Steve,
We would suggest you continue interviewing designers, until you find the right one. Not all designers work by the same policies and procedures. Much will depend on their current workload. Some designers will not take on projects unless they will be included in all phases, typically be those with more experience. Others will work by the hour to do what you need to have done. This works well for some, so long as you feel comfortable with the person, the time is well documented and your request initiates the task.
It is important to discuss your expectations, your budget and your time frame to make sure everyone is on the same page. You may simple want to hire a firm who will do the space planning and specifications, but there are many pitfalls in the buying process that a professional will deal with we are sure you are not aware of, like what happens when the piece I purchase comes in damaged? Who is going to fix it? Who is going to pay for it? Will I have to send it back to the manufacturer to be repaired? What about warranties? How am I going to know if it is the right scale? Is it the quality I was expecting? What if it isn't? What is to be expected of various trades people? Who does a quality job? etc. etc. Interior designers work long and hard to find quality products, services and resources, besides learning what works and doesn't work in the world of designing.
In this budget you mentioned, how much were estimated for design fees and how much for product? It is a realistic budget, but much depends on the style you going for, as some styles are much less expensive to implement than others? Does it include custom cabinetry details or custom draperies? These can get pretty expensive. Area rugs can vary tremendously. Are there any faux finishes involved? These elements can drastically effect the bottom line price.
And, the most important point we can stress is...when you are talking in the world of numbers, these are realistic, but if your budget can not handle this just say so to the designer. There will be essentials to the project, the 'must haves,' while there will also be ways to save money here and there, while not compromising the overall design solution and a good designer will help you do this.
When designing for a client, we would much prefer to provide them with the very best solution first and then make compromises to meet a budget, rather than assuming they can't afford something from the get go or designing by numbers. You can't pick the right fabric by price, the right design style by price, the right solution by price. You must first take everything into consideration, come up with the ideal solution and then make substitutions and find innovative solutions to reach the end result at the right price, rather than the other way around, in our humble opinion.
If you need additional names of professionals in your area we are happy to help.
Dezignaré
www.dezignare.com
