Hiring a professional interior designer when renovating your existing home or when building/purchasing a new home can seem like a daunting task. Many homeowners wonder if they can even afford a design professional. Engaging an experienced designer who understands the rules (and when it is okay to break them), can provide you, the homeowner, with peace of mind while also saving you significant time and money.
Here are five things we feel every client should know when seeking to hire an interior designer.
1. When starting a new project, do not wait to hire an interior designer.
An interior designer should be involved in the project from inception to completion. A good interior designer will work with your architect, builder or general contractor. It takes time to find a designer that will be the right fit so be prepared to do your research. Check out the designer’s website -- great images are the designer’s currency-- but be sure to ask for referrals too. When you have done your due diligence, having a designer already in “your back pocket” will ensure that you are ahead of the curve when it is time to begin. For helpful hints and a checklist of questions to ask in your interview click here.
2. An experienced interior designer will help keep your project on track.
From providing you with a roadmap and developing a timeline and a budget for the project, your designer will work with your builder/architect or general contractor to keep the project on schedule and within budget. Remember, your designer works with other home professionals on a daily basis. They know the right questions to ask and will most likely pay attention to details that may not occur to the average homeowner/buyer.
Geoffrey Hodgdon
Weesner
3. Hiring an experienced designer takes the guesswork out of decorating your home.
Have you ever measured for and ordered a new sofa, only to find out that the sofa you ordered won’t fit through the front door or doesn’t look “quite right” in place with your other furnishings? An interior designer will help you get it right the first time without the headaches. From choosing and purchasing furniture, fixtures, finishes, etc. to taking measurements, making recommendations, and placing orders, we work with you and other home professionals to bring your vision to life. The intent is in the designer’s hands, not yours. If a mistake is made, your interior designer will be there to fix it immediately.
4. An experienced interior designer will do things “your way.”
We’ve all heard stories about designers who come in with their own vision and zero regard for the client’s budget, style, or timeline. Hiring a designer that is known for a “signature look” is fine but if they cannot meld the design to fit your style and give you the look and feel you desire, then they are not the designer for you. Make sure they have the adaptability, experience, and talent to incorporate your own personal style into the design.
Geoffrey Hodgdon
Weesner
5. Hiring a designer can save you both time and money.
Being a bona-fide dealer of Bernhardt, Theodore Alexander, Visual Comfort, and other high-end lines of furnishings means we pass the deeper discounts on to you. For example, a sofa in a retail setting is priced at $4000. You may be able to find the sofa on sale for $3500. However, we offer the sofa for $2700, which is a savings of $800. If your overall budget for the project is $25,000, by utilizing a designer, you might enjoy pricing in the range of $17,000. Your savings of $7,000 can then be used to expand the project or make upgrades.
At Forshew Design we cherish the personal and professional relationships we build with our clients. Our work is never purely transactional; it is an emotive and evolving process. We help guide you through the design journey and streamline your vision to elevate the design and provide you with an exquisite living space that is uniquely yours. We would love to bring your ideas to life! Contact us today to talk about your next project.