There's Pinterest. Why should I hire a designer?

Don't worry... this isn't a Pinterest-hating post. I LOVE Pinterest too! And that's coming from a designer!

I get it, you're contemplating whether hiring a designer is worth the money when there are free resources like Pinterest out there that you've been using for years to get inspiration for tons of things in life, one of those things likely being your home. This is such a fair and financially wise question to ask yourself! This may shock you, but for those who don't REALLY know me, when it comes to buying anything related to my own home, I want the most bang for my buck just like you! I too always weigh the cost vs. the reward before purchasing an item or service. I truly am not an impulse buyer. I typically think long and hard about a product, especially if it's a more expensive one, and do a lot of research before purchasing to make sure I really do want or need the item in my life AND am getting a fair deal (just ask my husband, he will tell you this is true)! My point in saying all that is to say I totally understand that question, and I have asked myself the same thing when it comes to a lot of things in life!

However, with that being said, the decision process of purchasing a product or in this case, a service from a designer, still will look very different for each person and family. Your budget and resources are likely different from the next persons as well as your priorities related to the items or services you are considering buying. All of that makes a big difference!

That is why I will say, hiring a designer is NOT for everyone. And here are the two main reasons I say that:

1. Not everyone has the financial ability or capability to hire a designer, nor would it be a financially wise decision for them to do so. This one pretty much explains itself. If you are barely making ends meet each month, hiring a designer probably isn't in your scope of priorities, nor should it be! And that is perfectly okay! Use Pinterest, Tik-Tok, my blog and whatever you can find that are FREE resources to get decorating advice and DIY. IT. UP! And love it! You may not be there at this point in your life, but if it's something you really want one day, keep working hard and you can get there, friend. And I truly hope you do. <3

2. Not everyone needs a designer... or wants one! Maybe you could afford a designer if you really wanted one, but you like decorating your home and are totally happy with what you've done with the place! Great! I am so glad you love it and are enjoying all the effort you've put in to make it home. <3 There ARE people out there who aren't designers but do a great job decorating their own homes or are just really happy with their own style and I think that's a beautiful thing. The whole point of Shelby Haley Design Co., to help people love their homes and the spaces they are in and if you are already there and made it there yourself, I am so happy for you and congratulate you!

So, like I said not EVERYONE needs to hire a designer. BUT, before you start wondering why in the world I am writing a post trying to convince people they don't need to hire me... there are some of ya, that do! ;) Those are the people I am here for today and I think you'll understand by the end of this if that may be you.

The Gap Between Your Pinterest Board and Real Life

Like I said previously, I LOVE Pinterest just as much as the next girl. In fact, I even use Pinterest while working with clients for gaining insight on their style, searching for specific tips and tricks and plenty of other things. It is a great and irreplaceable tool for inspiration and so much more! However, Pinterest, as wonderful as it is was never meant to be the be all end all when it comes to actually designing your space. Even though it may help you decide what style you want or maybe even some specific things you want, making it actually happen in reality is a completely different story for a few reasons:

1. Money. Let's be honest, a lot of the pictures on Pinterest are quite lavish and may not necessarily align with the B word. Budget. Do they do that to us on purpose to try to make us live miserable lives?? I'm not sure lol. Either way, there's nothing more disappointing then figuring out your Pinterest-perfect bathroom is way out of your price range.

2. Mystery. You ever read like a super fancy, delicious sounding recipe somewhere on the internet and half way through think to yourself, ok so where the heck do I buy "100% Organic Free Range Unsalted Goose Feather Oil"????, (I made that up obviously, it's not a thing) My point is, Pinterest kinda be like that sometimes. We see a piece or things we love in pictures but we can't actually find where to buy that specific product from the photo on Pinterest. It's a mystery. Or maybe we do find a link and wamp wamp, it's a $5,000 bookshelf. That's out. So we try to find something similar ourselves for cheaper, and maybe we do but when we do this with a lot of products in the room it can end up looking, well, not at all like the Pinterest picture. If you adjust the measurements or use too many not-close-enough substitutes in a recipe, the recipe won't turn out right. the same thing happens in design. It's just the way it is, sister.

3. CMUMM Syndrome. For SOME people, Pinterest can actually cause MORE damage than good. CMUMM Syndrome stands for CAN'T MAKE UP MY MIND Syndrome. This is for my indecisive people which is I think one of the BIGGEST stumbling blocks in design, period. When you have too many good options or too many pictures you love on Pinterest, it can send you into a whirlwind of indecisiveness or even worse, you start trying to mesh two things together that shouldn't be meshed. Nothing is worse as a designer when a client shows you two COMPLETELY different pictures of what they want for ONE space. With so many different styles and beautiful (but very different) pictures on Pinterest, this happens to a lot of people!

Why You May Need A Designer!

If you read any of the above three points and thought "Yep. That's me" AND you don't feel like the very first two points about why some people don't need a designer really felt like you.... yep, you guessed it. You need a designer! Here's just a few of the many advantages of working with a designer:

1. We get creative to work around your budget. If you're Pinterest perfect bathroom is out of your budget, without a designer it would be easy to just give up and throw in the towel on a re-design at all. Then, everyday, you're just moping around, fussing at your husband, yelling at your kids, miserable, dreaming about your marble Pinterest shower while you're taking a bath in a bright blue bathtub from 1974 and having flashbacks of your grandma giving you pepto bismol as a kid because of the bright pink tile on the wall you're staring at. BUT with a designer, it doesn't have to be that way! We can help you find solutions and alternative routes to still getting a beautiful and upgraded bathroom that you will LOVE, within your budget.

2. We're basically Scooby-Doo. We solve the Pinterest mysteries for you. If you can't find the products you are loving on Pinterest or need a less-expensive substitute, we can help find that AND source other items in the room to make sure you still end up with a very similar result!

3. We put an end to the vicious cycle of indecisiveness. If you have CMUMM Syndrome, guess what? We'll help you make your mind up by using our tools and skills to pinpoint your true style and show you our plans! And if you still can't we'll just make it up for ya! And you will end up with a beautiful, well-designed space that is consistently styled and exactly what you didn't know you wanted.

You've done enough reading for the day. Need I say more?

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