How Do You Know When You Need an Interior Designer?
As design-savvy as we are, we all need help sometimes. Let's explore five scenarios where we can benefit from calling in the experts
Nelly Reffet
30 April 2016
Houzz Australia Contributor. Interior Designer at Twinkle & Whistle based in Perth, Western Australia. Creating inspiring and "real" homes for every budget is my bread and butter. Well, make that "baguette and olive oil", in honour of my Mediterranean-French heritage! I believe a beautiful space is not a privilege of wealth and I love nothing more than witnessing how a considerate design positively affects my clients' life.
Houzz Australia Contributor. Interior Designer at Twinkle & Whistle based in Perth,... More
Building and renovating can be fun and exciting, but they can also create a great many challenges. When starting such an involved project, it’s important to collaborate with experts you can trust: builders, architects, tradies, bankers, mortgage specialists, etc. Interior designers are also among this pool of helpful experts, but they’re often considered a luxury and therefore overlooked in an attempt to cut costs. There are, however, a few occasions when an interior designer is crucial for a smoother experience, when they can also help you save money, time, energy and a lot of stress.
1. You are time-poor
Many of us live crazy lives: our time is spent raising families, working one or two jobs, having a social life, spending quality time with loved ones, doing some good in our community, pursuing life goals – and sometimes we do all of that at the same time! What we’re often left with is little time to review plans, to think about the little details and to imagine how the new kitchen design you’re mulling over will impact your daily life. And that’s not even accounting for the time it takes to select the right finishes and colour palette, to source furniture and manage the entire project.
Many of us live crazy lives: our time is spent raising families, working one or two jobs, having a social life, spending quality time with loved ones, doing some good in our community, pursuing life goals – and sometimes we do all of that at the same time! What we’re often left with is little time to review plans, to think about the little details and to imagine how the new kitchen design you’re mulling over will impact your daily life. And that’s not even accounting for the time it takes to select the right finishes and colour palette, to source furniture and manage the entire project.
Whether you need some guidance in making executive decisions or you want a more comprehensive service, interior designers can jump in at any moment of your project and save you a great deal of time, and as a result, considerable stress.
If you’re undergoing home renovations or an extensive building project, get an interior designer to work with you early on in the process. This will help you to go through all your ideas and plans together, to ensure the foundations of your design align well with what you want and who you are.
Even if you don’t need an interior designer’s full services, but instead would like sporadic help as you go, having a professional by your side from the start will give you peace of mind. Knowing that you can delegate some decisions at any time if you feel rushed helps take some of the pressure off.
How to present your ideas to an interior designer
If you’re undergoing home renovations or an extensive building project, get an interior designer to work with you early on in the process. This will help you to go through all your ideas and plans together, to ensure the foundations of your design align well with what you want and who you are.
Even if you don’t need an interior designer’s full services, but instead would like sporadic help as you go, having a professional by your side from the start will give you peace of mind. Knowing that you can delegate some decisions at any time if you feel rushed helps take some of the pressure off.
How to present your ideas to an interior designer
2. You lack design confidence
You love interesting, bold design and are constantly inspired by what you see around you, on Houzz or in everyday interiors you come across. But somehow, you just can’t seem to choose (and commit to) any colour scheme or new design piece. That’s when you need help.
You love interesting, bold design and are constantly inspired by what you see around you, on Houzz or in everyday interiors you come across. But somehow, you just can’t seem to choose (and commit to) any colour scheme or new design piece. That’s when you need help.
A good interior designer will work to understand you. They will try to understand your tastes and your lifestyle, your home and its specific requirements. Then, they will take all of those elements into consideration and suggest a design that works on a practical and an aesthetic level, while pushing you a little (or a lot!) out of your comfort zone.
At first, you might not totally embrace their recommendations – often my clients are nervous, yet intrigued – but that’s a good sign. Give it a bit of time. After a few days, you might find yourself totally in love with the proposal and that feeling will only grow once the recommendations are implemented and the room finished. If, however, after a few days you’re still not sold, talk to your designer; they should happily scale their design back until you feel more comfortable.
At first, you might not totally embrace their recommendations – often my clients are nervous, yet intrigued – but that’s a good sign. Give it a bit of time. After a few days, you might find yourself totally in love with the proposal and that feeling will only grow once the recommendations are implemented and the room finished. If, however, after a few days you’re still not sold, talk to your designer; they should happily scale their design back until you feel more comfortable.
3. You have too many ideas and feel overwhelmed
We live in a world of constant visual stimulation: magazines, TV shows, Instagram, Houzz, your local cafe, your morning walk, your office – interior design is everywhere! It can be a blessing, and it can be a curse because, while this stimulation can provide plentiful inspiration, it can also result in total design overload.
If your head is buzzing with hundreds of ideas and you find yourself constantly oscillating between a variety of styles, colours, materials, or even the general feel your aiming for, you might need some help.
What’s your living room style?
We live in a world of constant visual stimulation: magazines, TV shows, Instagram, Houzz, your local cafe, your morning walk, your office – interior design is everywhere! It can be a blessing, and it can be a curse because, while this stimulation can provide plentiful inspiration, it can also result in total design overload.
If your head is buzzing with hundreds of ideas and you find yourself constantly oscillating between a variety of styles, colours, materials, or even the general feel your aiming for, you might need some help.
What’s your living room style?
It’s an interior designer’s job to help you get back to basics. I remember once working with a client who was struggling to see her house for what she wanted it to be, and to streamline her vision. She was building a massive contemporary house in the hills, yet was scrapbooking images of cute little cottages and rustic beach shacks.
My first task was to remind her what she was working with: large open spaces, concrete floors, oversized windows, an abundance of natural light and greenery, with an indoor-outdoor feel. As soon as she visualised her house for what it should be, she started refining her vision and focusing on what would work for this particular house, not just on what she liked. It saved a great deal of time and frustration, and made the decision process much easier throughout the entire building process.
My first task was to remind her what she was working with: large open spaces, concrete floors, oversized windows, an abundance of natural light and greenery, with an indoor-outdoor feel. As soon as she visualised her house for what it should be, she started refining her vision and focusing on what would work for this particular house, not just on what she liked. It saved a great deal of time and frustration, and made the decision process much easier throughout the entire building process.
4. It’s your forever home
You’re not building a house with the view to sell it at some point. You’re building a house just for you, where your family will grow, your unique needs and wants will be catered for, and your personal history will be made day after day. It’s not a house that’s meant to please the majority of people – it’s your very own indulgence.
We’re so used to thinking in terms of resale value and marketability that it’s sometimes difficult to know what would really work for us.
You’re not building a house with the view to sell it at some point. You’re building a house just for you, where your family will grow, your unique needs and wants will be catered for, and your personal history will be made day after day. It’s not a house that’s meant to please the majority of people – it’s your very own indulgence.
We’re so used to thinking in terms of resale value and marketability that it’s sometimes difficult to know what would really work for us.
An interior designer will give you a unique perspective on you, your home and your lifestyle, as seen through their expert eyes. They will also make recommendations with the long term in mind, often steering you away from one-off trends and focusing instead on timeless design that reflects your personality and needs.
5. You and your partner just can’t agree
According to a Houzz survey, renovations have been known to cause breakups (12 per cent of those asked admitted to considering a separation or divorce mid-renovation), because of the stress and strain the process can put on a relationship.
Apparently, the main cause of tension is that the couple can’t agree on priorities, and their tastes are incompatible. These tensions can also slow down the renovation or building process, which causes even more tension.
A while ago, I was contacted by a lovely couple who needed help with their bedroom. They couldn’t agree on anything for the room and as a result had been living for years with a hand-me-down broken bed and a bare light bulb. They felt so paralysed by their clashing tastes that they couldn’t make any decisions, and stayed with their inappropriate furniture until I stepped in.
According to a Houzz survey, renovations have been known to cause breakups (12 per cent of those asked admitted to considering a separation or divorce mid-renovation), because of the stress and strain the process can put on a relationship.
Apparently, the main cause of tension is that the couple can’t agree on priorities, and their tastes are incompatible. These tensions can also slow down the renovation or building process, which causes even more tension.
A while ago, I was contacted by a lovely couple who needed help with their bedroom. They couldn’t agree on anything for the room and as a result had been living for years with a hand-me-down broken bed and a bare light bulb. They felt so paralysed by their clashing tastes that they couldn’t make any decisions, and stayed with their inappropriate furniture until I stepped in.
In such relationships, an interior designer often acts as a mediator when it comes to house-related decisions. Because they’re not emotionally involved, they only use their professional knowledge when they make recommendations.
An interior designer will listen to both parties and will also ensure that each person’s tastes and personality is addressed in the interiors. It’s a balancing act based on compromise and respect for the individuals within the relationship.
A successful design is one where both parties feel valued, comfortable and at home. And that’s also the key to a successful relationship.
TELL US
Have you ever hired an interior designer? Did you feel you benefited from their help, and would you ever consider hiring one again? Tell us your thoughts and share your experiences in the Comments section below.
MORE
What Chihuahuas Taught Me About Interior Design
8 Questions to Ask Yourself Before You Renovate
Attention All Renovators: 11 Things to Expect
An interior designer will listen to both parties and will also ensure that each person’s tastes and personality is addressed in the interiors. It’s a balancing act based on compromise and respect for the individuals within the relationship.
A successful design is one where both parties feel valued, comfortable and at home. And that’s also the key to a successful relationship.
TELL US
Have you ever hired an interior designer? Did you feel you benefited from their help, and would you ever consider hiring one again? Tell us your thoughts and share your experiences in the Comments section below.
MORE
What Chihuahuas Taught Me About Interior Design
8 Questions to Ask Yourself Before You Renovate
Attention All Renovators: 11 Things to Expect
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It never occurred to me to get a designer, to be honest. We spent a lot of years living in housing and with furniture supplied by the employer. Never had any choice about paint, tiles, finishes, upholstery colours, carpet colours, etc, in all that time, so the chance to actually do it all ourselves was too good to pass up.
I could not agree more with you, Lis! It's completely essential!!! Clients and people often ask me what my style is, as an interior designer, and my answer is: "my style is what the style, lifestyle and house of my clients' require me to have" Sure, there is some constancy in what I do (I am better at relaxed, "unpretentious" spaces that are made for living, not for show), but it's not a style as such. I personally think it is the beauty of being an interior designer: it allows us to express our creativity in so many different ways, including in ways that are not of our own tastes, while tapping into people's personalities and lives. It is the opposite of being pigeonholed into one particular way of designing. All the best in finding that "elusive designer", it's out there, for sure. (and if you're in Perth, WA, don't hesitate to give me a call :) )