Interior design and decorating get confused, but they're different services. Decorating is soft goods — furniture, art, accessories — things you take with you when you move. Interior design is the materials and finishes permanently attached to your home: cabinetry, tile, hardware, fixtures. The things that stay.

Your designer leads you through those selections, sources everything from a trusted vendor network on your behalf, and ensures delivery and proper installation. It's a lot of shopping, ordering, and managing — work most busy families don't have time for. Think of them as a skilled buyer acting on your side.