Are you longing to walk into your own piece of paradise every day? Are you ready to stop the endless quest to get your home just right? Sometimes it can be hard to rationalize paying for a service that many feel they can do themselves, but consider this. You brush your teeth every day, but you still have to go in for a cleaning every six months to maintain your dental health. You probably can feel that things in your environment aren’t quite right, but you just can’t put your finger on it.
Many people may actually be confused about what an interior designer does, and it can vary from professional to professional. Some designers, like myself, do nearly everything related to design. For example, I do one-time consultations, ongoing consultations and what I call Dirt to Draperies, which is seeing a project from construction through final furnishing selections. Other interior designers may specialize in certain areas, such as consultations or commercial design only. Typically, it is easy to find a designer’s focus by reviewing their portfolio.
Some people are naturals at curating a stunning environment and others have to work at it, or may never get there at all without help. Channels like HGTV provide an abundance of ideas for individuals to implement in their homes. One problem with constant stream of home redesign ideas, while inspiring, is without proper editing, the final result may lack flow and feel a little clunky. A designer can take your unique style and blend it seamlessly from room to room. Design shows also tend to be a poor representation of the actual time and cost to complete a project, which can be misleading and very disappointing when trying to bring an idea to life. An interior designer can provide realistic time, cost and design expectations.
Cost can vary from designer to designer, but in the end most clients agree a well-designed home is worth it. Designers generally get discounts on the products, which they pass on to you, the client. Hiring a designer can help you to avoid making costly mistakes throughout the design process, and ensure success in choosing complimentary paint colors, furniture that will last and materials meant to withstand your lifestyle. Also, interior design can range from a one-time consultation to a full project. You have the flexibility to choose what works best for you.
I have also experienced throughout the years that many people are hesitant to disclose their budget for fear the designer will spend it all. The vision you may be describing to the designer may be a higher dollar value than you are prepared to spend. I often find that my clients just don’t know how much renovations and materials costs. It’s always a good idea to provide some pictures of spaces you admire, especially if there are items that are important to be included in your design. The designer can help to identify the products and whether they fit in the budget. If they are a budget breaker, there is usually a more cost-efficient alternative. My suggestion is to provide the budget that you are 100% comfortable spending and the designer will do their best to fit in that range, as long as it is reasonable.
There are additional benefits to hiring a designer too. Designers have access to trade only vendors. Trade only vendors only sell to designers and home professionals which helps to ensure that you get a unique, quality product that you can typically customize to your own taste. This means that it’s less likely you are going to walk into your friend’s home and see your sofa in their living room. Interior designers know the best vendors to work with, which lessens the chance you’ll lose money through an unfortunate vendor relationship.
Overall, and interior designer helps to make your remodel or new construction as smooth as possible while providing the result you may not have realized you wanted, but are happy to have.
