How to Find the Right Interior Designer
Projects can quickly become too big to tackle alone, whether you’re renovating your current home or constructing your dream home. Maybe you don’t live near your decorating project at the moment, or you work too hard to allow for complete design and execution control. Or perhaps you just need the help of a specialist to pull your room together beautifully.
A great interior designer will listen to your wants and make your home a personalized space with expert design and extra assistance in managing the project’s budget and timeline.
In reality, with their industry ties, inside data on the best prices, and vendor discounts, many designers can help you save money. A skilled designer may build professional layouts and designs that make their fees worth their value.
But before you rush to consult the first name you find, use this checklist to ensure you choose a credible and experienced designer who can deliver a result that you’ll love for years to come.
How will you find an interior designer?
Asking friends, family, or colleagues for a suggestion is the perfect starting point. The most crucial exposure around is always word-of-mouth! For a list of participating designers, you will want to study professional associations in your country or region, which leads to our first checklist point.
Trends are always changing, and you want a designer who stays up-to-date on the industry and can recommend new ideas, like these hot styles:
Asking friends, family, or colleagues for a suggestion is the perfect starting point. The most crucial exposure around is always word-of-mouth! For a list of participating designers, you will want to study professional associations in your country or city, which leads to our first checklist point.
Check credentials
A review of the designer’s credentials should be the first thing on your checklist. Are they part of some agency for local or national design and continuing education? It is essential to know that if you consider hiring someone who is an “interior decorator,” he or she might have good taste, but no lighting, layout, materials, and further education or training. Research to find out what training a designer may or may not have in your state or country.
Finally, search for testimonials from the designer’s website or directly from the designer for a list of references. Do not be afraid to contact a guide and inquire precisely how the designer listened to that customer’s needs and interpreted them. After all, it is your home; you ought to love your space and the process it takes to create it!
A professionally educated designer will think creatively based on new trends and available space to create unique spaces like this colourful office, which takes advantage of pre-existing exposed brick walls.
Examine the portfolio
A close review of the designer’s portfolio should be next on the checklist. When interviewing a designer, most people remember to do this. “But it is more than just looking for a factor of “wow.
Look for a variety of different types first. The portfolio can look gorgeous, but if there is a similar design for everything? Then you know that your home will also end up looking like a near copy of all the other things.
To customize a home based on your lifestyle, a great interior designer will adjust to radically different colour palettes, styles (contemporary, traditional, period, etc.), textures, and layouts. You want to see a few designs inside the portfolio that reflect some of your taste! This simple design below looks impressive, but it didn’t take a big budget to achieve.
Look for prototypes at various price points, too (you can ask about the project budget for the images). An interior designer can produce fantastic portfolio photos with an unlimited budget. However, it’s just as important that he or she can complete appealing designs for any budget.
To get a sense of what’s possible, ask for portfolio images that reflect your budget, a few more costly projects, and a few from a lower price point. If you have found a credible, educated interior designer with a diverse portfolio that excites you, it’s time for the final move!
Have a conversation
Most people today work with interior design firm who are not in the same town as the house owner. In the case of a vacation home, this is particularly true; the owner may be in New York working with a designer and a second home in Florida. It’s simple to assume that if you like the portfolio and history of a designer, then that’s all you need to get started, but watch out!
You can always, if you really can’t arrange a face-to-face meeting, talk to the designer as close to “in-person” as possible, through a phone call or Skype. The best way to test your future working partnership and ask any clarifying questions is to talk to a designer in a meeting personally.
Keep in mind a few talking points and put in some pictures of rooms that inspire you. Here are some possible questions to help you determine whether you would collaborate with a specific interior designer and appreciate the collaborative design process.
Does he/she listen to you and ask questions about your unique lifestyle?
Does he/she try to persuade you just because “it looks good,” or because there is a real reason about your floor plan, budget, etc.?
Can he/she comfortably accomplish your goals within your budget?
Can he/she adapt to suit your style, schedule, and other needs?
By phone or email, is he/she polite and easy to reach? You’re going to spend a lot of time talking, so you and your designer should get along. Otherwise, this process, which should be energizing and enjoyable, will not be enjoyed!
You’ve found a winner if you believe that the interior designer listens closely to your thoughts and can interpret your style. Your home must reflect your personality and have unique touches with distinctive natural driftwood elements, such as the airy and vibrant beach-themed living room below.