We recently had a client that called us after having a not-so-great experience with a kitchen showroom in-house designer. The designer had actually just been let go from the company (mid-project!), and left the clients in a major bind. In reality, it turned out to be a good thing, as they found many mistakes that could have cost the client’s thousands.

We are definitely NOT saying this is a typical experience with in-house designers (I myself worked for a major furniture retailer for quite a few years early in my career), but it posed the question – What exactly are the Pros & Cons of working with a showroom’s own designer versus hiring people like us?

In our opinion, the biggest disadvantage to working with an in-house showroom designer is that they are limited in their selections. Showrooms typically carry only a few key manufacturers they can select from. If you don’t find something you love, you’re out of luck. Equate this to being limited to shopping in 1 department for an outfit at your favorite store. What about the shoes, jewelry, belt? Those are the items that pull together an outfit – and design works much the same way.

Secondly, it’s not their job to pull it all together. Their job is to sell what they are selling. Cabinets need to coordinate with flooring, with backsplash, with lighting, with plumbing, with hardware, the list goes on. Interior Designers are one-stop-shops. It’s our job to find a source for everything – and to make sure it all works together beautifully!

Custom Contemporary Kitchen

In the end, if you want your home to look exactly like the showroom floor, then choose the in-house designer. If you want your home to look like YOU, then call us today! 🙂

480.994.0833