When you are undertaking a home remodel or a new construction project, you are committing to spend a large amount of money regardless of whether you end up with a home you love. With the minimal investment in a quality interior designer you can help ensure your expenditure of time, effort and money results in a space that suits your style and the way you live.
The fact is that contractors are in the business of implementing your ideas, not helping you develop them. Tapping into the expertise of a talented interior designer allows you to make the most of your home investment. Most homeowners have not undertaken a large building project, and do not know the ins and outs of designing a home for the functionality they need and the look they want. They do not know the questions to ask, or what is possible. Partnering with an interior designer opens a world of ideas and options that turn a project from passable to incredible.
Define Your Style:
Interior designers will work with you to define your style, sharing images that ensure you are using similar vocabulary. Light blue to you may mean something completely different to someone else. Imagery creates a common language between you and your designer, keeping you on the same page. Once a style has been chosen, you designer will research the available options, tapping into their wealth of trade-only resources and experience.
Spend Wisely:
Most of us work with a budget, and interior designers will help you set priorities on where to put your money and where to save money. Allocating your resources wisely ensures you get what you want in all aspects of your project. Click here to read more about how we helped one of our clients bring high style to a room for a small portion of their remodeling budget.
Focus on Functionality:
Functionality is the root of whether you will enjoy living in your home. Through discussions, site visits or blue prints, your designer will uncover the storage, flow, conveniences and other function-based aspects you need to be comfortable. Their experience in use of space, coupled with knowledge of what is possible, ensures you end up with a design that supports your way of life. Why remodel or build with a cookie-cutter design when for a small investment you can create a home custom-designed for you?
Stay on Track:
The idea of a newly designed space is exciting, and it is easy to get distracted by all of the beautiful options when you are shopping for materials, furniture, lighting, etc. Interior designers work with you to develop a design concept based on not only how you live in your home, but also the look you desire. Then, it is their job to keep you on track toward achieving that plan, steering you away from items that will not support your intentions. In other words, they keep you from making costly impulsive decisions that in the end you will not be happy with!
Using Scale:
One of the most difficult aspects of choosing the elements within a design concept is scale. Many homeowners buy furniture that is too big or lighting that is too small. When a design seems to “not work”, it many times has to do with inappropriate scale. Once the furniture, lighting and accessories are delivered, it is usually too late to change your mind. Interior designers are experts in scale and space, and can guide you to buy the correct items the first time.
What to Look For in an Interior Designer:
It is important to do your homework before you hire an interior designer. Creating a home is an intensely personal experience. You want to make sure you bring in a partner that you enjoy, who listens, and who has the experience you need. The following are some qualities to look for when choosing an interior designer:
1) Project experience – Have they worked on your kind of project before, both in type and quality? If you are looking to craft a high-end home, you will need an interior designer who has access to the quality of materials you expect.
2) Proven Team Player – Do they work well as a team with architects and contractors? What is their reputation among the building and remodeling community?
3) Defined Process and Philosophy – Are they able to articulate how they work and their approach to design? Understanding both of these aspects give you a glimpse into what you can expect up front.
4) Capacity – Do they have the time and staff to support the size of your project? You do not want your designer to be the cause of delays!
5) Personality – Do you think you can work with this person and their team on a daily basis for potentially months on end?
6) Portfolio – Do you like their previous work? At Hoskins Interior Design, we work with the philosophy that a designer should not have one look; rather, they should be skilled at creating a home that reflects their clients’ sensibilities, regardless of style.
7) Resources – Do they have a broad network of rich relationships that allow them access to the materials, products and services you need? Skilled designers have a network that has been built on good work and trust.
Having an expert guide you through a remodeling or new construction process offers many benefits; avoiding costly mistakes, designing for how you live, and opening your mind to the possibilities are just a few of them. For example, we are currently working with a homeowner and his kitchen contractor on a kitchen remodel. Our client is being asked “what do you want” and he does not really know his style or what the possibilities are for his home. By bringing us into the project, we are helping him make the most of his investment while giving him a home tailored to his style and how he lives. He feels he is making a wise investment by hiring an expert and advocate to help him with his remodel, and we agree!
Looking for help with your home remodeling or new construction project? Send us an email or give us a call at 317-253-8986.
