Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
My husband and I are investors. He has great design ideas and I make the ideas happen.
Recently, one guy in my office introduced me to his wife, someone who just graduated with an interior design degree... Or something like that. He knows we just bought another house for flipping purposes. I guess he's trying to help his wife out.
When we got to the store, his wife had already picked out some flooring samples she wanted to recommend. She picked out the most expensive items! I'm talking about $15-17 per square foot flooring.
Is this what they teach in interior decorating schools? Go for the most expensive stuff?
Edit.
We then went over to the cabinets. Again, she started recommending the most expensive, top of the line cabinets. I did some math in my head and if I went with her recommendations we would make negative profit.
Well, clearly she didn't "hear"- I mean, "understand"- the BUDGET!
Of course, you're not obligated in anyway to actually purchase what is picked out- but I would certainly pick the brain for how she puts color/texture/fabrics/materials together (that doesn't cost you a thing- unless she's going to charge a consult fee). It maynot be to your personal taste, but keep in mind you're doing a flip.
Well, clearly she didn't "hear"- I mean, "understand"- the BUDGET!
Of course, you're not obligated in anyway to actually purchase what is picked out- but I would certainly pick the brain for how she puts color/texture/fabrics/materials together (that doesn't cost you a thing- unless she's going to charge a consult fee). It maynot be to your personal taste, but keep in mind you're doing a flip.
Well, it's not about my personal taste. In fact, I have no personal taste. We have been pretty successful by doing the design that are geared more toward the neutral. And since we are not doing a charity, profit profit profit profit. How on earth do we gain any profit if we always gravitate toward the most expensive items of everything?
I guess I'm just perplexed to why she automatically assumed we wanted the most expensive stuff of everything.
Have you used other ID professionals in the past and this was the same experience? While I have no direct experience (never had one design a space), I have spoken with many over the years while hating something is wanted down and I never got the impression that money was the driving force. Again YMMV.
The first quoted section, 'we' included her, which was our guide. The second portion, 'we' meant my husband and I.
Of course had you quoted those statements in context, it would have been obvious. But since you set out to prove me wrong or look for contradictions, apparently quote-mining wasn't too low for you.
Have you used other ID professionals in the past and this was the same experience? While I have no direct experience (never had one design a space), I have spoken with many over the years while HUNTING something is wanted down and I never got the impression that money was the driving force. Again YMMV.
However, no, this is not a specific policy they teach in design schools, of course.
You left out a LOT of helpful info in your post, though.
One minute a co-worker is telling you his wife is a designer:
Quote:
Originally Posted by MetroWord
Recently, one guy in my office introduced me to his wife, someone who just graduated with an interior design degree... Or something like that. He knows we just bought another house for flipping purposes. I guess he's trying to help his wife out.
The next thing we read, you're at "the store," and apparently you've agreed to hire her?
Quote:
Originally Posted by MetroWord
When we got to the store, his wife had already picked out some flooring samples she wanted to recommend. She picked out the most expensive items! I'm talking about $15-17 per square foot flooring.
It's just hard to know what you DID cover with her in order to judge why she might have gone that direction.
IME, this is a product of inexperience more than anything. Experienced designers are more subtle at feeling out your true price range. Maybe when she heard you and your husband are "investors" she saw dollar signs.
^^ Ok, I'll give you that. I did leave out a lot of details. Just know that no we did not hire her. We very specifically told her what kind of budget we were working with and the purpose of the renovation. We very specifically explained to her that we were flipping the place, not make it into our dream home.
While she was show casing her very expensive design, again top dollar everything, she kept saying this and that will be right for us. No, I'm not going to spend $10k on flooring for just the first floor of a house in the mid $200k's.
I still don't understand why she had to pick out the most expensive items that store had to offer.
But no, we did not hire her. Consider our little meeting her interview. She failed.
This reminds me of many real estate agents who don't listen. They never got my business either.
She didn't listen, so that's the bottom line. She must be living in a HGTV dream world. But, I don't think it's necessarily something all graduates would be doing. I'm sure some of them have learned about budgets. Maybe this person has never had to worry about money, either, so just doesn't get it.
How awkward, though, to have your co-worker's wife fobbed off on you like that, with the expectation to hire her. Ugh.
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.
Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
