The mere thought of hiring an interior designer can be daunting. I’d love to let you in on all of the secrets of everything you need to know before you trust your vision in someone else’s hands. Whether you’re thinking about renovating your entire home or refreshing a single room, a good interior designer will bring their eye and expertise to assist you in bringing your vision to life! To make the most of the experience, make sure you’ve taken care of the following things before hiring an interior designer.
Four Myths of Hiring An Interior Designer
Your house must be in a perfect state before meeting with an interior designer.
If you’ve found yourself wondering the following questions, “What if the interior designer thinks my house is ugly and beyond all hope?” or “What if the interior designer doesn’t listen to what I want or stay within my budget?” then put those fears to bed because a good interior designer knows that their job is to assist you in loving your home. The current state of your home doesn’t bother us or at least it doesn’t bother me. I’m a busy boy mama and a fur mama of 3. I get it! And if this myth were true, you may want to reach out just to see about styling services. My main concern is for you and how I can best serve you rather than how messy your house is or the current design of the home.
The interior designer doesn’t listen or collaborate with clients on projects.
Eh, WRONG! We are great listeners! I love learning about the who, what, when, where, and how of every home – especially yours! I take detailed notes about your lifestyle, family situation, color and texture preferences, and overall preferred design style. I can help you with determining a style if that is not something you’ve considered. I can also help you determine a budget for the needs of your project. I collaborate with you every step of the way to ensure that not only can we complete your project in a timely fashion but that we turn your house into a home that you will thrive in for years to come. Sound good?
Hiring An Interior Designer Is So Expensive!
This is only partly true. I know! These are supposed to be myths. Design is an investment in you and your lifestyle. Many factors contribute to design costs. The size of the project and the amount of contractor work can be sizable costs. The furniture and hardware we choose also add to costs. BUT… I provide you with a detailed project proposal to set your mind at ease.
I have to provide the interior designer with colors.
This is just an not. I know! You would rather sit and wait for your car’s oil to be changed than pick paint colors. (Or in my case, the complete opposite.) If I had to pick any part of interior design that I love the most, it is finding the perfect paint color palette for you and your family to enjoy for years to come – from the walls, window treatments, ceilings, fabric, and flooring hues. Let me help ease your concerns about colors!
Four Tips For Hiring An Interior Designer
Now that we’ve got those pesky myths out of the way, here are the best tips when hiring an Interior Designer for your project.
Know your preferences.
While an Interior Designer can assist you in providing you with finding the direction and execution of the vision you have for your home, that person can’t decide on that vision because he or she wants you to love your home. (At least I want that for you.) To remedy this, gather inspiration! From magazines, Pinterest, Instagram, and catalogs – gather it all and present it to your designer in the initial consultation meeting to the start of your project so that both you and the designer can determine if you are a good fit for hiring an interior designer.
know your budget & timeline.
Hiring an interior designer on a budget is possible. I have made my services affordable because I truly believe everyone should be able to curate, design, and love their home with grace. It’s important to be realistic about what you can spend versus how much you want to spend. In our initial design consultation, we put together a budget for your project that will meet your timeline. Then we talk about which services may be best suited for your needs. Speaking of which…let your interior designer know of any specific dates that are coming up – birthdays, anniversaries, family visits, etc. so your interior designer can work with the general contractor, painters, electricians, plumbers, etc. to best be able to meet your timeline for your project. Depending upon the scope of your project, work can be completed in a week to a month.
Know the scope of your project.
Unfortunately, interior designers are not mind readers. I know! It would be great if we were though! We understand that this may not be the easiest to put into words while working with us. I use a project questionnaire that I send to you before our design discovery call to ensure we can either expand or narrow down the scope of your project to meet your needs. This is why I also want you to collaborate with me in the design process so that we can maintain being within the scope of which you saw your vision as we can sometimes get carried away in the creative aspect of the project.
Know Your Interior Designer.
There are a variety of questions to ask an Interior Designer when interviewing them for your project. I would recommend asking for their credentials, a copy of their portfolio, and asking about their past projects. The person you hire to assist you in finding the direction and execution of your home should have your best interests at heart. I love it when you collaborate with me in the process!
Hire an Interior Designer today!
I hope that I was able to offer some insight on how to best work with an interior designer. If you feel called to work with me, I would love to assist you in loving your home. Please feel free to reach out to book a design vision call with me today!
Love,
Great tips! I’m VERY picky when it comes to colours and interior etc and I often know exactly what I want so I’d need an interior designer that could work with me as well as recommending what might look better!
These are some great tips! Thanks for sharing.
Itís nearly impossible to find experienced people on this subject, but you sound like you know what youíre talking about! Thanks
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