Why an Interior Designer????

...why not just have my friend who is “good with colors” help me or perhaps the furniture store showroom employee?

Well, why go to a Dentist, when all you need is your friend who is good at pulling out teeth OR why go to an Accountant when your Uncle is really good at math and worked for a fortune 500 Company? OK, get the message? People hire professionals when they want it done right! What could be more important than your own home when you want it done right???

Since all of our staff designers are members of ASID (American Society of Interior Designers), a requirement for working at S&A, and Tim is a Past President of the ASID Carolinas Chapter and currently sits on the National Board of Directors for ASID I thought I'd look to see what ASID had to say on the subject. While on their website at http://www.asid.org/ I came across this article (in red) that I thought was interesting!

Hiring an Interior Designer

Whether you’re building a new home or remodeling a single room, you want the finished space to be attractive, comfortable and functional. It needs to fit the way you live, as well as reflect your personal style and taste. Images of beautifully appointed and arranged rooms are usually what first come to mind when one thinks of interior design. Color, fabric, furniture, art and ornamentation are indeed important elements in the overall design. How the environments we inhabit look and feel greatly affect our mood and sense of well-being.

Interior Design also involves many practical and technical considerations that affect comfort, function and safety. Among these are lighting, acoustics, space planning, organization and storage, scale, accommodation of special needs, fire safety and compliance with local building codes. Interior projects include new construction, renovation, historic restoration and model homes. Specialty areas within the home include the kitchen, bath, home theater, home office and home health care and fitness areas.

Professional interior designers can do so much more than recommend furniture, fabrics and colors. They have a creative eye and artistic flair, but that’s only the beginning. An interior designer has aesthetic, practical and technical expertise in all the elements that make up an interior environment. He or she understands how people use and respond to these elements, not just individually but as the elements interact with one another. When you hire an interior designer, you get the benefit of an experienced professional who can solve problems, help you avoid costly mistakes and, most importantly, create an attractive, affordable space designed specifically to meet your lifestyle needs.

©2010 American Society of Interior Designers

So while “your friend” may be good with colors, our ASID designers have the education, experience and examination to have each facet of your project realized. Yes, the furniture showroom employee can sell you some fabulous furniture but does he or she really know how it will work in YOUR home with YOUR lifestyle and coordinate with the rest of YOUR home? Our designers look at the whole home regardless if you are only currently designing an entire house or only one room. At Schelfe and Associates we have the experience, talent and training to make your project great!

-Ruth Anne