Shanti's Full Review: Judy Sheridan - How to Work With an Interior Desig...
I work in an industry concerned with home decor, architecture, trends, etc., so I try to stay abreast by reading a lot of books on homes. When I ran across "How to Work With an Interior Designer," I had to read it just because it seemed like such an odd subject for a book to me. A propoganda pamphlet, maybe, but an entire book?
Now, I'm sure that if you're the type of person to hire an interior designer (which I am not, for better or worse), blowing $24.95 for the book is a drop in the bucket compared to what you're spending on the interior designer (and your house, overall). And, I suppose you'd want to read it to get hints on just how to work with this professional, since you want the best communication possible (otherwise, your idea of bold color may be blue and the interior designer's, hot pink).
But, I just don't really see this book selling well. But then again, the book does have a lot of redeeming qualities: They just don't really pop out from the title of the book. I think the publisher should have named it: "Should I work with an Interior Designer?" or "The Benefits of Working with an Interior Designer," because though perhaps not as compelling, that's really what the book is about.
I'm not a believer in interior designers, as I believe in the power of my own creativity when designing my home. But, after reading the book, I began to think that maybe I should hire a designer to make my home more sophisticated!
So, if you’ve been toying with the idea of hiring an interior designer and wonder how much money and time it will take, “How to Work with an Interior Designer” is the book for you.
Author Judy Sheridan is president of the American Society of Interior Designers/New York Metro Chapter, so, of course, she’s pro-designers and as such, she makes a compelling case for using the specialists.
What the book taught me is that designers see spaces for what they can be, not for what they are; many lay people have trouble creating a vision for a home when there are so many options out there, so designers help homeowners cultivate personal style.
The author says designers also can help avoid costly mistakes when it comes to purchasing cabinets, furniture, window treatments and other home necessities. This hasn't been true for me, as I've been pretty happy with my home design and purchases, but then again, I don't spend thousands on one item then decide it's not for me (in fact, I don't even spend thousands on one item, so my level of risk is a little lower than homeowners with, say, multi-million-dollar homes).
She explains that interior designers have studied space planning, building codes, lighting, acoustics, ergonomics and fire-related issues, so they can help out in all those areas.
And they can address the seven most common problems in today’s interiors: an awkward floor plan, out-of-date kitchen or bathrooms, problem windows, lack of space, inadequate electricity, low light or poor view and poor architectural details. (Just learning that these are the seven most common problems was interesting.)
Overall, throughout her book, Sheridan explains aspects of working with a designer, from tips about staying on budget to handling heated disagreements. She shows how a project evolves from an idea into form, and she includes full-page photos for inspiration. And I'd say the photos are the best part of the book; they give plenty of ideas.
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