function in as little time as possible whilst being cost efficient at the same time. It’s like home pizza delivery on steroids but done the home improvement way!

Interior designers knows the right people for the job

You may know someone who does wood or someone who knows ‘wirings and stuff’ but unless they are people who do those things for a living, you really would not want to jeopardise your and your home’s safety by DIY-ing things or just getting some random person to do it for you.

Hiring an interior designer means you don’t have to think of finding the right plumber, the right electrician, the right joiner and all that. Hiring interior designers means all of that is taken care of for you because they usually have a complete list of professional and reliable tradespeople with whom they often work with. You can also ask your interior designer to choose only tradespersons with work insurance when he or she getssomeone to work on your home improvement or home renovation interior design job.

Interior designer knows the right materials to use

I cannot stress it enough that just because two materials look the same, it doesn’t mean that they handle wear and tear the same way nor functions the same way. Ladies, that’s like saying that a cream blush is the same as a lippie. And for you gents, pomade is definitely not the same as vaseline.

This is not just about construction, home renovation, or home improvement materials either, it is about having a visually pleasing and superbly functional space which would give you years of joy and pleasure. The right materials coupled with beautiful textures, patterns, and colours which speaks of your personal design aesthetic is a happy sight indeed.

Interior designers gets things done cheaper

Unless you are also professionally trained as an interior designer, chances are you’ll have to redo things, make costly mistakes, or do some of your DIY by trial and error. There is nothing wrong with that and I genuinely applaud people who can be very creative, however, not everyone can afford to do so. What do I mean?

For bigger projects such as those needing complete interior design services or perhaps for truly important ones such as designing a safe nursery which can easily transform into a child’s bedroom after a few years, nothing beats the input of someone who knows how to do it the right way.

Give your home a professional assessment and execution

What does this give you? Professional assessment and execution means not having to change things which does not need to be changed, thereby saving you time and money. This also means leaving no stone unturned and no detail unaccounted for. It may not seem much to you now but one small flaw or a little crack can turn into one huge mess later on. A professional eye for detail notices and takes care of all that.

Increase your home’s selling value

Should you plan to sell your home in the future, hiring a kitchen designer, bathroom designer, or interior designer means that the changes you want will be done to a professional standard which only serves to add value to your home.

Clumsily erected partitions and crooked tiling may work for you but they will make your property look a lot cheaper than its actual value. Sure, there are people who can do an impeccable looking carpentry job or tiling job but how safe is a wall partition done the DIY way? How can you be sure that the grout you used for DIY tiling will hold up to wear and tear? There’s just too many variables which will be done more efficiently by having a professional do it for you.

Hiring interior designers can give your home that WOW factor

Ever had a crush on a house? Some of my clients (and perhaps you as well) seem to be susceptible to that. It usually happens when you see a home at a magazine, on the internet, or at your neighbourhood and you simply want to keep seeing it again and again. You can’t help it, you’re infatuated!

Well, well, well, that’s part of the deal which makes having your home’s interiors professionally designed so sweet. Who wouldn’t love to wake up to such beautiful surroundings on a daily basis? I for one, won’t mind!

Ready to have crush-worthy home interiors? Then contact us at Karen Goodrich Interiors! We mostly cater to clients in the St. George, Sutherland Shire, and Eastern Suburbs area of Sydney but don’t hesitate to give us a call if you’re nearby. Who knows? The Karen Goodrich creative touch may be all your home needs!

7 Tips to Avoid Costly Mistakes When Choosing Curtains

Choosing curtains is perhaps one of the most taken for granted aspect of interior design. Most people leave it for last and treat choosing curtains as more of an afterthought rather than a real part of designing their interiors. Too often, this mistake results to a half-baked look and the home owner ends up ripping off the curtains and ‘choosing’ new ones which may or may not look good or function well. Does this sound familiar to you?

Think of the time wasted and the cost of having to redo your curtains; that’s no fun at all! Sure, you can always just learn to live with your earlier choice, but hey, if you’re like me, seeing curtains which just doesn’t look right in your home will drive you crazy.

Believe me, we’ve had clients contact us at Karen Goodrich Interiors for an emergency only for me to find out later on that the emergency is some new ghastly looking ‘expensive’ curtains that are in dire need of being replaced. I’m quite sure a lot of you can relate to that – either by your own experience or just having seen a friend, a neighbour, or a family member make the same mistake.

Choosing curtains is a big commitment which can result to a very expensive mistake when done incorrectly. I guess it is why a lot of homeowners are choosing to have their windows done professionally these days and we’re happy to help them with that!

The following are the usual principles I stick to when I’m choosing curtains for clients. In no particular order, here are the 7 Tips to Avoiding Costly Mistakes When Choosing Curtains:

Choosing Curtains Tip #1 – Only choose curtains from large fabric panels

A small square of fabric will look drastically different when it is presented as a full-sized pane as compared to a 4X4 inches piece. That print you fell in-love with may well become your most loathed fabric design if it doesn’t fit your aesthetics or your wall’s paint colour. Solution? Forget the swatches and go look at large panels when curtain-shopping.

Choosing Curtains Tip #2 – Choose your curtain fabric before you choose your paint

This may sound a bit backward if you’re looking at it from a non-professional point of view, but there is so much which goes into a piece of fabric that a change in texture, a difference in hue, or a slightly cooler or warmer colour can offset the look of a whole room. This is why it is best to choose the types of fabrics (including the curtains) you’ll be using prior to deciding on a paint colour. House already painted? Refer to Tip #1.

Choosing Curtains Tip #3 – Opt for blackout lining

If you truly want to save up on some window covering, opting for a blackout lining may be a great option. More so, blackout linings can give you more privacy when needed plus functions as an extra layer of insulation to help with your cooling and heating bill all year long.

Choosing Curtains Tip #4 – Don’t be tempted with buying cheap fabrics

I’m not saying that you should go for the most expensive ones, what I’m saying is that you should always go for the highest quality fabric you can afford. Cheap fabrics may have flaws which can be very obvious on large pieces (like a curtain) so while you may be able to get away with using it for an accent pillow or two, it would be singing like a choir in full blast when used forcurtains.

Choosing Curtains Tip #5 – Don’t go with fads

If you love Pinterest, then you might have found yourself drooling at some point at all the breathtaking and sassy curtain designs. There’s all this rage about striped curtains, flowy curtains, and all other sorts of curtains. Question is, would the design you’ve been eyeing work in your space?

If you have wallpapered walls with quite a pattern on it, choosing striped curtains would be too much and may be very visually distracting. The same goes if you already have a striped pattern painted on your walls. Adding more stripes to the curtains would be over-kill and will simply make your interiors look tacky and cheap, prompting you to repurchase new curtains just to get rid of the eyesore. Save yourself some headache and money down the road by not going with curtain fads.

Choosing Curtains Tip #6 – Measure everything and have it noted

No matter if you’re having custom curtains made or purchasing pre-made ones, having your curtain length or width off by a few inches can have a huge impact on the over-all look of your curtains. Curtains which is just a tad too short can make your home look dated and cheap even if you spent thousands upon thousands for each room’s design and décor.

Choosing Curtains Tip #7 – Mind your hardware

I know that the hardware is not truly a part of choosing curtains, but making sure that your curtain doesn’t clash with your hardware is one of the secrets to having a well-designed room. It is rather like making sure all the jewelry you’re wearing complements each other to give you a polished elegant look.

Think all of these tips are too overwhelming or are too much work? Well, we can help out with all your curtain choosing woes at Karen Goodrich Interiors!

Whether you’re looking for custom curtains, custom window coverings, custom window treatments, or complete interior decoration in Sutherland Shire, St. George Area, or Eastern Suburbs, my very creative team and I are ready to professionally tackle transforming your house into a home without discounting your needs, style, and wants.

Contact us at Karen Goodrich Interiors and we’ll do our best to fix your existing curtain situation. Let us help you in avoiding costly mistakes when choosing curtains by consulting with us today.

7 Commandments for Awesome Window Coverings

Who thinks that window coverings are only a small part of interior design? That can’t be farther from the truth! Window coverings actually comprise a sizable chunk of the interior design projects we do at Karen Goodrich Interiors. People care so much about how their windows would look that oftentimes, clients and friends would ask me for tips on how to choose or design awesome window coverings. Don’t you sometimes wish that windows would just be magically fabulous by themselves?

If you’re one of the discerning individuals who love to dress well and make your home look equally as polished, then it just follows that you’d love to have some awesome window coverings, just like plenty of my clients. Problem is, choosing window coverings is a real art in itself and failing in one area can make or break your home’s look.

How so?

There’s a multitude of factors to consider when choosing window coverings that it can be very overwhelming, especially for someone who’s not well-versed with design.

The above is why I decided to write these 7 Commandments to Awesome Window Coverings. I wanted to share tips which you can use to assist you with choosing window coverings and making the right decisions so that you can have a beautiful home with the Karen Goodrich touch.

The 7 Commandments to Awesome Window Coverings

These 7 commandments are interior design tips I’ve used and tested throughout the years. Use them well and you’ll surely have fantastic windows!

1st Commandment – Thou Shall Consider Privacy

How much privacy do you want?

What size windows do you have?

Are your windows within view of neighbours or the street?

Can other people look into your home through your windows?

All of the above are privacy considerations which you may want to keep in mind when choosing window coverings. How much privacy you want your window coverings to provide you will affect your options for choosing window coverings. How so? Shades, for instance, often provides a better way or means of blocking out all light and visibility, whilst blinds have slats which can be adjusted to alter just how much can be seen from the outside looking in.

2nd Commandment – Thou Shall Take Advantage of Natural Light

Using window coverings should not prevent you from utilising and enjoying natural light. In fact, the best window coverings fully take advantage of giving you the best use of natural light whilst still giving you the privacy and other functionalities you need.

3rd Commandment – Thou Shall Utilise Texture and Colour

Ah, texture! Who thinks of this when it comes to choosing window coverings? Maybe people think about colour, yes, but texture is not something which usually comes to mind.

These days, there are plenty of materials and finishes which are used to make awesome window coverings. You can choose which textures you like and ask it to be made in the colour of your choosing to match your room or just about whatever you fancy. Think roman shades can only be made out of fabric? There are ones made of natural fibres these days, such as rattan, and bamboo.

4th Commandment – Thou Shall Use Your Own Decorating Style

Just as the eyes are the windows to your soul (or so the saying goes), your house (and your windows) are a reflection of you as well. You cannot use blinds if you’re a roman shade type of person, or else you’ll feel like you’re staying at someone else’s home. This is also a factor when choosing the textures, patterns, and colours you’ll want in your windows.

5th Commandment – Thou Shallhave a Budget and Stick to It

Window coverings can get really expensive so it is always helpful to have a set budget or price range in place. You’d also have to consider the other windows in your house for continuity of design or décor. For instance, you can’t just have one window be all fancy when the rest of the windows in the room are looking shabby. There should be some continuity or a link to everything else, a common element like colour, fabric, pattern, or material.

More so, you’ll have to remember that window coverings are often priced per window or sets of windows. You’ll find this worded as custom window coverings X 3 areas, or custom window treatments X 3 areas in ads or websites of businesses which do this aspect of interior decoration and interior design.

6th Commandment – Thou Shall Go For Function       

Your window covering should be able to ‘cover’ your window. This means choosing something with a heavier fabric or better light-blocking characteristics if the window is facing the afternoon sun or if you want the best window covering for a space like a home theatre. The same can be said for window coverings for the bedroom windows. Sheer ones may be okay for the kitchen and common living areas but the bedroom’s window cover is a different thing.

Speaking of function, one aspect of it is the much-dreaded “how often do I need to clean my window covering?” question. Please read the next commandment for more information into this.

7th Commandment – Thou Shall Consider Safety

Safety is perhaps the least considered amongst all the above commandments for picking and designing the best window coverings. Most people simply install whatever window coverings looks great but if you have pets and small children at home, you may truly want to take a look into this as one of the most important things to consider. Strings from blinds can hurt a toddler as well as entangle a playful cat. Thankfully these days, there are cordless options for those who may have that concern.

There are also allergies which you may want to look into. Some types of window coverings (such as blinds) are dust magnets. This means that if you are very sensitive to dust, you may want to choose roman shades instead of blinds because they are easier to clean since they don’t accumulate as much dust.

Still having some trouble on choosing the best window coverings for your place? Contact us via our Sutherland Shire, Eastern Suburbs, and St. George Area offices and let my team at Karen Goodrich Interiors take care of the rest in providing you professionally done awesome window coverings for your home!

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