It’s well-known the outside of a home is the first thing a potential buyer sees, but what happens after you’ve purchased the perfect home?

The interior becomes your empty canvas, and the possibilities for design, decor and furnishing are endless.

Marti Saul, owner of Saul Decor & Furniture, has been in the design business for 31 years. She’s worked with contractors designing new homes and with clients who want to revamp their existing homes. Telluride and Durango are booming with clients wanting to design or remodel their homes, she said.

Saul started in Pagosa Springs, a small town where the concept of interior design was foreign to some residents, she said.

“I started my business before they began any new construction out there,” Saul said.

She realized she needed to offer a variety of services to make her businesses thrive. She needed a “one-stop shop.”

Over a decade after starting her businesses, Saul moved it to Durango, where she found it easier to prosper. People were seeking her services for a number of reasons.

The No. 1 reason clients seek the expertise of a designer, she said, is because the client can’t seem to pull the whole package together.

“Ladies want a designer look to their homes,” she said.

Though building contractors often do a fine job in providing many decorating options for clients, some aren’t satisfied with the “contractor look” and want something different, she said.

The most popular requests for home decor are contemporary and transitional feels, Saul said. She uses to do a lot of rustic and Western looks, but that style has slowed.

Interior design can begin before the home is even built.

A designer can go from room to room picking out drapery, carpet, furniture, wall paper and lighting, just to name a few.

Homeowners will seek the help of an interior designer when they need to pull the complete house together, when then a little extra help and time efficiency and to seek advise and expertise.

Also, clients seek interior designers when they plan to move to another state or vacation in their second home.

Saul has experience with preparing a home to every last detail – dishes, appliances, food and cleaning products – to make the home livable as soon as the client opens the door.

In addition, residential homes aren’t the only ones who hire interior designers. Commercial property owners, hotel chains and vacationing lodges have inquired about services to design rooms and office space.

Saul Decor & Furniture designed more than 140 rooms at the Spanish Trails Inn & Suites more than 20 years ago, Saul said.

Don Ricedorff, broker-associate with the Wells Group of Durango, said that a handful of clients looking to purchase a second home looked for an already-furnished house.

“Often, the furniture will be negotiated in the price of the home, or better, after the real estate has been negotiated,” he said. “We currently have two homes that are under contract, which will be second homes that have furniture and other inclusions as part of the negotiation.”

Some clients are looking for a furnished rental, such as a resort condominium or townhouse, he said.

Also, vacation rentals – a topic that has stirred some controversy in Durango – are furnished for visitors to use.

And there are always stylish options for do-it-yourselfers.

Plenty of retail stores sell unique and designer-esque furniture and home decor.

If you browse Main Avenue, you will find a variety of shops that offer various styles of furnishing from traditional, urban to rustic and antique. Shops such as Urban Market, Oohs & Aahs, Ashley Furniture, Casa Decor and Willis Furniture cater to individual styles.

Publications like Williams-Sonoma, Inc. Designer Marketplace and WSDesignMarketplace.com provide tips on customizing home interiors.

For those who can’t afford an in-depth interior design project, Saul has a few money-saving tips that can make a huge difference:

Rearranging existing furniture and decorations.

Changing the draperies.

Changing the upholstery of your furniture can be cheaper than buying new furniture.

Most interior designers will attempt to work with the customer’s personal budget. A list of local designers can be found through an online search or in the Four Corners Real Estate Guide.

“Sometimes, clients don’t know all the options that are out there,” Saul said, “and designers keep up to date with color schemes and available fabrics.”

vguthrie@durangoherald.com