Your home is your haven, it is the place that you come back to at the end of a long day. When you come home you want to feel safe, you want the space around you to feel like you. You want beauty, you want comfort, and you want your home to suit your needs. So whether you are drinking a cup of coffee in the kitchen, watching your favorite series on TV in the family room, sitting at your desk in the study, or just plain reading in bed…. your space ought to feel like it is a part of you, of who you are. You wish to be enveloped with a sense of home and belonging!
For your home to become your retreat it needs to be decorated in a manner suitable to your personality and your needs. Unfortunately, not all of us have been blessed with the talent of decorating a home; of making it both functional and aesthetically beautiful. Most of us need the professional help of an interior designer to make our dream home a reality, though many will ask themselves, “why can’t I do it on my own and save money?”
Why an Interior Designer?
There are so many reasons to work with an interior designer, that are not always obvious. First and foremost, an interior designer will help you pinpoint your design style. An interior designer will help you define what your dream actually is. An interior designer will encourage you to search websites and explore social media for pictures and ideas. They will suggest that you leaf through décor magazines and read blogs; that you throw ideas around with your family and friends. Slowly, and with guidance, an interior designer will help you shortlist the images and ideas that suit your sensibilities. You will be able to see more clearly what your aspirations are; you will be able to define for yourself what your vision is. Together, you will create the concept that is right for you!
Another crucial aspect to proper design is planning the space. This means analyzing and defining the different areas of the space and understanding its circulation patterns. For example, more people are expected to dwell in a living room setting or a kitchen area than in a bedroom. A good interior designer will be able to handle challenging space issues, like oddly shaped rooms and rooms that are too small or too large. An expert interior designer will be able to offer creative solutions to optimize the givens of any space, taking into account details such as furniture, appliances, etc.
More Benefits to Working with an Interior Designer
Although initially you might feel that hiring an interior designer adds extra cost, in the long run, it actually saves you money. By hiring the right professional, you will avoid making major mistakes along the way. In order to avoid those mistakes, interior designer Annette Frommer greatly believes in working with renderings and mood boards. According to her, “mood boards and renderings are a great tool that I always use. Not only do they help me communicate my visual ideas to the client, but they also help the client really envision and understand the way the space is going to look. Only then can they really approve the idea – seeing the vision laid out before them saves so much time, energy, and money too”.
An interior designer will ensure that you are paying the right price and can often obtain major discounts from suppliers. This saves clients time, aggravation, and money of course. Also, designers can provide advice and can artfully incorporate items that you already have in your home, actually transforming their look and function.
Choosing furniture and accessories takes a lot of time. An interior designer does the running around and all of the legwork involved in this. Their trained and skillful eye will source all that is necessary for the vision you have, within the budget that you have agreed on.
In short, an interior designer will create a very personal and timeless interior suitable for your unique and individual specifications. The right interior designer will transform your space into a real home!
The big question is how to choose a creative professional that suits your vision, your budget, your temperament, and so on.
The Challenge of Choosing an Interior Designer
Before you start looking for a professional to fulfill your dream of either decorating a brand-new home or remodeling an older one, you need to sit with yourself and your partner and do homework! You will most likely ask friends, colleagues, and family about a potential interior decorator. You will want recommendations. You will want to hear from someone you know and trust, someone whose taste is similar to yours. Once you get a couple of names you will start to examine your various options.
What to Keep in Mind when Looking for an Interior Designer
Today, the first place we go to is the web. You will search for the designer’s name. Look at their experience. See if they have a website and study their previous projects, their level of expertise to see if they match the initial idea that you have in mind. Once you come upon a potential designer that seems to suit you, get in touch with them. Set up a meeting. It is extremely important to have a click with your designer. After all, you will be working together for a good couple of months or even a year. Make sure you see things eye-to-eye and that you can work together in sync. It is so important to coordinate all expectations. A good designer will adapt their style to yours, in order to achieve an unforced and natural look. As Annette Frommer says, “no matter the style, I always endeavor to achieve beauty, harmony, and elegance. Elegance is key and it is achieved when there is cohesion, softness, and subtlety, so that the final result appears to be flawless.”
It is Crucial to Discuss Timelines and THE BUDGET
Once you have found your dream designer and have managed to coordinate expectations, it is of the utmost importance to discuss the budget, the designer’s fees and to make sure that you understand what services they do and do not offer. Discuss timelines as well and remember: Chances are you will need to add an extra 20% to your total budget for miscellaneous costs.
If you are lucky enough to find an interior designer who sincerely adores their profession, they will do the maximum for you so that your home is eye-catching and spectacular – just like you dreamed it would be. In Annette Frommer’s words: “I think that as a designer, it is extremely important to continuously be inspired, be creative, and to strive for quality and distinction. It is challenging to remain fresh, original, and timeless, but it is not something we can compromise on.”