Lurker making the plunge into the "deep end"

After lurking and absorbing information for weeks, I've decided to swallow my pride and reach out for help. By way of introduction, my DH and I are empty nesters (no boomerang effect, yeah!) living in an ~1,000 sq ft 50's ranch spec home...perfect size for our needs.

We work together (20 years) in a service-based business (residential, commercial and industrial Air Duct Cleaning & Chimney maintenance and repair), not the owners but we run it like we are (and I greatly appreciate Duane Collie's manner of conducting business...if we lived 1,000 miles closer, I'd like to think we'd be great friends). We're smallish people (I'm 5'4", DH is 5'9", both of us are thankfully slim verging on wiry), late-40's and early-50's in age.

We work hard so when we're home, we enjoy being in our "comfort cave." We have 2 ferrets (great fun) and one lab-mix dog (who I refer to as a horse in dog clothing...suffice to say that when DH wanted a dog a couple of years back, I was not prepared for the size the pound pup he chose would become <sigh>).

We recently completed a complete gut remodel in the SW corner of our house, creating a "mini Master Suite" with our perfect bathroom with soapstone heated floors, custom maple cabinetry, wetroom (that is the size of our original bathroom) with a custom concrete ofuro-type tub and a powder room for our commode and public use area (DH is thrilled he no longer has to maintain bathroom watch to sneak in when we're both getting ready for work in the morning). We also installed a soapstone-clad woodstove in our front room to replace the old inefficient masonry/Ben Franklin Fireplace. Last year we replaced the windows in our home.

I'm thankful for the information that Duane and others have imparted and I've enjoyed reading this forum from stem to stern, with regard to leather H&M furniture and plan to post further in the appropriate forum. I love the internet with the availability of information at my fingertips...when the cable TV is down, DH is nearly unbearable to live with, when the internet goes does down, well, I'm the one who's unbearable <chuckle, chuckle> Of course one has to sift the wheat from the chaff, just because something's in "print," doesn't mean it's accurate, but everything I've read on this forum just makes sense (I'm a pretty straight forward, common sense kinda gal).

My greatest downfall is that I have no vision, nor am I comfortable making design choices (don't ask me to choose paint as it'll take me 2 years to research and agonize over color choices:eek:). Although I can intellectually wrap my brain around the purpose of seeking a designer to plan things out and help me with choices, I can't seem to get past the emotional angle of inviting a haughty (my perception) designer into my inelegant home.

Anyway, such is my introduction and I look forward to receiving feedback when I post regarding furniture choices for our front room.

In eager anticipation, with a touch of apprehension,
Tammy
Springfield MO

Tammy,

My experience in doing this for 25 years is that you probably don't need a decorator, just put photos up here and you will get plenty of free suggestions. Most Decorators (not all, buy many) will do small jobs like yours very quickly as there is not a lot of money to be made for them doing small residential. So you might get a 'slam-bang' job with little regard for what you REALLY want, and the simple fact of the matter is the Decorator may not want to spend much time with you. I'm sure we have Decorators on this forum that will take exception to my statement, but the truth of the matter is they mostly like BIG jobs where the owner has deep pockets and gives them carte blanche to do the project. I find they're not really so much haughty as aware of time management for dollars to be spent, and that can least to an air of superiority as they will try to close you quickly. Offer to pay one $ 100 and hour and they be there all afternoon <g>