How to Find the Right Interior Designer for You
If you tuned in last week, I shared 25 Benefits of Hiring an Interior Designer.
Perhaps, now you feel more confident in what skills and services a professional designer can bring to your home renovation project. However, the next step is to begin the somewhat daunting task of hiring an interior designer that suits your unique style and personality.
As I’m sure you could guess there is a large selection of designers out there available to help you transform your home into your ideal vision, but how do you know which one is the right fit for you?
With each individual business adopting a different design process and the way they operate, it can be somewhat overwhelming to find a relationship and system that works well for you, the client!
The relationship between the client and their designer is super important! The client is asked to grant a significant level of trust to the designer in a relatively short period of time. This is not lost on a designer. They understand the uncomfortable feelings that could come along with handing over some control of the aesthetic of your home and personal budgetary information.
The client should feel free to be honest with their designer about their wishes for the project, and the desired outcome. The designer wants their client to be comfortable speaking their mind, voicing their opinions, and sharing new ideas. As much as a designer may want to read their client’s mind, communication is essential. The designer will ask the client to convey a sense of the scope of the project, their overall design inspiration, and budgetary parameters.
It’s helpful, but not necessary, for the client to have a basic concept of what they’re asking the designer to do. The designer is there to pull out inspiration and make sense of what the client is hoping to achieve while keeping expectations realistic.
So, how do you go about finding the right interior design for you? Here are a few tips!
Part I: Do your research
Ask a friend or family member
Personal recommendations are a good place to start.
If you have a friend or family member that has hired a designer they loved, ask about their experience. Would they recommend that person to you?
The truth of the matter is people have different tastes and style preferences. What may work in a family member or best friend’s home may not work in yours.
Be true to who you are and what you like!
Research online
There’s so much information available online these days, it can be intimidating heading to Google to find an interior designer in your area.
Here are a couple of things to look for. A designer’s website should appear to be current. In addition to a beautiful portfolio, some elements you may hope to find on their website are information regarding the type of services they offer, some insight into their design process, and how they like to work with clients.
Interior Design is a personal thing so you’ll want to see who you’ll be working with and maybe a peek into their personality. Will you get along, or will personalities clash?
Check out completed projects
Do you like their work? This may be obvious but it’s important to mention!
If you are going for a super cozy, rustic, cabin-in-the-woods type vibe and all the designer seems to produce are ultra-sleek contemporary projects, you may think they won’t have the same vision for your project that you have.
However, keep in mind there are clients behind each of those projects. A professional designer is well versed in an array of design styles. If you’re intrigued about the designer and their process, it never hurts to inquire. Your project could be a refreshing change of pace!
Reviews
It’s always helpful to hear from past clients. Be sure to look for testimonials on both the designer’s website and more public forums where the designer is not controlling what’s posted. You may ask for past client references, but confidentiality has to be respected and it may require a little while to arrange communication.
Social media
While social media may not be for everyone, businesses these days should have a presence on at least one or two platforms. This can offer great insight into how a business operates and a designer’s design aesthetic.
Remember social media is a more casual platform where the designer and audience/readers are engaging with one another. Is the business responding to comments in a timely and friendly manner?
This can give you a clue as to how you’ll be treated as a client.
Hopefully, by this point, you’ve created a shortlist of designers you’d like to reach out to!
Part II: Topics to Discuss
The potential scope of your project
In your initial conversation with a potential designer, you’ll be asked to try to describe some key points you’d like to address in your home. Don’t feel like this is set in stone right from the start, this can expand as you move forward with a designer. Projects can be broken into realistic phases that can honor your budget and timeline.
Get honest with yourself (and your partner) about your budget
Remember your overall project budget needs to account for designer fees, furniture, finishes, and materials, labor/installation, shipping/delivery/storage fees, accessories, waste/overages.
What is “waste and overage”? It allows for extra material required to account for pattern repetition and application in flooring, tiling, and textiles.
It’s in your best interest to get real with yourself about what you are comfortable investing in your home. Be confident in sharing your budget with your designer, a large part of their responsibility is staying within the parameters you set at the beginning of the project. They can assist you in allocating your funds appropriately so that the project is a success!
Timeline
Does the designer’s availability match up with your ideal timeline?
Professional designers are almost always working on multiple projects at the same time. A reputable designer should not stretch themselves too thin, they should manage their workload to give your project the time and attention it deserves. This could result in a waiting period to begin the project.
Check for client-centered design / open-mindedness
THIS. IS. YOUR. PROJECT!
You’ll be living in this space long after the designer is gone.
Make sure the designer values creating a design concept for you, your family, and your lifestyle. This can be demonstrated in the types of questions they ask, how well you feel they’re listening to you, and are they expressing an understanding of what you’re hoping to achieve.
Listen to your instincts
Do you feel you and the designer will get along well?
Are they listening to your questions and concerns, and providing thoughtful responses?
This is someone you’ll be working with closely for an extended period of time, and occasionally discussing somewhat personal topics. For example in a master suite renovation, a designer is all up in your personal space and money is a highly personal topic.
Do you feel like the designer understands and respects you?
Do you know who you’d like to hire at this point?
Make sure you reach out and let them know to begin the process! Again, this is a highly personal relationship and a process that should be enjoyable if paired up with the right team. It’s absolutely okay to make a few phone calls and meet in person before deciding who you’d like to invite into your personal space.
What questions do you still have? Leave me a comment below or feel free to submit a question.