Maybe you think you can’t afford a professional interior designer for your home or apartment.

Or you figure designers are mostly out to sell you furnishings and finishes.

You might find the whole idea of working with a designer a little intimidating.

Those perceptions of design and designers quickly will be turned upside down as soon as you discover the Montgomery’s Whole Home Experience.

“Sometimes, people think we’re only a furniture store,” said Carly Ellsworth, manager of outside design.

“And once they begin to work with us, they’re absolutely surprised and excited by how much we’re able to help them for free simply because they’re a Montgomery’s customer.”

Established in 1888, Montgomery’s is a fifth-generation family-owned business with locations in Sioux Falls, Madison, Watertown and Aberdeen.

Here, the design services are as affordable as they could be – because they’re complimentary – and they encompasses everything from top to bottom in the home, from furniture to flooring, window treatments to lighting and even your mattress.

The designers you’ll work with are experts in their field who love what they do. And they will work with you on everything from choosing a piece of furniture to completely building or renovating a home.

“I was drawn to Montgomery’s as an independent designer doing my thing all over town,” said interior designer Paula Kruetzfeldt, who has been with the business nearly four years. “I knew Montgomery’s had everything I needed to offer my clients, so I decided this would be the right fit.”

She considers herself more of an interior project manager, which is a good way of describing her role in delivering the Whole Home Experience.

“Many people tell us they thought designers were only for people who have million-dollar houses,” she said. “Instead, our services are designed for everyone. And it becomes a much different relationship with people than just selling them furniture.”

Here’s what to know about making the most of your own Montgomery’s Whole Home Experience.

Where to start

Thinking of building, renovating or just making some minor but effective updates to your living space?

You can stop in any Montgomery’s store – the Sioux Falls location is at 1725 W. 41st St. – and go to the welcome desk to be connected with a designer.

“It can be intimidating when you walk in the store,” Ellsworth said. “It’s beautiful, but you might assume it won’t fit your budget, which is rarely the case. Our team is very approachable and very skilled at finding pieces to match individual tastes and budgets.”

Want to begin the relationship online? Click here to learn more about the team of designers and to reach out to anyone you’d like to get to know.

“A lot of our designers are very versatile in terms of what they design,” Ellsworth said. “And as designers, we collaborate. We love what we do so much we’re constantly sharing ideas and feedback with each other, so you really get the expertise of our entire team. There are many relationships behind the scenes that clients don’t see that make us effective at what we do.”

Then, the designer will begin getting to know you, your needs, your budget, what you’re hoping to achieve with your home project and your overall vision.

“We need to know your comfort level and your end game,” Kruetzfeldt said. “We need to understand where they’re at in the process, so we can begin to work with them each step of the way. I typically will take people through the store and let them show me what they like, what they feel comfortable with. We talk about the budget and ensure we’re all on the same page.”

Services offered

From there, the relationship can become as detailed as the customer desires. Montgomery’s designers also enjoy visiting in your home to learn more about your lifestyle and tastes.

“An even if you live in an apartment, we’ll come out and help you design your space and make it true to who you are,” Ellsworth said. “Our home is such a reflection of our identity, especially today as we’re spending more time there, be it for work or after work; it’s crucial that it feels like you.”

The Whole Home Experience also encompasses much more than furniture. Complimentary design services include every aspect of a room:  flooring, lighting, wall coverings, window treatments, custom upholstered furniture or even custom pieces made right in the Montgomery’s workroom and the Mattress 1st store connected to the showroom.

“It’s a huge differentiator,” Kruetzfeldt said. “It’s all included. Every piece of flooring or fabric, every light fixture we can help select. For people who have never built or remodeled, it can be hard to remember what they picked out along the way. So we help keep the selections consistent, keep it on track, and we manage it so they don’t feel overwhelmed.”

Designers also have access to space planning software, design studios and thousands of fabric samples, flooring and hard surface options.

“We can access literally hundreds of vendors and brands for every budget, and Montgomery’s has been in business so long our vendors love Montgomery’s and want to work with us so our clients are happy,” Kruetzfeldt said.

The same service also is available to contractors, she added.

“A lot of newer contractors don’t realize that we do flooring and windows treatments and wall coverings and counters and that it can all be a one-stop shop,” Kruetzfeldt said. “They can call one designer, and the needs are taken care of from start to finish.”

Finished products

When the Whole Home Experience comes together, clients love the finished product.

This Parade of Homes house for a family in Harrisburg utilized the Whole Home Experience literally from the ground up.

“We used their floor plans and the owner’s Pinterest boards and built off that,” said Ellsworth, who designed for the family. “They have four kids, so we wanted to make sure everything would work for their lifestyle.”

At the same time, “this was their forever house,” she continued. “So they want it to be passed on to their grandchildren in 100 years, and they were very intentional about lighting, tile, wallpaper and figuring out what brought them joy in their space.”

Both are professionals with busy schedules, trying to build a house while parenting four kids, so the design services were a big time-saver, she said.

“It got to the point where I could show them two or three selections, and they loved everything and just asked me to choose what coordinated best with the vision,” she said.

“They wanted functionality and timeless quality, but they are still a family on a budget, and I think this intentional design combined with really getting to know them definitely achieved that.”

With this Parade of Homes house in Hartford, also designed by Ellsworth, she worked with client Callies Homes on all the design selections.

“They are very much a family-owned business like Montgomery’s with a lot of pride in ownership,” she said. “And they really stand out for their quality craftsmanship, so I needed to make sure the flooring, tile, lighting and furniture complemented the home they had built.”

It was built as a spec home, so without knowing the final owner, Ellsworth set out to honor the craftsmanship and vision of the builder.

“They wanted modern craftsman, which is unique, so things like the tile and backsplash were intentional to go with the darker woods that were used,” she said.

“But I also had to show how such a beautiful house could function for a family that needed six bedrooms. The flow and floor plan made it easy to find furniture that gave a formal but inviting main level and a family-friendly casual space downstairs.”

Ready to partner?

If you’re ready to take advantage of Montgomery’s Whole Home Experience, just stop in the store anytime or click here to get started.