Setting Expectations When Hiring an Interior Designer
Have you thought about working with an interior designer but aren’t sure what to expect? Hiring an interior designer could be the game-changing ingredient to transforming your home renovation dreams into a stunning reality. Whether you want help adding some décor to a space or are ready to jump into a full-blown remodel, we’re here to help!
If you haven’t done it before, the idea of hiring someone to undertake this task can feel intimidating and overwhelming – that is if you don’t know what to expect from the process. That’s why we’ve put together a list of key factors to keep in mind and some tips to help you set expectations and work effectively with your designer.
PROJECT MANAGER? THERAPIST? FRIEND? OR DESIGNER?
How about all four wrapped up in one? Your home is such a personal and private space that it's really no wonder that designers end up wearing so many hats. It’s also the main reason that it’s so important to make sure you and your designer are a good fit.
Make sure to evaluate an interior designer during all ‘getting to know you’ opportunities. Here at DS, we offer a free 15-minute Discovery Call so you can get a feel for our personalities, how we work, and we can learn a bit about your project. From there we move to an in-person paid 90-minute Design Consultation, where we do a full walk-through of your space. You can get a feel for how we communicate and we’ll go over your wants and needs, start building your scope of work, and provide you with ideas for your home.
During these introductory opportunities, make note of how the designer makes you feel. Interior design projects can be emotional so you want a designer who will be there to guide you through the ups and downs, keep the project on track and get you the home of your dreams.
HAVE CLEAR GOALS + REALISTIC EXPECTATIONS
It’s okay to not know exactly what you want, after all that’s probably why you’re hiring an interior designer – but it’s crucial to start by defining the scope of work. Think about what space(s) you would like to work on. How much construction is involved? Do you have a specific timeline you need to work within? What is your budget and how would you like to allocate it? All these details will set the stage for the design, development, financial, and logistics phases of the project. This will also assist your designer in understanding your project holistically, which is essential to developing and executing a stunning finished product.
Designology provides every client with a questionnaire to help gather these details. As we tell you to think about these goals, we also want to let you know the next key ingredient to a successful interior design project – know that no matter how much we plan and try to get ahead of everything, there are just too many moving parts for all things to go perfectly. It helps to have realistic expectations that not every piece of furniture or plumbing item will come in on time, or that something unexpected won’t pop up and burst the budget. A general rule of thumb is to know that a home project will usually take longer and cost more than you expect. That’s also where we come in – we’re here to help you understand these potential delays and setbacks.
Most clients are unaware of how much projects normally cost – and as much as we all love to watch home design shows, their prevalence has done the industry a bit of a disservice when it comes to setting realistic goals and expectations. The projects that we see on TV are getting done with tiny budgets and even smaller timelines which just isn't reality, it’s TV magic. We do our best to help inform you based on our experience, but it’s good to keep in mind that estimates are only estimates and there’s no way to 100% accurately know what a project is going to cost until we’re at the very end.
In these ever-changing times, our industry has seen a huge increase in backorders, sourcing issues, and material costs. Whatever budget you have in mind, we always remind our clients that they also need a contingency plan for unforeseen overrun. We recommend allocating anywhere between 10-25% of the overall renovation budget towards a safety net.
You never know when you're going to run into hidden electrical problems, structural issues, or moisture damage...sometimes not until your designer’s foot unexpectedly goes through your subfloor during the site measure. Yes, this actually happened to a client – but now they have a beautiful new (and structurally sound) bathroom!
And finally – designers might sometimes be referred to as miracle workers, but know that every project has constraints. Most designers are natural problem-solvers, and as such we love a good puzzle and thrive on making sure all the pieces fit together. However, it’s important that a client realizes that a designer can only make a space be the best version of itself, they can’t make that space into something it is not. So it’s also important to be realistic about your project and what can be achieved with the resources at hand.
BE DIRECT + DECISIVE
We’re often asked by clients how they can make their design dollars go the furthest – and we love helping you accomplish those goals! We all want our money to stretch as far as it can, especially when dealing with expensive home renovations. Honestly one of the biggest time and money savers is to be direct and decisive.
Even if you only have a vague idea of what you want, try to give some direction via Pinterest boards, Houzz boards, or even pull out some magazines and start tearing out things that you like! This will help your designer to be more efficient in assisting you with your design needs and will end up costing you less in design time.
Communication is key! Always be completely honest with your designer (about your budget, likes, dislikes, and any seemingly crazy ideas you might have for your space), this way you don’t end up with any regrets or need to make pricey revisions later on down the road.
Being decisive during the selection and design process will also help keep your budget on track. If you can avoid making changes after the design has been confirmed you will likely save additional costs associated with delays in the ordering and implementation.
THE MORE YOU KNOW
It’s never too early in the process to get a designer involved! If you’re starting a new construction or renovation project, include your designer in the planning stages with your architect and contractor. This way, your entire team is involved and on the same page and can iron out any potential discrepancies. Sometimes an interior designer will catch things that an architect or contractor won’t because we bring in another perspective. It’s a lot less expensive to reorient a toilet or widen a doorway on paper than to have to fix the issue after construction.
If you don’t already have a contractor, ask your interior designer – they usually have a strong network of highly vetted and recommended people in the trade. You want someone your interior designer can trust – at the end of the day, your designer is the one who works with them the most. You can utilize your interior designer to manage all of the individual parties involved in your project: Architect, General Contractor, Subcontractors, etc.) — trust us: you’ll be thanking your designer later.
Please try to avoid “shopping” your designer. We spend a lot of time developing concepts, designs and pulling selections, so please keep that in mind. At Designology Studio, we are transparent about all our markups in our contracts and we've found that looking for the cheapest deal usually equates to lower quality, and can cost you more in the long run (whether that’s because it took longer to source the lowest priced item and cost you more in design time, or because the item didn’t hold up as well and had to be replaced sooner). We always keep your budget in mind and work with vendors that we know are of good quality and will fit within your budget.
Decide in advance which pieces you’re not willing to let go of. The process will go more smoothly if you share that information with your designer during the initial site visit and consultation. That way, they can plan around the items that you don’t want to part with. It’s also good to be open to change and understand that some items you had originally thought of holding onto may not work in the new space. We absolutely understand the sentimental aspects but we want you to have a cohesive space. We promise we will be honest with you if we think certain items won’t work.
If you’re on a tight budget, don’t assume that hiring a designer is beyond reach. At Designology Studio, we are happy to work on a consultancy basis. We can arrange a few hours of consulting and will help you find material selections, furnishings, and decorative accents for an hourly rate.
Finally, make sure you have FUN! After all, we’re talking about your home – the place you likely spend the most time in (especially these days…), where you feel most comfortable, and share the most memories in. Our team promises to keep you smiling and laughing along throughout the process.
