Is it true that the benefits of hiring a professional interior designer don't have to break your budget?

We asked San Francisco interior designer Tineke Triggs, owner of Artistic Designs for Living, this question. She explained to us that hiring the right interior designer can actually save you money on your remodel and new building project.  (And readers of this Report can get a free consultation by calling her now and mentioning they saw it here.)

Your Choice of Estimates from Artistic Designs for Living

You probably want to know exactly what you'll spend before your project begins. Artistic Designs for Living lets you do exactly that. Better yet, they actually let you pick among different options of estimates. Tineke Triggs shares, "We believe in giving our clients high, medium and low estimates right at the beginning, so they are in control of their budget from the start."

Clients with a fixed budget or larger projects can even specify the exact number of hours Tineke Triggs and her staff spend on the project. She explains, "For example, if a client wants us to spend 10 hours on creating a new design for them, we'll limit our time to those 10 hours and give them regular updates as the project progresses so they know where we're at during the process. This is especially valuable for clients on a budget."

Some other designers have no business background and can't appreciate the need to control costs, or don't know how. Unlike those designers, Tineke Triggs' background also includes finance, so she's known for carefully staying within the budget.  "Coming from the business world, I have a mindset of giving information up front before placing orders because I understand that managing money correctly is important to getting clients the best value," she explains.

Tineke and the staff at Artistic Designs for Living start the design process by helping clients choose their own design goals. "I have a triangle-shaped chart showing that clients can have their job fast, cheap or good," Tineke describes. "It's possible to do any two of these together. I ask them to pick out which two are most important to them, and we build their design around that."

"I also share with them the emotional challenges that come with every design job," she continues. "The highest point of excitement is during the design process, and then, somewhere around the drywall and flooring installation, the excitement can wane. They'll get back that first emotional high as soon as the work is completed. It's as important for clients to understand the emotional process as it is for them to understand the financial process, since the two are so closely linked."

Tineke Triggs: More Than Just an Interior Designer

Tineke Triggs is an excellent choice to hire as Project Manager if you're doing a remodel. Tineke studied architecture, so she is skilled in drafting and has the detail-oriented eye of a trained architect. That allows her to foresee potential challenges and prevent expensive problems. She has also managed building projects, so she knows the ropes when it comes to running construction jobs.  She can guide your contractor through every step of your project, resulting in better value for you. In fact, Tineke is always on hand and deals directly with contractors on every phase of your project. That means you'll get what you expected and more.

"Designers should be respected on the job, and they earn that respect by treating their contractors and builders as a team," she told us. "With my background in managing and contracting, I create the kind of environment where contractors want to get the work done right and on time, which maximizes resources. On every job, I'm the liaison between the client and their contractors and vendors. I'm their advocate and I know how to make sure they're getting what they expect."

Get the Interior Designs You Want from Artistic Designs for Living

Some interior designers are one-trick ponies who are only able (or willing) to provide one style. Tineke Triggs is more flexible than that. "In the San Francisco area, homeowners are looking for varied design styles," says Tineke. "So we do everything from modern designs to traditional homes. I like going back and forth between designs. That keeps our designs fresh and keeps me going forward. I do like to add warm tones to keep modern designs from being too cold and minimalist, and I can add modern flair to homes that have a very traditional feel."

Some homeowners are disappointed when they hire a different, big-name interior design firm built on the reputation of its founder, but then never actually deal with that owner.  That's why clients of Artistic Designs for Living are delighted that they get the value of the firm's owner, Tineke Triggs, on every job. "Here, all of the creative details come from me," she acknowledges. "I have a great staff that augments the design process, but I'm the lead designer on every job. That's important because my clients hire me, and they deserve face-to-face meetings with me. Clients like that and they like that they can expect so much involvement from the principal."

In a research phone call for this article, an Artistic Designs for Living client named Kathy told us, "I don't have a lot of experience with remodels, so I didn't know what to expect. But with Tineke, our kitchen remodel was fun! She is a great designer and really involved us in the process."

So it's true that hiring a good interior designer first, before a contractor, can save you money on a remodel and bring you the added value of results you'll love and enjoy for years to come. With San Francisco interior designer Tineke Triggs and her staff at Artistic Designs for Living, homeowners enjoy the services of a gifted interior designer combined with the trained eye of an architect, who also has a talent for budget management. And you can get a free consultation by calling her now and mentioning you saw her in this Report.