Hiring a design professional for the first time is as exciting as it can be overwhelming and confusing. Gaining clarity and preparing yourself can alleviate the initial stress and help you land on a designer that will take it from there and make the rest of the journey a fun & rewarding one.Below you’ll find our top 3 recommended steps to take before you decide to hire a designer for your project and how to better prepare yourself.
Step # 1 – Inspirational Images. Collect Images that inspire you. Pinterest, Instagram, Houzz, or good ol ‘magazine clippings are great places to start collecting inspiration.Don’t worry about the images not being consistent. Simply save what you love for your designer’s reference and the foundation for your dream design. Designers ask for inspirational images in order to understand the desired feeling for the space. Experience shows that clients often lack the jargon to describe what they are wanting to achieve, therefore, images become a reliable form of communication between the client and a designer.
Step # 2 – Get Clear On Your Budget. Get clear on your budget and don’t be afraid to share it. Knowing what you want to spend and what you are willing to spend will be discussed early on in the project for many different reasons. The main reason is that part of your designer’s job is to be a good stewardess of your money and ensure that the money is well spent and budgeted for the duration of the entire project.Don’t know what your budget should be? A trusted professional will help you develop one and/or pull from past projects similar to yours for reference.
Step # 3 – Interview More than One Designer. Working with a designer is an extremely personal & intimate experience, where you’ll need to make high-dollar decisions. It is crucial to understand how your designer works and whether they are a good personality match.
Things to consider while interviewing designers: Do they LISTEN? Remember, this is your home, not theirs. The designer’s job is to guide you to educated decisions and make your dream spaces come alive, it should not be about what they like.
How do they run their BUSINESS? Did you know there are no standards for running an Interior Design Business? It’s like the Wild West out here! Pay attention to their business procedures to ensure they are able to execute and manage finances and timelines properly, understand how your designer will work on your project from start to finish, and how they will handle your budget. If they seem unsure or unclear – you just weeded out a baby designer. Next, please!Ask whether they completed a project similar to yours in scope and the level of detail you are requiring. Depending on the level of detail and complexity of the job you may need to enlist a more skilled and experienced designer or firm.
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