There are lots of designers out there looking for work. If you must have a "top" designer then you can expect to pay for it, but there are plenty of talented people, maybe not as well known, who will work for less than the top designers. Call around. Most designers will offer a full range of services and you can tailor your needs with them. This concept isn't new, it just seems the top designers are more able to take and all or nothing approach. Maybe even that is now changing in this economy.

I like this idea. I LOVE the Wonderfalls poster...

I have a MA in Interior Design, and actually did something similar for several years. If you'd like a great designer, and want a service similar to what she's offering here, I'd advise you to post something on your local Craigslist or in your local paper, and you may be pleasantly surprised at the responses you get! Especially if you live near a school that teaches interior design. Many students will gladly take on supplemental projects for inespensive prices (or if you're lucky, even free!) to help build their portfolio.

Does anyone know of a talented closet organizer - i'm thinking someone who has a visual merchandising background to have know how to maximize space & make it look great too?

Thanks for any recommendations!

Forgot to mention, the closet organizer recommendations should be in San Francisco Bay area - thx!

I've been working with a woman named Diane at http://www.inspiredroomdesign.com/blog.php and it's been a great experience. Her fee is reasonable, I like her taste, she's genuine, and most important: she is collaborating with me because I asked for a hands-on experience.

I am the kind of person who has to see all of my options. EVERY rug on rugsusa.com, every online fabric swatch conceivable, every sofa, every light. And only then does what I really want begin to bubble up.

So she helped me define the problem with my space: I needed some cooler colors balance all the wood grains and colors in our upholstery.

Then she helped me find the right kind of transitional fabrics so that I could really train my eye and stop looking for fabrics that were too traditional or too modern.

And she helped me put it all in a rendering so that I could continue to window shop and try different ideas in a decent proximation to what it will all look like in real life.

I'm very pleased. Highly recommended experience.

Can anyone identify the red nightstand in the first picture?? Or suggest something similar.

Thanks!

Edit: I did the logical thing and looked through the link and found the source, but since the website doesn't list prices I'm gonna go ahead and guess it's out of my range. Any similar suggestions.

We used Instant Space about 2 years ago for our Living Room, Entry Way and Dining Room. The process was fabulous and the results are great. We couldn't afford to complete our dining room then, but it's so fabulous to have the plan - when we can afford a piece, we buy it and our room is shaping up very nicely.

The only thing missing is they don't ask what your total budget is for the project. They design a room for a set price but don't ask how much you want to spend.

If we bought everything they suggested it would have been over $50,000. That's not a typo. So the service is affordable...but the execution isn't. Just be prepared for high end pieces in the plan - I don't think any article I've ever seen on it since actually mentions this.

Interior Designers are very dishonest people. I called a showroom to order a sofa. When the designer came back into the country she returned my call and began to swoon me over choosing a designer to work with. I mentioned some of the places I shopped for furniture and she tried to sway me from shopping there. Why? So that she could pick up the deals and mark them up, then charge for time, pick up, scartching her nose and picking her butt. When I made it clear that I didnt need a designer, she had several appointments and rushed me off the phone.

She realized I could shop where she shopped and beat her at her own game.

The dishonesty came in when she said the qualoty and popularity of these pieces were subpar. Hence why they wee selling them at such a low cost. Perhaps, but tell me why you are so eager to shop there?

Instant/Space is a cool service, but the prices start at over $1000 for just one room. Local (SF) designers like LABEXPERIMENT (http://labexperiment.com/) do simiilar work for less.

And like MarianneT stated above, a lot of students (or recent grads, like me) are willing to work on spaces for a *whole* lot less, http://retrogradesf.blogspot.com.

jayjay5, sorry you had such a bad experience with an interior designer but it isn't fair to lump all designers into the same category.

Dumb question, but...how did you save the photos from Lonny? I know they're Flash, but other than doing a screen grab, I couldn't figure out how to save them.

JayJay5, I concur with dmstudio: it sounds like you had an issue with a particular designer, but it's not fair to say all interior designers are bad people. There are people like that in every single industry, whether it's restaurants, repairmen, designers, or anything else. That doesn't mean you can say "Waitresses are dishonest people", or "that doctor really screwed me over, so all doctors are jerks". If you can do the job yourself then do so, and pat yourself ont he back for your ingenuity! But don't disparage a whole group of people who are generally very nice and helpful, and just trying to make a living like everyone else in a down economy.

great issue. just what i needed right now. bright, charming, eclectic, chic and colorful.

I am also a certified interior designer based out of Dallas, Texas and I provide a similar service, which I call Virtual Decor
http://www.cieladesign.com/online-interior-designer.php
A little less expensive than Instant/Space so check it out!