Working with a designer from The Home Studio should be an exciting process. However, if you’ve never worked with an interior designer before, taking the leap into the world of interiors can leave you paralysed with indecision and a full range of emotions.
Designing your home is a team effort between you and your designer. Consider them to be a serenely patient mentor who listens to your wants, needs, and dreams – and then helps you bring them to life in a cost-, time- and comfort-efficient manner.
To help you move forward, we’re sharing our top tips on what you should know before booking your designer.
1. KNOW YOUR BUDGET FROM THE START
If you know from the start how much money you have available for your project, your designer can accurately design your space to stay within your stipulated budget. It is important for you to think how that budget is going to be spent too. If your project is only about furnishings and decor, often that budget can go a little further. If your project is going to involve construction – labour, installation, material and fixtures will need to be factored into the equation.
It is also important for you to think about where your priorities lie. Perhaps you are looking for all new furnishings for your living space, and are happy for 70% of the budget to go towards a new sofa, with the rest of the pieces coming out of the last 30%. If your designer knows this from the start, they can accurately source the relevant pieces for your project.
2. HAVE A VISION
Pinterest is your new best friend. Or scrapbooking if that is your preference. Tear out pictures of rooms, furniture, colors and fabrics that you like from magazines. The more you know about what you want of your space and the more you share, the more tailored and precise the choices presented to you will be. You’re potentially wasting billable hours if you don’t make it clear that you hate the colour red or the look of mid-century furniture.
If you don’t know what you want out of a room, taking a peek in your closet can be a big help. What colors are most garments? Are you more traditional or experimental in your personal style? Your home should reflect you as a person and your lifestyle, so taking cues from other aspects of your life will help a designer create a wonderfully personal space for you.
3. KNOW YOUR ROUTINE AND HABITS
If you’re the kind of person that tosses your bag on the floor when you walk into the house, perhaps your entryway would be better served by a bench and hooks, than a styled console with no functionality. Do you wear shoes in the house, or leave them at the door? This will affect the type and colour of flooring and rugs used throughout your home. Plan on having a dog or a baby? The answers to all these questions can help your designer plan your spaces in a way that will not only suit your lifestyle, but also make it more streamlined and organised.
4. TRUST THE PROCESS
So you’ve hired a designer for the first time – congratulations, you’ve taken the first step towards making your home a place you love. Now its time for you to trust the process and remember you’re working with a pro. While this is definitely the most terrifying part of the process for the client, the more open minded you are, the more you will get in return. The thing about stretching your aesthetic boundaries is that you can’t anticipate what new pieces you might like until you see them
Each designer has their own process for working at maximum efficiency and it is important to follow their lead and provide the feedback they are asking for. If you have done your due diligence for one, two and three above, your designer should have excellent insight into who you are and what your hopes for the end result are.
5. EXPECT EXPLORATION
When you are working in an hourly structure, sometimes it feels like you are racing against the clock. We designers understand this and are truly invested in making the best use of your time. However, you don’t want your designer to rush. Interior design is a process, one that requires a good amount of exploration.
The most common question at the start of a project is “How long is this going to take?” A good answer to that is, “How quickly are you able to make decisions?” Time can get lost in the process from uuumming and aaahing over one source against the other, or when people start getting sentimental over the current furniture or objects they own. Unless you are giving your designer the go-ahead to make all executive decisions, expect some back-and-forth in the sourcing process.
If you like an option your designer presents, GO FOR IT!! Let go of the anxiety and fear that something better is around the corner. This type of paralysis can halt a project in its tracks, leaving you overwhelmed and under-decorated, and wasting precious time. Follow your instincts every time, and your designer will keep you on track to bring together your favorites pieces in a smart and savvy way.
Ready to to get started? Visit us online to learn more about our services, or contact us at [email protected] to schedule your complimentary consultation.