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Tips for Working with an Interior Designer for the First Time

Working with an Interior Designer

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Working with an interior designer is an exciting way to have your space look perfect. However, there are some tips to keep in mind for things to meet or exceed your expectations. Knowing what to expect will help make this process seem less intimidating.

The idea of using interior design services is often intimidating on the surface if you’ve never taken this step. If you think this option is one you want to pursue, read on to learn a little more.

Know What to Expect Cost-Wise from Interior Designers You Contact

One thing to keep in mind is that the ideas people have about designers’ abilities and real life are two different things. Many people have ideas, based on reality shows about interior designers, that give them realistic ideas about what designers can accomplish in a short amount of time. In real life, designers have a different type of budget and available help at their disposal.

Your costs will involve labor, as well as materials. When extra workers are involved in the process, your prices will increase. One thing to keep in mind is that two designers might approach the same type of project very differently. Asking about pricing upfront can give you a better idea of what to expect. If possible, consider quotes from multiple designers.

Tips for Working with an Interior Designer: Don’t Rush When Making Your Working With an Interior Designer Choice

One of the important things to remember when working with an interior designer is that all of them do business differently and have unique styles. Interviewing a designer by phone or in the context of a consultation can help you here.

Some of the things to find out about include:

  • Preferred billing and contact methods
  • How their design process works
  • What they offer for samples of previous work

How the billing works is something that you’ll want to be sure of before you start. Some designers add an upsell price to their materials, while others charge an hourly rate.

This is a perfect meet-and-greet time to get familiar with each other. If you have photos of design ideas, this is a perfect time to show them off. You’ll have a better idea of what to expect after this meeting.

Communication Matters With a Designer

Communicating with your designer is key to having the best outcome. It’s understandable to not want to overstep your bounds because designers know their job well. However, a designer will appreciate your decisiveness because it makes their job easier.

Designers have a lot of training and know-how to achieve the right look. However, your ideas are what help inspire the creative spark your project needs. A designer could plan the whole thing from start to finish, but your unique ideas would be missing.

Being decisiveness makes it easier for the designer to focus on working with the ideas that you’ve come up with. With a clearer picture of what you want them to accomplish, your designer can work on getting the job done faster. You don’t need to think about having needless delays because neither of you is sure where everything is going.

Designers with a clear direction won’t need to spend time trying to find out if their ideas are a hit or miss. They can focus on pulling everything together according to what you want. Having both of you be on the same page is a win-win because you’re more likely to end up with what you want and the designer can be assured of attracting repeat business.

Working with an interior designer is a great way to get what you want out of any renovation project.  Contact Karin Ross Designs today to get started on your dream renovation project.