Decorators transform rooms by 'using what you have'
By Betsy McElfresh CONTRIBUTING WRITER

Before

Do you have a room you never use? Have the furniture and accessories been the same for three years? Do you want a new look, but don't want to buy a thing? These are the questions Sherri Flemer, a one-day decorating specialist, asks her customers.

Promoted by design shows such as HGTV's "Decorating Cents" and "Design on a Dime," one-day decorating has become popular as people realize they don't have to spend thousands of dollars to have a brand-new room, explains Carol Bass, a one-day decorating teacher in Cherry Hill, N.J. and former Richmonder.

One-day decorators, also known as redesigners, are thrilled to finally have a name for their career. Before starting her own business, Redefine Design, Flemer "staged" rooms for several furniture stores. "It confirmed what I had been doing for eight years," she says.

One-day decorating, Bass defines, is "use what you have" decorating. "We strictly deal with the space," she explains, differentiating redesigners from interior designers, who work with the structural aspects of the room as well. "Interior designers are generally product-driven. We sell a service. We're there to make you happy with what you've already purchased."

Redecorating a room doesn't have to cost a fortune. One-day decorators specialize in "using what you have" to give rooms a fresh, new look. One-day decorator Sherri Flemer used an existing print above a fireplace (above) as a focal point to help define the color scheme for the redesign of a family room.

True redesigners do not buy a thing. Oneday decorators, on the other hand, may add missing components or the "jewelry of the room," Bass adds.

During a redesign, Flemer first "shops" the home. "I may swap a chair from another room," she says.

If a room needs new accessories, Flemer will ask the customer, "What is your budget?" She offers to purchase items from her vendors and lets the homeowner choose if they would like to keep them.

Flemer recently bought a selection of lamps and decorative plates for Shelly Burns to consider for her home in Walton Park. "It was so much easier for me rather than having to go to a store and be overwhelmed with choices," explains Burns.

For Burns, just having a second opinion was a huge help. Flemer helped her select the granite color for her kitchen and the sofa style in her family room. Burns says it's scary making that final decision, especially when it's a big purchase.

Redesigners can also help their customers see their belongings in a new way. One of Flemer's recent customers had an antique table with a beautiful marble top pushed aside and covered with magazines. Flemer made the table the focal point of the room by using it as a cocktail table flanked by two loveseats. "It changed the whole demeanor of the room. They began calling the room their 'parlor' and used it more often."

Bass says, "The difference is in the detail." One-day decorators may rehang artwork, rearrange bookcases or balance lighting. We create the overall ambience of a room." The resounding comment from customers is, "I cannot believe this is my stuff."

Most one-day decorators charge between $250-$450 per room.

Bass teaches a six-day workshop that designates redesigners as "One Day Staging and Decorating Professionals." The first thing she teaches her students is how to disassemble and assemble a room in four to five hours. Safety is important because most redesigners work alone. Workshop students also learn the principles of design, receive hands-on training redesigning someone's home and review business practices such as insurance and marketing.

Flemer is one of Bass' students. The oneday decorating workshop taught her practical skills such as how to "build" a long, blank wall or knowing how to strategically place artwork and accessories on it. "The course gives you rhyme and reason for why things go the way they do," says Flemer.

Although based in New Jersey, Bass has taught three one-day decorating workshops in Richmond. She says it is a good excuse for her to visit her son, daughter-in-law and grandchildren, who live in Walton Bluff.

Another service of one-day decorators is "staging" a home to sell it. "Good Morning America" recently aired a five-day segment on prepping a home for resale. The design consultant, Barbara Cochran, said that staging is no longer an option - you must stage your home - especially in a soft housing market.

Bass describes the difference between staging and redesigning a room: "One-day decorating is creating a room that the homeowner would love to come home to. Staging is creating a room that anyone would love to come home to."

Whether you are moving in or out, downsizing or upscaling, one-day decorators can help transform a home from drab to fab.

Things to consider when redesigning a room:
 How do you use the room?
 How would you like to use the room?
 How many people use the room?