Interior Designers & Why To Hire One
Interior Designers & Why To Hire One
If you’re planning an extensive renovation or building a brand new home, it’s likely that you are planning to invest a significant amount of money. You’re likely to be re-configuring the layout of an existing building, or creating something brand new from scratch. Whilst you almost certainly will have engaged the services of an architect, an interior designer may be something you haven’t decided on yet.
When meeting with clients who are undertaking a large design and build or renovation project, I’d always recommend working with an interior designer. Although on the face of it, it looks like another cost on top of an already large financial commitment, working with the right designer can help you to achieve your dreams of a perfect space, and even save time and money. In fact, in my experience, clients who hire an interior designer are much more likely to stay within budget.
It is a designer’s job to know how to make the most of a given space, and to see your plans with the creative eye of a professional. It’s a lot more than simply choosing colours and fabrics – a good designer will be able to advise you on the natural flow of the space as a whole, and will have lots of ideas to create a harmonious and polished finished product.
Whilst you might have very clear ideas about the style and look you’re after, I’d still recommend talking to an interior designer, so I want to explore that a little further in this blog.
A good designer will save you time
Timing is everything here. If you hire an interior designer near the start of your project, it can save you time and money and help you avoid some common pitfalls. Bring them in at the planning stages for a creative view of your overall plans. A good designer will primarily help you to understand what can be achieved in your particular space, and will streamline your vision in order to help you choose the most effective way to style your home. They will come armed with experience and solutions to challenges such as tricky spaces, layouts and storage solutions. They’ll help you to disguise important but ‘aesthetically challenging’ items such as power points, and they’ll help you to avoid expensive mistakes such as over-ordering a particular product or something that you later wish you hadn’t bought.
Trust is the key
Rather like your relationship with your architect or building contractor, it’s imperative that you have trust and confidence in your interior decorator, and that you feel an affinity with them. A well-trained and professional interior designer will work closely with you to understand exactly what you’re trying to achieve. One of the things people often say is that they’re worried they’ll end up with someone else’s style; however, the reality is that a designer wants to help you achieve your perfect environment, and it’s their job to help you do that. The interior designers that Bespoke works with take pride in helping every client to realise their own individual style, and will take into account what you need to use the space for.
Making the most of your budget – and sticking to it!
An interior designer has knowledge of all the latest trends and innovative ideas in the marketplace, and they’ll have lots of contacts and suppliers that you may not be able to access as a private individual. However, crucially, in your very first meeting, they will also ask you what your budget is, and they’ll talk you through what you can realistically achieve. Throughout the project, they’ll be responsible for bringing thing in on time and within budget, and they’ll be able to source items for you. Your designer is there to be objective and to keep you focused on the bigger picture, to help you remember what’s important to you, and not letting the choices overwhelm you and take you over budget!
Saving you some grey hairs..
A building or renovation project is a big undertaking, particularly if you work or have a young family. Working with an interior designer is a great option for busy people (let’s face it, that’s all of us!) and will take a huge amount of stress away, leaving you time to deal with other aspects of the build.
One of the best reasons to work with a designer is that they are good at solving problems. Challenging spaces? They will have seen it before! Awkward suppliers? Let them be the bad guy! Problems do happen – the wrong material has been ordered, something’s been measured incorrectly – rather than worry about it, this is something your designer can help you with.
Overall, I’d always recommend at least talking to a well-established and well-considered trained interior designer. Arrange a consultation and go from there – I don’t think you’ll regret it.
Bespoke works with a number of interior designers, and we’d be delighted to put you in touch. Give us a call or pop in to see us at our Bristol offices.