Home Designers Hit By Slowdown
Since the real scale of the economic crisis became apparent, we've all been forced to witness—and sometimes make—some major sacrifices. Vacations canceled, subways instead of cabs, no nice restaurants or new clothes. But that doesn't make it any the less heart-rending to hear about people, not in some third world country, but here, in America, who are reducing the budgets of their interior designers. The poor designers are having to use cheaper materials, haggle with contractors, and are even—the horror!— buying furniture from chain stores. So let's pray even harder for a swift turnaround on Wall Street, because no one became a high-end decorator so that they could shop at Crate & Barrel.