Five Myths about Hiring an Interior Designer – and Why They are Not True!

Have you ever given thought to using an interior designer to help bring a sense of wow and impact to your home and then upon further consideration decided this isn’t going to work for you after all? Perhaps you were under the impression that to engage a professional will end up becoming prohibitively expensive, or that it’s only for the elite or ultra-fashionable, or that you can do just as good a job yourself?

These are common concerns when it comes to considering utilising the services of an interior designer (and perhaps in many cases, depending upon who you choose, some of these may be justified), but if you do find the right partner then working with a professional can be highly rewarding, exciting and lead to stunning results!

M&Y Interiors have been turning houses into beautiful homes for the last 30 years and have proven time after time that many of the misconceptions people have about using interior designers can be vastly exaggerated or simply untrue.

Here are five commonly held myths about hiring an interior designer, and why – if you use M&Y Interiors at least – they are not accurate:

1. “It will cost an absolute fortune and is only for people with huge budgets.”

There is a misconception that using an interior designer is a costly luxury and only for those with an unlimited budget. With M&Y Interiors this is certainly not the case and in fact they very often end up saving clients money.

Whatever the budget available, M&Y Interiors are able to utilise their expertise to create a stunning look for their clients’ homes. M&Y Interiors charge a room rate design fee, which would include several meetings with the design team and would culminate in a detailed estimate supported by colour boards showing finishes, fabrics and ideas together with floor plans showing furniture layouts.

2. “Interior designers mark everything up.”

With M&Y Interiors, clients can be assured that the cost to purchase materials, furniture or accessories that are proposed, will be no higher than if purchased directly from the high street. This is because M&Y Interiors charge the RRP for all these items and receive commission from their suppliers rather than from their clients.

In addition this saves the client the hassles of shopping themselves and wondering whether things will match when they get home – no parking, no queues, no aimlessly wandering from shop to shop and no uncertainty!

3. “It won’t be to my personal taste.”

Another popular misconception is that interior designers project their own personal taste into a client’s home and that it may not reflect the taste or style of the homeowner.

M&Y Interiors spend time talking to their clients and understanding want they need. They make recommendations and suggestions that aim to reflect the clients own taste but also introduce a new perspective for consideration. If a client wants an industrial loft look, a suburban glamorous home, or a London penthouse look, they will work with different finishes and fabrics to reflect the feel that the client wishes to achieve.

If the client has particular ideas, or love the way another property looks and want to replicate it to some degree, M&Y will do their best to find similar options without copying somebody else’s scheme. With access to so many beautiful fabrics and furniture options, there is rarely a need to do exactly the same thing.

4. “Interior designers are not in touch with reality and everyday use.”

Some people may believe that interior designers are not in touch with the reality of a lived in family home and are just looking to create a ‘show home’ effect.

Sometimes a staged ‘photoshoot-ready’ room scheme is exactly what the client is after – perhaps for a room that gets limited use or is reserved purely for adult entertaining. But, more often than not a room has to withstand day to day use and needs to be practical as well as beautiful.

M&Y Interiors generally recommend fabrics that are washable, scrubbable, totally usable for a family and which are designed to withstand the beating of family life… even if the colour scheme is winter white!

5. “Interior design can be done quickly and cheaply.”

Well of course interior design (of a sort) can be done quickly and cheaply but not if it is to be done well and to stand the test of time. One of the myths that has been perpetuated by the “60 minute makeover” concept and TV makeover shows is that a beautiful new home can be created for a tiny budget and in an unfeasible time frame.

A new home can often take between four to six months to design and implement correctly without cutting corners and rushing decisions. Commercial projects can however be quicker than this.

Many of the aforementioned TV programmes, and other interior designers, showcase top of the range designer furniture and fabrics that are outside most people’s price ranges. As a rule, M&Y Interiors don’t advocate this approach and prefer to mix reasonably priced items with the odd key standout piece or fabric to create the wow factor and focus.

Conclusions

Interior designers are becoming more widely used, but people don’t always shout about it, often the hidden secret kept from friends and family – perhaps because of some of the myths that exist. But with the right choice, they can help your home to be beautiful and reflect your taste and style.

M&Y Interiors take the stress of co-ordinating a project on their shoulders, making sure everything is in place and the stunning home you imagined becomes a reality. There’s certainly no misconceptions about that!

"I absolutely loved working with Mandy, Nigel and Samantha at M&Y. They quickly got to know our tastes. They are professionals and absolutely fabulous!"Mrs H
"M&Y interiors were so helpful in the planning and redecorating of my new apartment. Nothing was too much trouble and I wouldn’t hesitate in using them again. I highly recommend this company."
Stanmore
"I'd like to thank you, Nigel and Sam for your work in making our house a home. We love it. Once more, thank you!"
Mrs K
"M&Y created a incredible luxurious, family home in keeping with the style of a Grade 2 Listed building fully embracing the traditional look we wanted, even down to the finest details."Mrs S
“I would highly recommend Mandy, Nigel and Team. Their patience and getting to know what we wanted was excellent. Mandy has a great eye for colour and sense of style. We are delighted with the end product.”Totteridge
In the good times and the bad.... "Thank you again for the way you handled this issue and the resolution. I don’t believe many companies would have acted this way and I’m extremely grateful for your commitment to delivering a happy customer outcome."Mr C
“M&Y have handed over our fully refurbished office in Hertford today and I’m still buzzing with excitement because the transformation has been totally amazing . The brief was pretty basic ,I wanted to create the look and feel of the Ralph Lauren store in Bond Street ,but make it work for an office environment , on a sensible budget. Mandy and her team hit the target perfectly and we now have a really fantastic work space, and a very smart meeting room that will impress any visitor, plus the coolest looking office kitchen in the county! I can’t wait to get back to the office!”James, Wedge Homes Ltd
"LIFE IS NOT PICTURE PERFECT BUT THE M&Y FIT IS MORE THAN PERFECT" We highly endorse M&Y Interiors. They offer a fantastic customer service and Mandy and Nigel with their loyal team always go the extra mile for their clients. The reward for a job well done is the opportunity to do it again. Very much looking forward to working together on the next big project in due course. Nigel’s approach to resolving matters is a breath of fresh air and all I can add is that the world would be much a better place with more people around like Nigel and Mandy.’’ Thank you again, we are forever grateful.MR F
"What a stunning home you have created for us. We can’t thank you enough. From our first meeting I knew that if anyone was going to be responsible for refurbishing our home it had to be you. I had faith that you could make us a dream home. Mandy, I felt straight away a connection with you and I was comfortable that you understood what I would like. Your ideas on interior design including furnishings, fabrics and colours are amazing. I may not have always been the easiest client, but I am now a truly happy one. Nigel, the home would not be complete without your input in managing the project."
Mrs R
This was the first experience working with an interior designer and I was very mindful that we still maintained our own style and preferences. Mandy did not impose her views or choices on us, but listened carefully to what we liked and got to know our style and was extremely respectful of our budget, which is quite unusual in this field.Mrs N

 

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