Citytv Forums

I have watched Marilyn's show for a few years now (sorrily, missed a few), but I have yet to see a segment on how to find a residential designer, when you are not one of the rich and famous.  I'm looking for hints on finding a designer to remodel a suburban home, keeping in mind we are a middle class/working family.

What city do you live in? 

HI There,

 Here is a link to the Interior Design Association of Canada.

It in turn has sublinks to provincial associations. The Ontario site has hints on how to find the right designer.

The site also has sublinks to the websites of the design firms.

You could contact a few people and see who you like. 

There is also your local yellow pages, paint stores and fabric stores.

 However, before contacting anyone, you may want to get your ducks in a row. That is, develop a binder with photo inspirations, preferred colours and finished, and a written list of all of your requirements, priorities and expectations including timelines and budget.

http://www.interiordesigncanada.org/link_assoc.html

Good luck, Evalina

Hi there-

You might want to check out the ARIDO website (Association of Registered Interior Designers of Ontario) www.arido.com.

They just launched a Designfind service that will help you search for the kind of designer you are looking for (residential, retail, hospitality etc.)

From there, I would suggest looking for someone with experience, but who has recently started their own firm. That is one way to keep the costs down but get someone with the experience to give you the look you want.

Often designers will give a free inital consultation where they can show you their past work to ensure you are a good fit.

Hope this helps,