HELP

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

I don’t get it. What does 80 Degrees West actually do?

We help you get your decorating act together. You know those piles of ripped out magazine pages (and paint chips and fabric swatches) that you’ve had lying all around your living room, basement and kitchen for years? Go digital and put them here. Get your thoughts organized using our free Design Notebook. That’s Step 1.

Step 2 - Decorate! Decorate by yourself or work with your friends and family. But best of all, you can consult with a professional designer: us! When you’re ready, click on the “Consult a Designer” button, and for a reasonable fee we’ll help you out.

What is a Design Notebook?

It’s the digital place all of your decorating ideas, pictures, and comments. Everything will finally be all in one place, which makes it:

• Easy for you to get your thoughts together
• For us to give you our professional opinion (if you want it)
• For your project to get completed on your budget and on your terms

And it is private – how you got that smashingly lovely living room is your secret.

How do I use my Design Notebook?

It’s easy! Just click on “Create New Project” after you’ve registered for a Design Notebook. From there, a good place to start is to take pictures of your room and upload them in to your Design Notebook (See How To Fill a Design Notebook ). Then write in the Design Notebook what you like about the room and what you want to change. Include pictures of things that you like – furniture, drapery, colors, anything – even the things that you don’t like. Feel free to jot down notes and tell us anything that you think we would need to know about your project.

At any point after you’ve started a new Project within your Design Notebook, you can hire our interior designers to give you advice. You can also invite your friends and family to take a look and give you feedback as well.

How long can I work on a Design Notebook?

As long as you want! Some people like to gather ideas and inspiration for months, even years. Some people want everything done in a weekend. It is entirely up to you - design at your own pace. We are ready when you are.

Are your designers the real deal?

Yep, sure are. Like you, we are really picky – all of our designers have design degrees and many are professional members of ASID (American Society of Interior Designers). This means that our designers not only have the innate talent to do this, but they have the education and experience as well.

What if I don't want to work with an interior designer?

No problem. We like being invited to the party, but won't take it personally if you just want to create a free Design Notebook and work on a project alone. But alone is, well, lonely. Really, you should hire us. Buy an hour or two of service, and get more help later if you’d like. It’ll cost you less than the return shipping on that side table that you thought would be perfect, but isn’t.

Why I want to hire an interior designer?

Because everyone needs help sometimes. And, we have lots of practice at this, whereas you probably only do this every once in awhile, if ever. We can give you just the right amount of help – not too much, and not too little.

But if you’re looking for a more official answer, we’ll quote the American Society of Interior Designers for you: "When you hire an interior designer, you get the benefit of an experienced professional who can solve problems, help you avoid costly mistakes and, most importantly, create an attractive, affordable space designed specifically to meet your lifestyle needs."

And working with a designer means that solutions are customized to you – no off-the-shelf boxed designs here!

Who sees my Design Notebook?

Only you - and anyone you personally invite to comment on your posts. If you hire us, our designers will also have access to your Design Notebook.

How do I hire an 80 Degrees West interior designer?

Once you have signed in and created a new project (for free!), you can click on the “Consult a Designer” tab at any time. This will show you a list of options and pricing packages. You can purchase design time at that point. See the Pricing Info page for more information.

Can I talk with the designer on the telephone?

Not at this time. We pass cost savings on to you by relying on the Design Notebook to communicate with you.

Will you come to my house?

Nope, sorry. (Did you ever see the Wizard leave Oz?) If your project grows to a point where you feel that you need a traditional on-site interior designer, by all means, hire them. The services and benefits that 80 Degrees West provides fit a large number of projects, but not all of them. Don't know where to find an interior designer in your neighborhood? We recommend starting your search at the American Society of Interior Designers (ASID) website.

How can a designer understand my style if we don't meet in person?

We realize our stance on this is a little bit renegade, but here is our take: most people know what they like and don't really want an interior designer to come into their home and give them a style that isn't their own. Our designers are trained in the history of design and can work with anyone, regardless of "style".

We simply improve upon your personal initial ideas - and there are many things in a project that can be untethered from style - like scale, tone, texture, and spatial layout. The more you post in your Design Notebook, the better we'll understand what you like (and don't like) and the better we'll be able to help you. If you hire us, we’ll also ask you to fill out an optional questionnaire designed to delve into more detail about you and your project.

Will you sell me furniture?

No. We only sell advice, like Lucy in Peanuts. We don't sell furniture because we want to be impartial and not beholden to any one retailer. So you can rest assured that we have no hidden motives to suggesting certain items. Besides, we know you are resourceful and will find better sales than we can, and we don't like being shown up!

Will you blow my budget?

Hopefully not! We’ll give you personalized suggestions. If you choose to use them, great! (If you don’t use them all, don’t worry, our designers won’t be offended.) But really, how much you spend on implementing your ideas and our suggestions is entirely up to you.

How many hours will I need for my project?

If you have a few simple questions – maybe about the lay out of furniture in your room, or a question about which of the three couches you are considering might work best - we suggest trying out an hour of service. We give you the flexibility to decide how many hours you think that you will need for a project. If our designer thinks that your project or question will take more time, we’ll let you know.

How can I determine my project budget?

See our How to Budget page.

How do I measure my room?

See our How to Measure Your Room page.

What if I want a “green” design?

We can help you do that too. Just let us know. We have LEED certified designers on staff and support anyone’s efforts to “green” their home. We are big fans of reused and reclaimed materials and furnishings.

Do you have any reading recommendations?

See our Book Shop