Undertaking an interior design or remodeling project can be a stressful endeavor. When deciding to take on such a project, we typically imagine the final outcome — how wonderful our new bathroom will be with all that additional light or how much better our kitchen will function with more counter-top space — rather than the often disruptive process it will take to achieve this. The best way to ensure that your project stays on track and you keep your sanity is to hire a professional interior designer.
A good interior designer is a project manager
In addition to being an expert on design, a good interior designer is also a good project manager. Your designer should be your single point of contact who will help you address any of the common pit-falls that will invariably accompany your project. While the issues that arise might be new to you, an experienced interior designer has surely seen them before and can easily guide you through them.
Once you’ve made the decision to remodel or redesign your home, there are a host of other considerations to make: Which products should you choose? Which vendors are the best? Which ones fit my budget? And were do I buy it? Finally and most importantly, will the space you are envisioning actually function well with both the rest of your home and the other members of your family?
A good interior designer is a teacher
In addition to being an expert in design and project management, a good interior designer is also a teacher. Her job is to educate you so you will be able to make the proper choices that will ensure your project’s success. You shouldn’t be running to and fro trying to gather the assets for your project, an interior designer will have access to resources and knowledge of product lines well beyond what most people have available to them — certainly more than are offered at a large retail store — and can guide and educate you toward items that truly represent the aesthetic you are trying to achieve.
A good interior designer makes a plan
Many “Do-it-yourself”ers get overwhelmed by the seemingly vast nature of their remodeling project, especially if it involves more than one room. A professional interior designer will be able to visualize your project in the big picture, translate it into a manageable plan and make sure your project progresses according to that plan. Breaking your project into manageable phases will ultimately save you money and can significantly reduce your stress, especially if your budget is a concern. A good “master plan” can be accomplished gradually, as budget allows, with the completion of each phase providing the dramatic change that accompanies the completion of a whole project while allowing the “space” to replenish your budget so you can complete your overall vision.
A good interior designer knows the trades
A good professional interior designer will know her trades. She will have good working relationships with the tradesmen and women who install her products. The wonderful home and building industry tradespeople are eager to do good work for good people and a good interior designer will attract the best of the bunch. This will ensure that you, the consumer, get the best value for your money.
A good interior designer will ensure your project’s success
Remember, not only are you hiring a professional interior designer for her creative abilities and design expertise; but also for her project management skills, her product knowledge, her educational abilities and her network of relationships. It is completely possible to mount a redesign or remodeling project without this skill-set but incorporating them into your project by hiring a professional interior designer will save you money as well as your sanity.
As an interior designer with over 30 years’ experience, a good number of my clients have found me after trying to go it alone, after they’d already spent a considerable portion of their budget chasing dead ends. I was able to take over the management of their project, share with them my design and product knowledge, provide them with a plan to achieve their interior design dreams and, ultimately, save their sanity.
If you’re considering a new interior design or remodeling project, save your money and your sanity by hiring a professional.
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