You have a project you are excited to get started. Home is everything and having it how you need it is so important! You have ideas of what you would like but are overwhelmed by all the choices  out there. Also there is a budget for the job and it needs to stretch as far as possible…so, would it be wise to allocate some of your spend to access the help of an Interior Designer,  or would it be better for you to manage the project alone? This is the big question!

Are Interior Designers just a luxury touch for your project?

The short answer to this question is a very big NO. Welcome to the final episode of this blog series. This week we will discuss the reasons why Interior Designers are an important, and smart first step of your project.

Good Interior Designers have an in depth knowledge of ways to create cohesive schemes, based on the needs of their clients. They understand colour psychology and what palettes not only work to create your desired feel, but also what works with the natural light in your home.

Across the industry, Interior Designers are also knowledgable about brands and products that are not always available through public websites or to those not in the Design sector, and often this access comes with trade discount! Quite importantly, Interior Designers can actually save you money.

‘Lets do your project once, and let’s do it right!’

With so many options out there, many homeowners have an idea of what they want for their homes and would just like some direction and confidence to make it work. Here we can save on costly mistakes and the time needed to put them right. Interior Designers are not a way of showing others that you can’t make your own decisions, rather we are a smart move to assist and direct your decision making.

A lot of time, anxiety and stress is also an expense to most projects, small or large. Having the assistance of a professional Interior Designer as the first step in your project really does alleviate the stress and puts the fun back where it needs to be.

Here are some examples of homeowners experiences when using the help of an Interior Designer.

These are some previous and current clients of mine that I would like to share:

“We chose to seek the guidance from an interior decorator to help us realise our vision for our new home.  We scoured Pinterest and Instagram for inspiration but we found it difficult to make it feel cohesive.   We wanted help adding dimension to the design and to make it function for our family.  We had also grown tired of googling items we wanted to be served up with the same companies because of our search history.  To have the expertise of someone who knew where to get the pieces we needed was not only time saving but showed us options we would have never come across on our own.  We have found it has alleviated a lot of stress and has made furnishing our home fun again.”

“I didn’t know where to start with our Kitchen and Dining area renovation. We had big ideas, but not a big budget, so seeking help was a commitment we were concerned about financially. The package rate for our Designer was very reasonable. She saved us so much money by sourcing great items that it more than covered her cost, and she able to invest time that we didn’t have. We love our renovation and also wouldn’t be without her help in the future!”

“Where can I start!! I honestly don’t know how we could’ve handled a total home and garden renovation without our designers help! She can really see things in a home others can’t and she really thrives on the challenge of bringing the best out in a house. Our designer not only thinks of incredibly unique beautiful designs but she some how manages to perfectly balance this with being very practical and making our home really work for us making living here such a joy. She lead us through our renovation taking away all the big stresses and really guided us and gave us the confidence to make choices we could never have thought of ourselves she really got to know us, our home and the way we live to make it really work and we really couldn’t love our home anymore.”

SO LETS TALK-PROCESS

Here is a basic example and step by step guide of the Interior Design process.

-Your initial call with your designer to see if you’re a good fit for each other.

-To meet and discuss your project. This is for information gathering. For example your likes and dislikes, and needs from the space to make it work for you.

You will also discuss your desired feel and look through samples for inspiration. At the and of this meeting, you can give your designer the brief.

-Once you have decided on the level of help you require from your designer, your  agreement is made and they will be ready to start preparing your design and mood   boards.

-Now your design has been pulled together, including samples of products, this will be   presented to you. If you are happy with the design, or any revisions made, the whole   scheme can then created in greater detail, for example floor plans or 3D drawings if   required.

-At this point your designer can hand over your designs for you to complete your project, or assist further with purchasing, project management and sourcing trades.

Our hope for this blog is to share an understanding of how we Interior Designers work, and how we have a passion for what we do. We also wanted to share experiences of the time we invest getting it right for you.

So…let’s get creative!

My lovely friend and fellow Interior Designer, Claire Parkin will now continue this discussion on her blog with more examples to share.