How to work with an Interior Designer
Congratulations, you decided to partner with an Interior Designer on your next project! That means you care about your space, the well-being of the users and your budget!
Find out what the key steps to consider are when working with an Interior Designer.
Finding an interior designer
Finding an Interior Designer can be a very daunting task. Here are some ideas how to narrow your options:
Experience.
Is the interior designer busy doing work related to your project?
Have they worked on projects in your neighbourhood or town?
Does their portfolio reflect the type of work you're interested in?
Hey, can they do the work?
Consider someone that stays up to date with industry trends, processes and materials. Take a look at our most recent work here.
Personality.
Well, at the end of the day this is an ongoing relationship, you want to be sure you will get along during the process. Believe us, this is very important.
Early involvement
The earlier you can get your designer involved in the project, the higher the success rate of your project.
Many issues arise when decisions are not made or made too late. This will cause delays, an increase in cost and a not a desired outcome.
Set expectations and goals
Expectations should be realistic; they should reflect your needs, timelines and your budget.
Talk about money! A healthy budget is great, knowing how to use it is even better.
Timelines are very important; having a realistic timeline sets expectations from the beginning.
Be sure you know what is included within the Interior Designer’s services and what is not.
Take a look at our 6-step Interior Design process
Communication
Many people overlook this step. Ensuring that good communication is part of the process is crucial to the success of a project.
No one likes bad surprises, surprises in this industry come at a cost out of the clients pocket.
Does your designer have a relationship with trades, builders, developers and suppliers? this will help the project to move along smoothly.
Be open minded.
After all you decided to hire an Interior Designer to help you with your project since you consider them the experts in that area. You wouldn’t want to get your tooth fixed by yourself, or do you?
Give them a problem to solve and let them solve it.
Trust them, after all that is what they are trained to do.
Be open to new ideas, they may have suggestions that you may never have thought about.
They represent your best interests, they will do their best to ensure that your project is on time, on budget and exceeds your expectations.
We look forward to finding out more about your needs on your next project!
WRITTEN BY
Francisco Carreón, B.Arch
A licensed architect in México. He holds a Bachelor degree in Architecture from the National University of México, post-grad studies in 3D Animation and Visual Effects from Vancouver Film School. Francisco is a creative professional with varied experience in the field of Architecture and Interior Design, has worked with companies such the Walt Disney Company, Lucas Arts and Discovery Kids.