SFGate

karen paul interiors 5500 sq ft of space requires a designer on site and most especially with your having no design sense. Houzz is great for quick fixes and some input here and there for a room. If you want to chose a room, put up photos and have a go at it one room at a time, that could be educational for you and fun for us. However, when you have so much space you really need to have a plan and keep whacking at it until you are done. Peace meal instruction on the fly can get very expensive. Wishing you the very best luck in finding the right designer. In the meantime, you can put together an ideabook and we can comment on your choices which might in some manner help guide you to your style. Knowing what you like and what that looks like when all is said and done is something that proves invaluable to an interior designer who wants to know your taste.

olldbobbi I totally agree with Karen. That's a lot of house!

kate614 OK thanks... think I need validation that it's okay to hire some help!

Anne Gibney Always okay to hire a professional!

feeny Indeed, it is not just okay, but recommended with a house your size unless you love design and are very confident about your choices and your eye for the visual effect of the whole. May I suggest, however, that you look carefully at the portfolios of some local designers before you commit to anyone? It isn't that their design style has to match yours perfectly. Most will work in a range of styles that fit their various clients. But you should feel that everything they have designed strikes you as beautiful regardless of whether the style is one you would have chosen. You should also feel that the personality of the designer is compatible with yours--that he or she makes you feel both comfortable expressing your preferences and confident that they are listening and making informed suggestions.