How Do You Know If You Should Hire An Interior Designer?
How do you know if you should hire an interior designer?
Starting a design project can be overwhelming for so many. Oftentimes, it can be just as overwhelming as buying a house. Whether you are remodeling your home, or adding on, or building a new home from the ground up, hiring the right team that is going to deliver the end result that you want is the most important thing you will decide.
From the architect and builder to the never-ending question of “should we, or shouldn’t we” hire an interior designer? There are many reasons why you should. Of course, we are biased in that realm, but all jokes aside, we truly believe it is imperative for the successful outcome of your project. Having someone with the know-how, and the design expertise to pull the entire design together is going to make or break your project. Think of a designer as the Northstar for your design project, your guiding light, the one that will lead you to the result that you want. Kind of like your best friend, who will always be there for you, tell you the truth and guide you when you get lost. Not only are there hundreds of decisions that have to be made on a design project, on average, there are over 400 design decisions to make per room. Multiply that by the number of spaces and rooms you are working on! So if you think you can DIY it, and you have the time and know-how to execute a design plan for your project, then by all means go for it.
But for those who are still on the fence about it, here are some follow-up questions that you might want to consider. For instance, you might ask yourselves, “do we need a designer? Can we afford to hire one? Or, can we DIY it? But let me ask you something that can help you determine if hiring a designer is right for you: Do you have the time, and the know-how to execute a full design vision for your home project on your own? It takes a lot of hours to create a design, depending on the size of the project, sometimes even hundreds of hours with larger renovations and new builds. Other things you’ll want to consider are: do you work full time, have young kids, have responsibilities that will affect the time and detail it takes to execute your design vision.
And since the builder isn’t a designer, and most of them don’t even want to step foot on that side of a project, if they don’t already require it in order for them to work on your project, most builders want and recommend you to hire an interior designer anyways.
Designers not only bring the creative ideas, the materials, and the know-how to a design project. But they manage to keep the project under control, on time and on task, they work hand in hand with the entire design team, which includes the architect, engineer, builder and the client. They will take the decision fatigue away from you, the stress of having to research materials & application, what looks good, and what doesn’t, plus the endless back and forth decision fatigue that occurs most often throughout the timeline of a design project.
Interior Designers know what products are going to look good and meet your budget, they’ll put together the required spec book of all spec sheets for you so the contractor doesn’t keep pestering you with questions that you don’t know. They’ll select all the finishes, the materials, design layout, create the plans for the builder to execute your design, they always have your end goal and design vision in mind for your project. Without these details, you could actually stall, stop or hinder the progress of your very own project.
I can tell you from experience that many builders feel a great sense of relief when they learn that an interior designer has been hired. This is because they know there is an expert and an experienced design professional to help the clients with the hundreds of design decisions that have to be made during the project. Hiring a designer comes down to really a few questions that you’ll want to ask yourself.
How big is your project?
What is your budget for your entire project?
Has your architect or builder already brought up hiring a designer?
Is your time important to you?
These are some of the questions you’ll want to ask yourself when you are thinking about hiring a designer. If your project is a total gut renovation, new build, or addition, then yes you will want to make sure you have an experienced and qualified designer on your project. If you have a healthy budget for the project and you can do so, then yes, you’ll want to definitely hire a designer for your project too. And you’ll especially want to consider hiring a designer if the architect or builder brings it up. And finally, if you are a busy couple or family, and your time is important to you, and you have young kids and you don’t really have the know-how or confidence, then yes you’ll want to definitely bring in a designer for your design project. It is very important that your project results in the outcome that you envision. When you are spending thousands of dollars on your most important asset, who you hire matters. Doing it right matters. And doing it so that you feel comfortable, confident and stress-free is priceless.
At the end of the day, it is your house, your family and your dollars. I can tell you for sure, that your money is never wasted on hiring experienced, knowledgeable and skilled experts to bring your vision to life. Hiring an interior designer only enhances your project. With the constant continuing education designers receive, the vendor relationships they have, the expertise and know-how to execute a design vision, and even the fact that a designer will be able to introduce certain ideas and products to you that you may not ever have known about if you were doing it on your own. Designers are important to the success of your project. I would even go so far as to say that they are the cornerstone of your project. They make the process easier for you, walk you through the project step by step, hold your hand with every step of the way and through to the end. In fact many clients tell us that they couldn’t have done their project without the help of our design team. It allowed them space to breathe, reducing the client’s overall stress levels and allowing them to focus on what matters most to them, their families and their lives. So all in all its really a win-win to hire an interior designer. Afterall, the clear direction and guidance you get from an expert designer is unparalleled.
XOXO,
Gina