BY JILL NAGY
A professional interior designer can catch
mistakes before they happen, offer options a client
may not have been aware of, and often save a client
money on furniture and accessories.
According to Joanne Hans Chmura of A Perfect
Placement in Mechanicville, “a person would want
to hire a professional decorator to help them focus
and bring order to their project. Whether it is for
a quick color consultation, a large remodel, or
building a new home, a decorator is experienced
in all aspects of home design, saving the client from
costly mistakes. For example, buying furniture
that is too big or choosing a color for the walls that
doesn’t work. We are here to give you fresh ideas,
suggest current trends or classic styles and the resources
a client would not otherwise be aware of.”
The decorators at Saratoga Signature Interiors
in Saratoga Springs agree. “Before you make a
mistake,” is the time to see a professional, they
advise. “A professional designer should be there to
assist you even if you are just starting the thoughts
of a decoration project. We like to work with the
client from the very beginning. It is a lot easier and
less expensive to correct a mistake on paper than
after it has been ordered or built.”
Lynn Ricci of Classic Interiors in Clifton Park
emphasized that “with new construction, it is really
important to have a designer to organize and pull
it all together and find the right products.”
She also recommends spending a few hours
with a decorator before redecorating a room.
“In the end, you often can save money through
discounts.” Choosing the wrong paint color, for
example, can be very costly, especially if you are
working with a professional painter.
Ricci has been in business for 28 years. She has
a staff of four designers and four craftspersons who
make draperies and other window treatments,
bedding, and some custom furniture.
Saratoga Signature Design also sells furniture.
“We sell it off the floor or on order,” said Dan Czech,
one of the three decorators with the company. The other two are Nancy Smith and her son, Colby
Smith, who “grew up in the business,” according
to Czech.
All three have been there since the beginning.
The business is starting its 22nd year. Much of their
work is with people who are remodeling, including
people who are downsizing and need advice about
what to keep, what to repair, and what to replace.
Dan and Colby also do the deliveries, “so, a
decorator comes with your order,” Czech added.
Czech has a a degree in interior design from
the Parsons School of Design in New York City.
Nancy got her degree in California and worked out
there for the Ethan Allen and Stickley furniture
companies. She came east when Stickley opened
an Albany store. Her son mostly learned on the job.
Ricci, of Classic Interiors, studied accounting
and worked in that field for a time. One of her
clients was her mother, “a great seamstress,” who
made draperies, bedding, and the like and did
reupholstering. Soon, Ricci found her mother’s
business more interesting than her own and went
through a certification program with the Interior
Design Society.
Chmura is also a relatively old hand at the business.
She is a sole practitioner whose business is 14
years old. She graduated with a Bachelor of Fine
Arts degree from SUNY at Albany and is certified by
the Interior Arrangement and Design Association
and the Realty Enhancement Association.
“I tell my clients that they are the decision
makers,” Chmura sums up, “but I am here to organize
their plan, offer new ideas and make sure
the finished product is professional. At the end of
the day, it is my client who will be living with our
choices and my goal is for them to absolutely love
their surroundings. I am a sole proprietor so I do
not represent any particular furniture, paint or
accessory lines. I work with my client’s budget so
I will shop the businesses that fit into that budget.
I have a workroom that does all my window applications
along with a few contractors to carry
out my ideas.”
Photo Courtesy A Perfect Placement