The Expensive Mistake We Made Not Hiring an Interior Designer First (And What It Cost Us)

That cost me a lot.

And I mean… a lot.

I remember standing in our living room thinking,
“How did we spend all this money… and it still doesn’t feel right?”

Not because anything was broken.
Not because the renovation went wrong.

But because something just… felt off.

And I couldn’t fix it.

We’ve Always Designed Our Own Home 

DK and I aren’t new to this.

For over 40 years, we’ve made our own design decisions.
We have picked the paint colors, flooring, furniture, and window treatments.

We’ve always handled our own home design, and honestly, we’ve done pretty well.

So when we finished our open concept living room, kitchen, and dining space, we didn’t think twice.

We just did what we’ve always done.

We started buying pieces.

The Biggest Mistake? No Plan for Our Open Concept Living Room

It didn’t happen all at once.

It was little decisions… one after another.

We bought an oversized couch.
Then added two swivel chairs.
Then a rug.
Then a big picture over the couch.
Then a hutch by the front door.

And then… the counter stools.

Oh my goodness.

They were custom.
They were beautiful.
They swiveled.
They were comfortable.

And they were completely wrong.

Too bulky.
Too heavy.
Not tall enough.

They didn’t just sit at the island…
They took over the room.

When Your Home Doesn’t Feel Right (Even If It Looks Nice)

I would walk into the room and just stand there.

Something wasn’t right.

But I couldn’t tell you what it was.

Have you ever felt that?

Where everything is technically “nice”…
But your living room design just doesn’t flow?

That’s where I was.

Should You Hire an Interior Designer? (Our First Attempt)

I started asking myself…

Do I need to hire an interior designer?

I had met one at a conference, and she happened to be local.

So I called her.

She came out, walked through our home, and shared her thoughts.

Then she gave us her pricing.

DK and I just looked at each other like…
“Okay… wow.”

And then she said something that stuck with me.

She likes to start from the beginning.

And I remember thinking…
“Well… we’re not at the beginning.”

We were already deep into furniture and decisions.

I followed up with questions…

And waited.

Six weeks later, she responded.

And by then, I already knew.

She wasn’t the right fit for us.

Finding the Right Interior Designer for Our Remodel

Around that same time, our cabinet contractor recommended another designer, the one who had done renderings.

So we reached out.

She came to the house.
Walked through the space.
Listened to us.

This time felt different.

We signed with her.

And that’s when everything changed.

The Moment Everything Clicked (Interior Design Matters)

She stood in our living room, looked around, and said:

“The counter stools don’t go with the room.”

And I just stood there thinking…

“I knew it.”

I knew it.

And when DK said, “Let’s replace them…”

I cannot even explain the relief I felt.

Yes, it was expensive.

Yes, it hurt.

But finally, someone with interior design experience confirmed what I had been feeling all along.

The Reality of DIY Home Design Mistakes

We didn’t just replace the stools.

We replaced almost everything.

The couch.
The chairs.
The rug.
The wall décor.

The only thing we kept?

The console under the TV.

That’s it.

What Hiring an Interior Designer Could Have Saved Us

I can say this now with complete honesty:

It would have been cheaper to hire an interior designer from the beginning.

Not just financially.

We would have saved:

• Time
• Stress
• Costly furniture mistakes
• The frustration of trying to make pieces “work”.

Because here’s what we did…

We chose things we liked.

But we didn’t know how to create a cohesive home design.

Not All Interior Designers Work the Same

And this is important if you’re wondering how to choose an interior designer.

The first designer wanted a clean slate.

The one we hired?

She met us where we were.

She didn’t send me off to Pinterest.
She didn’t ask me to figure out my “style.”

She took time to walk around our home and listen to us. She looked at what we already had and built a design plan around it.  It was night and day.

Designing a Living Room That Actually Flows

Now we’re redesigning our living room.

And something feels different.

Every piece that comes in… just fits.

It all works with our kitchen island, our lake view, and our cedar beams

This time, our open floor plan design actually flows.

There’s no guessing anymore.

There’s a vision.

We are still finishing up decorating our living room. We have a rug on order and are looking for a picture to go over the couch, and a few finishing accessories. But it’s all coming together beautifully.

Remodeling the Right Way (Starting With a Plan)

Now we’re remodeling our office.

And this time?

We started with an interior designer.

From the very beginning.

She’s helping with:

• Lighting
• Cabinet design
• Flooring
• Bathroom layout

This is what intentional home renovation planning looks like.

And let me tell you…

It feels completely different.

 

Update: Our Rugs Are Finally In!

We were still waiting on these when I first shared this story…

But now that they’re in, wow, what a difference.

See the before and after below

 

Final Thoughts: Is an Interior Designer Worth It?

If you’re asking yourself, “Is hiring an interior designer worth it?”, I understand.

I’ve been there.

There is absolutely a place for DIY.

But if you’re:

• Designing an open concept home
• Investing in furniture
• Trying to make everything feel connected

It may be worth bringing in help sooner than you think.

Because sometimes…

Doing it yourself doesn’t save money.

Sometimes, it costs more.

Be sure to check out our kitchen remodel and the tough lessons we learned in the process, which could save you a lot of time and stress.