Should Your Designer Know How to Make Stuff?

No.  But your designer should know how stuff is made.

Lee Jofa

I love beautifully made upholstery.  I admire the art of it.  Because of that, I taught myself to reupholster chairs and sofas with a skill that would fool the untrained eye into thinking it was done by a career upholsterer. Does  a designer need to have this skill?  Heck no, but he or she should know things like why some spring systems are more expensive than others, the difference between cushion types, and know the details that come with the price tag, whatever it is.  Lower-end pieces don't have meticulous pattern matching or perfectly placed welting, for example.  A designer should be able to speak with confidence about the way things are made, regardless if he or she has actually ever done it, and explain to you what to expect at certain price points.

Lee Jofa

There are as many price points for rugs as there are rugs themselves.  Hand knotted -- are more knots per inch better? (yes).   Are rug pads critical? (yes).  Do inexpensive rugs make sense?(Sometimes.  It just depends on what the end goal for covering the floor is). 

The Silk Trading Company.com

I've seen a lot of "custom" window treatments that cost the client custom pricing, but were anything but custom.  If you've been reading this blog for a while, you know I'm passionate about window treatments, and that I had a custom business for a while.  I have a thing about custom -- it should never look homemade.  Hems on drapes should be 4 inches and weighted (most of the time, with actual little weights) on the bottom of side hems.  Sometimes trim should be applied with stitching, sometimes not.  Your designer should know what you are paying for.  She should know when ready-made makes sense, and when custom is the only way to go, and tell you why.

Murray Feiss for Bellini

What brings this up today?  I recently overheard a conversation between a decorator and a client, and the decorator had very little knowledge.  She could convey why she believed something looked good, and why some fabrics looked great together (she was totally talented in that department), but she couldn't answer the client's questions about quality and construction.  It bugged me.  So therefore this post.  Am I perfect?  Uh,  that would be a resounding no! :).  But I do know how a lot of things are made, and so should any designer or decorator you hire.

Any thoughts?  Do share...

Talk to you soon,
Carol