Interior Decorator vs Interior Designer: The Real Difference Is Timing
Key Takeaways An interior decorator works on what goes into a room. An interior designer also works on the room itself. Design adds the layout, the lighting plan, millwork, finishes and fixtures, and the drawings the trades build from. The real difference is timing. A designer’s key decisions close before demolition and before the walls […]
What Full-Service Interior Design Actually Includes
Key Takeaways Full-service interior design means one studio carries the project from the space plan through to the day the house is finished and styled, including drawings, selections, custom millwork, lighting, procurement, delivery and installation. It starts with the layout, not the shopping. A space plan comes first, because if the scale of the furniture […]
Curtain Lengths: How a Designer Decides Where Drapery Should Fall
Last updated August 27, 2026 Key Takeaways Floor length is the right answer in almost every room that matters. Sill and apron lengths belong to kitchens, baths and windows with something under them. Mounting height changes a room more than length does. Hang the rod close to the ceiling, not just above the window frame. […]
The Art of Transitional Design: Why Most of It Is Dull, and What Fixes It
Last updated August 27, 2026 Key Takeaways Transitional is a style in its own right, not simply the absence of a decision between traditional and modern. It is defined by shape rather than period: classical proportions and silhouettes, stripped of ornament. The reason most transitional rooms are dull is that they were chosen to avoid […]
How High to Hang a Mirror: Position It for the Reflection, Not the Wall
Last updated August 27, 2026 Key Takeaways A mirror is not a picture, so the standard gallery height of about 57 inches is the wrong starting point for most of them. Hang it for what it reflects. Stand where you will actually see it from and check the reflection before anything is marked on the […]
Rules for Mixing Patterns in Decorating: Count What Is Already There First
Last updated August 27, 2026 Key Takeaways Count what is already patterned before adding anything. Wood grain, stone veining, a rug, books, a coffered ceiling and a view through a window are all pattern, and most rooms are near their limit before a single cushion arrives. Vary the density, not just the size. Three patterns […]
How to Create a Decorating Palette: Start With What You Cannot Change
Last updated August 27, 2026 Key Takeaways Start with what you cannot change: the floor, the stone, the fireplace, the view. Those are already in the palette whether you chose them or not. Undertone matters more than colour. Keep every element on the same side of warm or cool and unrelated colours will still agree. […]
Interior Design vs Design Build: The Real Question Is Who Represents You
Last updated August 27, 2026 Key Takeaways The labels matter less than three things: who holds the drawings, who manages the trades, and whose advocate the designer is when quality and schedule conflict. In design build, the designer is employed by the builder. That is not a scandal, it is a structure, and it should […]
Mixing Traditional and Modern Furniture: Pick a Host and a Guest
Last updated August 27, 2026 Key Takeaways Do not aim for a fifty-fifty blend. A room split evenly between two styles reads as indecision rather than as a mix. Decide which style is the host and which is the guest. Roughly eighty-twenty is the ratio that looks deliberate. The architecture is always the host. If […]
How to Choose an Interior Designer: A Chicago Homeowner’s Guide
Last updated August 27, 2026 Key Takeaways Decide what you are hiring before you interview anyone. A decorator selects furnishings for rooms that already work. A full-service interior designer takes responsibility for how the house is planned, built, finished and furnished. Read the portfolio for range, not for style. One signature look repeated across every […]