Art Statistic

Many have asked me over my years of design practice what they should know when they are ready to hire an Interior Designer. My hope is that after reading my article you will take from this the answer you were searching for.

Always ask yourself the 5 questions contained in this article.

– Do you feel you lack the skills for home decorating?

– Have you made home purchases but they are still in the closet or garage because you don’t know what to do with them or where to put anything?

– Are you at odds with a spouse or roommate when it comes to decision making for the design project at hand?

– Are you at odds with a spouse, roommate or someone else when it comes to the way you want to decorate?

– Are you unsure of your personal style and exactly what you like when it comes to home decorating?

Your answers to the questions will help you determine if you should take on the assistance of an Interior Designer. The services of a designer will help you immensely.

Interior Designers are skilled at designing interior spaces and space planning. They also have the expertise on form and function, balance and harmony, color concepts, lighting design, furniture selection and more. Why should you hire an Interior Designer? Simply because you may lack the necessary skills of design and secondly, mistakes will cost you money!

Now I’m not saying that all Interior Designers are alike on the contrary. If you ask five Designers about how a room should be designed, you will get five different answers!

So how do you hire the right Interior Designer? First ask friends or family. Word of mouth is great advertising for any Designer. Perhaps a co-worker has had good experience with a Designer.

A good characteristic to look for in a Designer is confidence in his or her abilities. Also a Designer should respect YOU as a Client and listen to your desires and needs for your design project.

As a part of their consultation, they can provide you with an array of services that will bring your project alive. These services may include: space planning, color concepts, furniture selection and a number of key elements you need to harmoniously come together to accomplish your objectives.

A good characteristic to look for in a Designer is confidence in his or her abilities. Also a Designer should be a good listener to your desires and needs for your design project. State clearly what it is you are hoping for and your Designer will know exactly your personal style.

This is great and exactly what you are looking for in a Designer. And it’s not about how many years the Designer has been practicing you will just know and feel that the Designer truly understands you.

Of course, the Designer must keep the Client on track because they will inevitably fall off track for lack of skill. So the two must join as one, and be on the same page so to speak. This “synergy” must exist between the two personalities do matter.

Interior Designers work with a great team of professionals and special vendors that can get the job done right. The consumer does not have this in-depth, privy information that makes the Designer even more valuable.

Referrals may or may not be given by your Designer simply because past Clients are not willing to give out private information about them. General questions may be acceptable like what kind of projects were completed and was the client satisfied with the results.

You can ask your Designer what types of projects they have completed and if they are experts in home or office design, residential or commercial. Prices will vary so don’t think you can’t afford one. Even if you are on a budget, many Designers will work for you. Most charge by the hour and it can range from $50 to $300 an hour and upward depending on the design project.