How To Find The Right Interior Designer For You and Your Home
Interior designers aren’t just for the rich and famous. Sure, they don’t work for nothing and they do require a costly fee but hiring an interior design can actually allow you to save money by helping you avoid costly mistakes with their trained eye, experience and wide availability of resources and connections. The difficult part, however, is finding the right interior designer.
Make a wish list
The first step is to make a list of all the things that need to be done and that require the help of an interior designer. It’s important to know exactly what the tasks are before you contact the designer. This way you’ll be prepared for the questions all professionals usually ask.
Set a budget
Decide how much you’re willing to spend on the project. You should have a minimum and a maximum amount. When you contact an interior design, you’ll be able to transmit the list of requirements and the budget and you’ll receive a feedback telling you whether or not the project is possible.
Develop a timeline
The interior designer will also ask you about the timeline. In other words, he or she will want to know by when you want everything to be done. If you’re not in a hurry, ask for an estimation but don’t simply say “I don’t care how long it takes” or you’ll be set as a low-priority project.
Ask around for references
This is basically what anyone does when they need the help of a professional. Ask your friends and relatives, your colleagues or even your neighbors. They’ll be sincere and tell you if the interior designer they used was great or disappointing.
Google is your friend
You can also search on the web for interior designers. You can evaluate an interior designer by visiting his website or checking his portfolio. Make a list of names and later on you can also go visit their offices.
Start making phone calls
When contacting each designer on your list, present your requirements, your budget and your timeline and write down their responses and feedback. Then you can compare them and shorten the list of names.
Ask for references
Ask the designers for references based on similar projects and budgets. Check these references thoroughly. Maybe you’ll find out important information as well as some tips.
Similar styles
If your interior design has a style similar to yours, it’s more likely to build a great relationship and to obtain satisfying results. This is something you can figure out by looking at the designer’s portfolio, by checking the references but also by actually having a conversation with the person.