How to Clearly Communicate Your Design Ideas to an Interior Designer
Learn how to verbalise your vision to your interior designer to get the home of your dreams
Do you ever wonder what would be the best way to get your ideas across to a designer? In order for your designer to really give you the best design solution, they must first understand who you are, what you like and exactly what direction you should be headed. Here are a few ways you can organise your thoughts into a simple and understandable format to present to professionals.
To achieve exactly what you want out of an interior designer and their final design solution, it is very important to present your ideas and inspiration in a clear fashion. Following are some ways you can do just this.
Create a mood board
Mood boards are for the conceptual phase of your project. They determine the look and feel that you want to evoke. A mood board comprises a collection of images that gives your project a tone of voice and real personality. These images can represent emotions, colours and even some materials you love.
Mood boards are for the conceptual phase of your project. They determine the look and feel that you want to evoke. A mood board comprises a collection of images that gives your project a tone of voice and real personality. These images can represent emotions, colours and even some materials you love.
There are many ways to make a mood board. A Houzz account is a fantastic visual tool to utilise. Create a Houzz account and set up your Ideabook to store a range of photos of rooms you adore. Then invite your designer to join your page or give them a link to follow so they can see firsthand the style you like.
You can also create a mood board on your computer by cutting and pasting images you like into a word document, for example, or cut out photos from magazines and brochures and stick them onto a large A3 piece of card.
You can also create a mood board on your computer by cutting and pasting images you like into a word document, for example, or cut out photos from magazines and brochures and stick them onto a large A3 piece of card.
Gather inspiration
Once you have collected your imagery, decide and nail what it really is you like about your inspirational photos and designs. For example, in this photo, is it the way that all the different materials and their textures have been carefully positioned in horizontal and vertical directions, or is it the airy and secluded atmosphere that attracts you?
See more of this home in Melbourne
Once you have collected your imagery, decide and nail what it really is you like about your inspirational photos and designs. For example, in this photo, is it the way that all the different materials and their textures have been carefully positioned in horizontal and vertical directions, or is it the airy and secluded atmosphere that attracts you?
See more of this home in Melbourne
Source your references
The best way to get the most out of your inspirational imagery is to locate where it comes from. You may come across more revealing information that can help you with your own design.
On Houzz, photos have the name of the Houzz professional/homeowner/ photographer/blogger on the upper right hand corner of each image. This makes it easy to find who uploaded it, who designed it and maybe what their inspiration was.
The best way to get the most out of your inspirational imagery is to locate where it comes from. You may come across more revealing information that can help you with your own design.
On Houzz, photos have the name of the Houzz professional/homeowner/ photographer/blogger on the upper right hand corner of each image. This makes it easy to find who uploaded it, who designed it and maybe what their inspiration was.
Know who you are
What gets you up in the mornings? Where did you come from and who do you live with?
All these questions about your passions and the things you do and don’t like will affect your final design. Your space is going to reflect your lifestyle choices and it is very important that you write down all these personal things before you approach your designer about what you want.
We all like to think we know ourselves really well, but actually spelling it out to people can be hard! For example, someone in your family may get up very early for work, turning on the noisy kettle. Therefore, a functional and finalised design will mean that the kitchen is located away from your bedroom or that certain materials are used to absorb sound, resulting in a well-thought-out design.
What gets you up in the mornings? Where did you come from and who do you live with?
All these questions about your passions and the things you do and don’t like will affect your final design. Your space is going to reflect your lifestyle choices and it is very important that you write down all these personal things before you approach your designer about what you want.
We all like to think we know ourselves really well, but actually spelling it out to people can be hard! For example, someone in your family may get up very early for work, turning on the noisy kettle. Therefore, a functional and finalised design will mean that the kitchen is located away from your bedroom or that certain materials are used to absorb sound, resulting in a well-thought-out design.
So, you’ve nailed down points about who you are, but how do you present your lifestyle to a designer?
You can bullet-point all these things about you out on a piece of paper, or even draw a circular clock and jot out the important routines that go on in your life at certain times of the day.
You can bullet-point all these things about you out on a piece of paper, or even draw a circular clock and jot out the important routines that go on in your life at certain times of the day.
Have a ‘semi’ idea
If you have an idea that’s not really fully resolved, do not worry. It’s the designer’s experience, skills and profession to come up with ideas and answers to your questions.
If you have a vintage sign, your mothers trunk, some old planks of timber or are still holding onto your children’s first pair of shoes, but don’t really know if you can/should or how to work the item into your new design, just mention it to your designer. Show them the item, tell them about your dream and expect them to come up with something excellent.
If you have an idea that’s not really fully resolved, do not worry. It’s the designer’s experience, skills and profession to come up with ideas and answers to your questions.
If you have a vintage sign, your mothers trunk, some old planks of timber or are still holding onto your children’s first pair of shoes, but don’t really know if you can/should or how to work the item into your new design, just mention it to your designer. Show them the item, tell them about your dream and expect them to come up with something excellent.
Know when to let go
Always remember, sometimes less really is more. Hopefully, you will have lots of exciting ideas you want to incorporate into your design, but sometimes trying to do too much will result in a complicated and visually unpleasing design.
At some point you will have to part with ideas that just won’t work with others. Often it will be your interior designer who is suggesting what to drop (try to trust them!). You can always put these ideas or that bright chevron wallpaper sample away for another time, you might find that 12 months down the track you won’t like it anymore anyway.
Always remember, sometimes less really is more. Hopefully, you will have lots of exciting ideas you want to incorporate into your design, but sometimes trying to do too much will result in a complicated and visually unpleasing design.
At some point you will have to part with ideas that just won’t work with others. Often it will be your interior designer who is suggesting what to drop (try to trust them!). You can always put these ideas or that bright chevron wallpaper sample away for another time, you might find that 12 months down the track you won’t like it anymore anyway.
Maintain a balanced relationship
There will be things you don’t like that your interior designer puts forward. Sometimes your designer can be heading in totally the wrong direction. This can happen when you haven’t been clear with what you want or if you have been misinterpreted.
There will be things you don’t like that your interior designer puts forward. Sometimes your designer can be heading in totally the wrong direction. This can happen when you haven’t been clear with what you want or if you have been misinterpreted.
The golden rule to manage a positive and productive relationship with your interior designer is honesty (note: polite honesty). If something is not gelling with you, you need to speak up.
Re-evaluating sooner rather than later is always best. You need to make sure you get all changes that occur in writing so you and your designer are covered with any misunderstandings that may happen (email is a great way to record everything).
At the end of the day, you are the client and you are paying for the skill set and creativity of an interior designer, so beginning the project with a clear vision is very important.
MORE
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8 Design Habits of a Successful Architect
Re-evaluating sooner rather than later is always best. You need to make sure you get all changes that occur in writing so you and your designer are covered with any misunderstandings that may happen (email is a great way to record everything).
At the end of the day, you are the client and you are paying for the skill set and creativity of an interior designer, so beginning the project with a clear vision is very important.
MORE
What’s Your Living Room Style?
How to Style a Coffee Table
8 Design Habits of a Successful Architect
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