Nate Berkus Explains When to Call In an Interior Designer

Nate Berkus Explains When to Call In an Interior Designer

Three Things a Designer Can Help You With:

1. Getting the scale right. "I can look at a photo and the dimensions of any piece and tell you if it's going to sit well with the four other pieces in your room."

2. Mixing styles. "If someone says, 'I love the glamour of Hollywood in the 1940s, but I also love the idea of a log cabin, and I'm happiest when I'm at the beach with natural colors,' I can combine all of that for them."

3. Access to resources. "It's my job to know what's available, from every retailer, catalog, website, antiques mall, and craftsperson. A good designer or decorator has to have an almost encyclopedic knowledge."

Three Things You Don't Need a Designer For:

1. Buying furniture. "You don't need anyone's help to buy a well-made sofa or chest of drawers."

2. Hanging artwork. "When I see a wall that's hung with different objects, framed or unframed, what I like about it is its fluidity and rule-breaking nature. Just experiment a bit."

3. Choosing colors. "I've always felt that color is intrinsically personal. It evokes a tremendous amount of emotion. If there's a color you respond to, that's something you can incorporate into your home. No one can tell you it's wrong."

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Nate Berkus Explains When to Call In an Interior Designer