Posted on July 22, 2021 || News
The decision to hire an interior designer is never easy. How do you know you have the right one? Will the final product be to your liking? Will your home reflect your own style or that of the designer’s, making feel that you are wearing someone else’s clothes?
M2quare is here to help with that decision and to make your life easier. Without further ado, here are seven questions you need to ask before hiring someone to decorate your home for you.
This sounds like it is redundant, but you would be surprised at the number of people who go on a search for an interior designer, only to skip out at the last moment. So ask yourself: Is this a service you truly want? Maybe you have a knack for interior designing yourself and have the time to do it. Maybe you cannot work with someone making decisions about your own home or simply enough, you do not have the budget for it. One thing is for sure: a professional designer can transform your place and give it that extra touch of elegance but for that to happen, you need to be confident in your decision.
Your home is a reflection of yourself. It should tell your story and signify who you are as a person. So, one of the things you definitely need to do is identify your style, find out what design you are most comfortable with and work it into your interior design. Are you closer to a minimalist design? Partial to the Scandinavian style? Do you believe in having more wooden surfaces and earth colors? Or are you happier when surrounded by a more industrial design? Whatever your preference might be, a good interior designer can help you identify it and modify his/her proposals to be tailored made just for you.
Hiring an interior designer is no different than hiring any other professional: usually, you get a good feeling of how the project will work out if you know about previous projects and success stories. You can ask your interior designer to provide you with the 5 last projects he/she worked on to see completed work. Also, ask them if they specialize in a certain design style. If they do and it is close to your style, then you have struck gold!
This is the second most important part. You need to settle on a budget so your interior designer knows his/her limitations and how to modify the proposal to fit you and your fiscal need. A professional interior designer can work wonders within any budget restraints. You don’t need to overspend, you just need to be smart about your choices and clear about your budget from the start.
All rooms in a home are equal, but some are more equal than others! Let’s be honest: we all have a favourite place in our home, a room where we spend most of our time. Be that the kitchen, living room, or even a game room. To get more from your interior designer, it pays to be honest and upfront about this and set a priority on your budget. Identify the area you and your family spend more time in and give that room a bit of extra love, by making it your budget priority.
A good interior designer knows that a certain level of client involvement in the project is to be expected and it should actually be encouraged. This is your home and you should have the final say on how it is shaped. There are designers though that prefer less client input as they believe it will interfere with the vision they have for the project and result in a flawed result. Before you begin getting into specifics, you need to discuss this with your designer and agree upon the level of input you will have. Remember that these people are professionals who do this for a living so allow them breathing space to work your magic and you might find yourself in a place you never thought you were going to get!
A difficult discussion to have but one you must. There is a need to be an understanding of what happens if you are not satisfied with the final result. Should the designer refund you? Should he/she work on it again until you are ok with it? Or is the amount paid non-refundable? A good designer should have the necessary quality tests to assure you never reach this point, usually by asking for your approval every step of the way. Designers welcome difficult projects as it gives them a challenge and they are always ready for all eventualities. Discuss the best and worst-case scenarios with your designer so all parties understand what is expected of them.
#YourHouseIsACanvas #m2quare