Country Decor: Tools of the Trade

Let’s talk about a few items you’ll want to have around for primitive country decor. This is especially so if you decide to take decorating other’s homes or rooms as a side line - for fun or for profit!

The Country Decorator’s Necessities

• Inspiration comes in many forms but decorating magazines keep you up to date on what’s current, trendy and desired in primitive country decor!
• A measuring tape.
• Paint color swatches in the most popular country colors (right now chocolates, pale blues, muted yellows and weathered reds are hot).
• Wallpaper, and carpet sample books. Keep them in your car.
• Business cards are must haves. Carry 20 around with you at all times and leave them everywhere! On bulletin boards, at friend’s houses, in paint and wallpaper shops, even on bus seats! Business cards can be purchased online for less than $20 a box - get 500 to start, use them up and they’ll more than pay for themselves in the decorating jobs you pick up.
• If you have photos of rooms or houses you’ve decorated country, carry them around in a case in your car. That way you can quickly and easily show people your primitive country ideas and rooms. (You never where your next client will turn up and you want to be ready to close the sale.)

Below is my list of some of the things that I quickly learned when I started my own decorating business to help you prepare for what’s ahead…

• Be ready to sell yourself: You will want to sell the public on your services and abilities. Do as much promotion as you can. Go everywhere that you can think of that hosts design events, and set yourself up as a contender.
• Mingle and mix: Meet as many different types of people as possible. Go to golf and country clubs with a load of business cards on hand. Be sure to have your portfolio on hand in case you get any bites. Go to all of the popular events in your area and start talking to people.
• Business Start-Up Grants or Assistance: There are many places that you can go to get help with decorating business start-up money. Check in with your local government or business assistance programs.
• Establish your position: You want to ensure that you can let your community know that you are out there. Handing out flyers, offering special discounts or free services to your neighbors can let the people get a sample of your work. It is a good way to get your neighbors to spread the word.
• Build your client list: I cannot express enough the importance of approaching homeowners and businessmen with your ideas for refurbishing their spaces. Real estate agents are also great contacts to have in this business. Make friends with as many as you can.

Once you find an interested home owner you’ll need to start thinking about how to price those primitive decorating jobs, so here are som quick tips on pricing your services…

Every country home decorator has to learn how to price their services. You have to do this so that you can give proper estimates to your clients. This will be invaluable to you as a service provider. Many people find this to be a very difficult process because they don’t want to over charge their clients, nor do they want to lose money on the deal. This can be very frustrating and stressful. However, if you know how to break down the costs it gets a lot easier, and helps you break it down to the client so that they are comfortable.

Since every job is different, every invoice will be different as well. There are different types of invoices that you should have. They each require a different layout and outline. This makes it easier to break down later for calculating the costs.

• Costs and Labor: This type of invoice is for decorators that have to hire outside contractors to help with the work (usually when you need to hire people to do drywall or construction).
• Costs: This type of invoice is generally just for the costs of the extra furniture and accessories or lighting fixtures that are needed. It also covers the agreed upon extras like paint and wallpaper.
• General: This is the type of invoice that only covers your prices as the designer. It deals with the work that you do alone. This invoice is always included with one of the others. When trying to decide how to put a value to your services alone, that is pretty much up to you. It is best not to price yourself too high in the beginning because you are not a ‘household’ name just yet. There are two ways to charge your clients.

  Per Hour: This method is best for small or simple projects because they are more difficult to price on a per project basis. If you are a beginner home decorator, you should start yourself at around $15-$20 an hour. At least until you establish yourself in the field. Once you are established you may charge as much as you’d like.

  Per Project: This is generally reserved for projects of a larger scale. These are the projects that require the hiring of contractors and various others to help you. Since there is so much work involved, you cannot expect to charge by the hour.