Own your style
The first step to hiring an interior designer involves deciding exactly what you want. Of course, you do not have to overwhelm yourself answering that off the top of your head. Instead, in the name of research, you can justify scrolling through stunning interior design posts over Instagram or Pinterest. If you prefer perusing magazines, you can flip through Elle Décor. Mostly, you’ll want to find a style and a color scheme that fits you well. Even talking to friends that own homes or watching the home improvement network could help give you an idea of what you prefer. Maybe you’ll feel more comfortable using an app such as Hutch to take an interactive look at some designs.
Find a designer
Next, you’ll want to speak to the interior designer to get a sense of whether you’ll enjoy working with him or her. Sometimes, the designer will charge a consultation fee; therefore, consider whether you’d rather just save money by doing a social media background check via Google. Just kidding; however, most professionals now have online profiles. Instead of asking for a portfolio in person to check whether the qualifications of a potential interior design partner seem apt, you can often find his or her previous work online.
A lot of people use social media to collect interior design ideas: interior designers know that. Therefore, professionals will leave contact information linked to pins, tweets, or posts. If you see a designer online that emulates your style, you can likely find contact information. If you feel more comfortable asking someone directly for an interior design referral, you can visit stores where people buy home décor products.
Set expectations
Part of the pleasure and peace of mind you get when you hire an interior designer is in the fact that you do not have to know everything about design. However, you’ll have the support and resources of a professional that can implement your ideas. Regardless whether or not you lack design knowledge, you’ll want to express clear goals and a plan with your interior designer. Otherwise, at the end of the project, you may feel that the designer’s vision did not match yours.
The more settled you feel about what you want, going into the project, the more you’ll find that your designer can arrange the space to close to what you pictured — if you specify what you’d like done. That’s not to say that you need to oversee every detail by way of micromanaging the designer. Rather, your approach to the beginning stages of the project should include finding information that will suit your needs and design preferences.
The space you want to create with your interior designer should resonate with you, especially because you’re the person who will live in the new environment after the project with the interior designer ends. The more you can express what you want from the beginning, the more you’ll feel glad you invested in working with someone with a design specialization. It’s also in your best interest to take notes or save email correspondence, so that you do not lose track of the timeline or any ideas you agreed upon with your interior designer.
Outline a budget and timeline
First, it’s important to call multiple interior designers to ask for a price grid to get an idea of a realistic budget. For many people, negotiating a budget may prove the most overwhelming aspect of working with an interior designer; however, a contract with a budget can give you peace of mind, if you set boundaries from the start.
Before hiring an interior designer, make sure to secure a contract in writing to establish both the budget and the timeline. it’s much easier to work with an interior designer knowing a written statement exists that specifies no hidden or additional fees exists outside of the agreed upon price. You’ll want to set clear boundaries and expectations for your project, so that you get the most return on investment. Plus, you’ll feel much more supported by your Interior Designer, if you have a clear of his or her job responsibilities and timeline. It’s important that you can trust the person you’ll hire. Outlining a clear contract from the start will establish transparency and trust.
