FIVE STEPS YOU SHOULD TAKE FOR YOUR INTERIOR DESIGN PROJECT
FIVE STEPS YOU SHOULD TAKE FOR YOUR INTERIOR DESIGN PROJECT
Whether you are embarking on a small interior design project, or a large full-scale renovation, your project steps and the order that you approach your project will make all the difference when it comes time to start your project. Planning for you project, and more importantly, planning ahead is key to reducing costs, saving time, and helping ease all the stress that can come with an interior design project. Read below for the five steps we advise all of our clients to take before they begin their design project.
STEP 1: Budget Your Financials
Your financials are the biggest contributing factor to your project. Most homeowners don’t know how to create a realistic budget before diving into a project. But it’s the single most crucial step to your project's success. If you’re working with an interior designer, they’ll help you create a design budget, right down to every last detail. However, it’s a very good idea to know your desired budget ahead of time and to plan ahead for that. Are you using homeowner financing or bank financing or a little of both? Knowing your budget for what you want to do is key to the outcome and success of your project.
STEP 2: Estimate Your Timeline
Knowing your estimated timeframe for the completion of your project will go a long way toward the expectations you have for each phase of the project. Some things to keep in mind for your timeframe include your project selections, material shortages, manufacturing delays, and the length of time it takes for both design and construction. If you’re working with an interior designer, you should also factor in design time, before you start construction and additional time to select and finalize all materials, furnishings, and finishes. On average this takes no less than 4-6 weeks to complete. But it varies by project.
STEP 3: Focusing Your Aesthetic
First : Pick Your Foundational Element
It’s a common misconception that interior designers create a vision for your space. In reality, the design is not our vision but instead, its yours, refined to the highest degree. So how do you focus your vision?
Every home has some elements that add a little character to the space. It could incorporate a rustic stone fireplace, gorgeous exposed beams, or an amazing rug you picked up from your travels abroad. Choose one feature of your home that really excites you and your designer will use that element as the foundational element for your design project which can drive other design decisions. In the end, your favorite home feature will stand out and pop! Most people identify different aesthetics within their home. Can you?
Some styles that we work with frequently are:
traditional
transitional
modern
farmhouse
minimalist
industrial
french country
rustic
bohemian
Hollywood glam
coastal
Second: Create a Pinterest or Houzz Board of Interiors You Like
Don’t be too concerned with what you like about the spaces. Just follow your intuition and pin the ones that speak to you. We always tell our clients that “Design is subjective. So the more the image speaks to you in some fashion, the better. Even if it’s just one thing in that image that you like, but everything else in that picture you dislike, still pin it. Because more likely than not, that detail will be an important element in the overall design of your space”.
Third: Uncover the Themes
This is where we decide why you like the spaces that you’ve pinned. Do you notice anything in common throughout each image? Is there a certain color palette you are drawn to? A design style or particular ambiance you love? These are the takeaways your designer will refine for your vision. Even though each space itself will be unique, it’s also important to keep the design aesthetic consistent throughout your entire home. Then remove any pinned images that don’t seem to flow so well with the others. The images that remain should support the design principle that you’ve uncovered and will be your guide for your home’s design.
STEP 4: Planning Your Space
Planning your space is an important and often overlooked step in a design project. But you’ll definitely want to do it! So dust off your old tape measure and start measuring your space.
Some Key Points of Interest:
The width and length of the room
Windows especially points where they intersect along a wall
Doorways, (nobody wants to buy furniture they can’t fit through the doorway)
Any furniture you are keeping in your space
The best way to space plan is to draw a to-scale diagram of the area. Then you can draw in your furniture the way you see it fitting in your space, configuring it just the way you like it.
Just a quick tip: Space planning is the area where we see the greatest number of mishaps by homeowners doing it themselves. We highly suggest bringing in a professional for this part, especially if your project includes construction, such as a kitchen or a bathroom.
STEP 5: Selecting Materials and Furnishings
Did you know that there are approximately 400 design decisions to be made per room? Its no joke, '“decision fatigue” is real, and whether you’re working with a designer or handling these selections on your own, it will help to keep in mind, you can only pick two:
Good
Cheap
Fast
Good + Fast won’t be cheap
Fast + Cheap won’t be good
Cheap + Good won’t be fast
When it comes to the quality of your materials and furnishings selections, there’s no question that you’ll have to compromise on something. Knowing this going in and deciding which two you value most in each situation is half the battle. Before finalizing your material selections, ask yourself these questions:
Do your materials selections match up with your budget level?
Do you need to value-engineer your selections to bring it more in line with what you can invest?
Do you need to push your design project out to allow more time to save for the space you truly want?
Do you want custom, bespoke space (call us!) that’s ready by next month? (maybe don’t call us?)
Where are you willing to compromise to ensure the outcome of the project is exactly how you want it?
Quick Note: Although the pick two rule still applies, an interior designer can be an advantage during the process. They’ll assist with or spearhead decision-making and often have vendor connections and even incredible solutions that will get you what you want to improve price and acquisition time.
With over 400 design decisions to be made, per room it’s no easy feat. But following the 5 essential steps in this blog post will put you on the right track.
Next Steps: Come meet us. We’d love to help you navigate the design process and to create a space that you will love! Contact us today at ginalaureninteriors.com!
Cheers!
XOXO,
Gina and The Design Team!