Hiring an interior designer can be very exciting for some people and daunting for others. Many people assume that hiring a designer means handing your home over to someone else to make it their own. However, others see it as a chance to see their home in a new and exciting way without the stress of doing everything themselves. Either way, there is always the question of “when should I hire an interior designer?”.
Remodeling or changing the aesthetic of your home can be challenging. You can upgrade your home without utilizing a designer. However, many people decide to hire an interior designer to help them rediscover their style and redesign their home. You may be wondering if hiring a designer is the best choice or if you should tackle this on your own. Hopefully the points I make below will help you decide if working with a designer is the best choice.
Speaking as someone who majored in interior design and works in residential design professionally, I feel as though I know when someone should seek professional direction rather than approaching this on your own. An interior designer can help steer you in the right direction and help you understand the process of design. They can also make all of the selections and run the project for you. This will take the stress and responsibility off of your hands. So, let’s see if hiring a designer is the best option for you!
Furniture
When redesigning a home, many people begin with furniture because it is an easy starting point. New furniture can be a dramatic refresh without the construction side of design. Furniture is easy to go and shop for as well. You can see and feel everything in person which many people need to envision something new. However, you are limited to the resources that retailers offer. This isn’t a bad thing but if you want something more unique to your home or style, you will have a harder time achieving that shopping retail. Interior designers can help in many ways when selecting furniture.
First, an interior designer can help with space planning. Designers can envision your space differently than you can for a few reasons. They are not used to looking at your current layout every day like you are. They can think about your space in a new and refreshing way. This can allow for different furniture selections that are more useful and beneficial for your home. Sometimes people get stuck thinking of their current layout and choose furniture based on that because it is what they know. Designers think about how the room functions as a whole before they make any selections.
Second, an interior designer can help you make selections. Designers have access to more custom pieces at a wholesale cost. Many times this can result in a more unique furniture piece at a similar cost to a retail selection that might not fit or look exactly how you want it. Designers also have access to many different, higher end fabrics. They can choose a solid color performance fabric or a more uniquely patterned fabric. They have the ability to work with numerous options that the public does not have access to.
Third, a designer can help you with truly completing a room. Many times, people know what they want but they don’t always know what they need to complete a room. Designers think of everything ranging from the rug selection to the artwork on your walls. They know how to coordinate everything from color, size and scale to the final details that tie a room together. Each selection will be chosen with a purpose and bring value to your space. Whether or not you move forward with everything, an interior designer can help you understand your room better and give you direction.
Remodeling
If you are wanting to change your floor plan, I recommend hiring an interior designer. Remodeling is a grueling process but usually worth it! Construction is always filled with surprises and takes longer than most people expect. When remodeling, I recommend hiring an interior designer from the very beginning for a few reasons:
First, whether you want to take down a wall or completely change the layout of your home, a designer can envision the best floor plan for your space. This can be beneficial because they understand the layout of a home in different ways than most people can. This is what they do for a living. The training they receive teaches them to think about more efficient ways to layout a home. A designer will be able to improve the functionality of your floor plan which will drastically improve how your home feels.
Second, a designer will be able to give you a more custom design. Designers have trade accounts and will have access to so many vendors that are not available to the public. A designer will be able to source from different vendors and put various selections together based on your style. This allows for a more custom and unique design for you and your home!
Third, a designer can help run the construction project. Not all designer offer this, however, most designers will stop by the job site throughout construction to make sure everything is going as planned. Designers are used to working with contractors and can stand up to them when something doesn’t look right. Hiring a designer can be beneficial because it can be someone on your team fighting for what you want and are paying your hard earned money on.
Construction / Project Management
Whether you are remodeling or sourcing new furniture, an interior designer can act as a project manager. They will be able to manage a lot of the troubles that could possibly occur. They will be able to coordinate with vendors and contractors which can take a lot of stress off of your plate.
Furniture: If your designer orders furniture for your, they will be able to manage everything from ordering to installation. This will make for an overall more professional and exciting experience for you and your home makeover. If something arrives damaged or experiences delays, you don’t have to worry about dealing with the issue. It is one less thing to stress over!
Remodeling: If you are remodeling your home, they can act as a coordinator between trades and make sure that the project progresses as planned. Many things occur during construction that no one can prepare for. This is where a designer can be very beneficial. Sometimes contractors do things the way they think will be better or they don’t do as great of a job as you hope. For you, this is an emotional process because it is your home and money. A designer is used to problem solving on the spot. This will result in less stressful and quicker decisions. Your interior designer will fight for you and help ensure that you get the quality and design that you want.
Deciding if or when to hire an interior designer can be a stressful decision. However, Interior designers can help in so many ways. They can assist you all the way from furniture and lighting selections to a full remodel. It can definitely be hard trying to decide if hiring an interior designer is the best option for you. Hopefully the points made above can help you determine if you should hire a designer based on the project you are planning for your home!
Going for a custom design when trying to remodel a home might really be manageable for us if we do get some help as you advised. This does make me think that we should try and slow down with our planning and wait until we have that kind of help before we commit to the project. I’ll ask for help from a local interior design expert for sure so that this will be easier to plan.
That’s exciting! I definitely recommend talking to a few designers and tell them what you are looking for before fully committing to a project. I hope that you find the right match with a designer and get the home design you are hoping for!