Hiring an Interior Designer? 4 Things to Look For
If you’ve never worked with an interior designer, the process can seem a little intimidating. We break down our top four tips for what to expect.
To someone new to the process of working with an interior designer, it can seem a little intimidating. You entrust a stranger with divining the essence of your personal taste, then mapping it onto your home in a way that makes your space feel like a genuine reflection of “you.” Relinquishing control of the places you spend most of your time is a big step, and requires a measure of trust that shouldn’t be taken lightly.
Fortunately, when it comes to choosing an interior designer to work with, there are some pretty surefire rules of thumb for making a perfect match. For the first-time client or curious homeowner thinking of remodeling, here are our top four tips for what to expect when you work with an interior designer.
1. If it seems a little like speed dating, you’re on the right track.
The purpose of speed dating is to get to know someone (or lots of someones) in a short period of time in order to find your perfect match. Interior design isn’t altogether quite so different from the formal matchmaking process. You want to feel like your designer understands you, and demonstrates the ability to align your taste with your lifestyle needs. After all at the end of the day, you’re going to be the one who inhabits your space day-in and day-out. With custom design, whether we’re talking about the home or the office, a space should be tailored to fit the way you’re most likely going to be using it, which means your designer should know what an average day looks like for you and yours. For example, if your family tends to gather in the living room, your designer needs to focus on procuring spacious, comfortable seating and making the room feel cozy and inviting. If you love to cook (and your family loves to eat), a designer can help make sure that your kitchen is a comfortable place to gather, sit, and share. Share what your design inspirations are, your lifestyle priorities, what design aesthetics you tend to gravitate toward and why those elements are important to you. The goal of this collaboration is to create a place that provides comfort and refuge for you, and a welcoming environment that you can enjoy sharing with others.
2. Expect to work in stages.
We’ve all heard the adage that “Rome wasn’t built in a day,” and the design industry really drives that lesson home. Beautiful interiors take time, and as much as you might be tempted to “get it all done,” it’s rarely a good strategy to tackle everything at once. This might seem obvious, but start with what you feel like you need or want the most, and work from there. If you’ve been dying to rip out that old laminate countertop ever since you bought your house in the eighties, then don’t begin a bathroom remodel. Make a wish list, arranging all of your biggest priorities at the top. Think of it this way—if that bathroom remodel tops your list, now is probably not the time to buy new furniture for the guest room (yet). This way, you can focus on one project at a time, rather than getting overwhelmed at the sheer volume of items on your wish list. Your designer should be ready to accommodate your project proceeding at a pace which is comfortable to you.
3. Communication is key.
Trying to design a space without effective communication in place is like trying to follow a recipe when you don’t have all the ingredients. The more input you can offer your designer, the more seamless and well integrated your final outcome will be. Start by having an open discussion about your timeline. That way you can set realistic goals by checking things off your list, one at a time.
4. Trust the process, and remember why you started.
Any experienced designer should not only be up to date on high quality products and services, but also an invaluable source of information about emerging design trends. He or she will have good working relationships with trusted local contractors, and be capable of working within the parameters of your project’s budget, too. In the end, this expertise will help trim lots of time off your project, and can even help you save money by avoiding false starts in the first place. To make the most out of your designer’s relationship, try to keep an open mind. Convey your vision and expand your comfort zone at the same time, and then trust your designer to strike the right balance between the two. Every good relationship requires a degree of trust, and that’s when the magic happens.
“Let your designer help you express yourself, but also let them get you out of your box. You’ll be glad you did.” —Erin DeRouen
Interested in meeting with a Signature Southern Accents expert to set a design consultation for your home? Request an appointment by emailing store@ssa.brcoxmail.com or call 225-654-7110.