Finding an interior designer for your home
Designing your living space is a big deal, and that’s why finding an interior designer who matches the taste and style for your home’s design is important. Whether you’re planning to build your dream home or remodel your existing home, hiring design help is essential in creating your space beautifully and managing the project’s timeline and budget. But before you rush to hire the first designer you meet, use this handy checklist to ensure you find an experienced and incredible designer, who can deliver outstanding results.
Be inspired
Nowadays, there are many places to connect with interior designers and get design inspiration. For instance, Hipages offers a great platform to find a designer by room style and type. Besides that, it provides a wide range of ideas and photos that can help you make up your mind regarding styles.
Ask for recommendations
Recommendations from friends, family and co-workers are your best source. Word of mouth is still the most reliable and valuable publicity tool around. Similarly, look for a list of professional designers in professional associations in your city or county. As trends are always changing, you may want an interior designer who invests in continuing education, stays up-to-date on the industry and recommends new design ideas like fake plants.
Check credentials
An interior decorator may have good taste, but no training or education in layout, lighting, materials, and more. Therefore, when looking for a designer, remember to review their credentials, including licenses, insurance, certificates and memberships. To gauge the designer’s reputation, look for testimonials on their website or ask for a list of references. Don’t be afraid to call a few references and ask how the designer listened, interpreted and attended to client’s needs.
Examine the portfolio
Design is visual – and what better way to find a designer than to see various visual portfolios beforehand? When examining the designer’s portfolio, first look for a collection of different styles. If the portfolio looks gorgeous but everything has the same design, then your home too, will end up looking like a copy of the others. Also, look for designs that match your taste and style within the portfolio. A great designer uses dramatically different colour palettes, textures, layouts and styles to customize homes.
Check and compare prices
Look for designs that fit your budget. Ask for portfolio images to get a sense of what excites you and what you can afford. Likewise, find out how the interior designer charges. A flat rate helps to set expectations, budget for project expenses and saves money in the long run. Bundled packages often produce the best outcome since they enable the designer to arrange a design plan and offer all design elements that meet the client’s needs.
Have a conversation
Speak to the interior designer in person via Skype or a phone call, or plan a face-to-face meeting. Talking directly to a designer is a great way to ask specific questions and assess your future working relationship. Have several talking points in mind, and if possible, share some photos of places that inspire you. At the end of the discussion, you’ll be able to tell whether or not you can work with the designer.