Selecting the Right Designer:
If you are thinking about redesigning a room in your home, or even your entire home selecting a designer who you enjoy working with and generally like as a person will make any renovation easier and more fun. Choose a designer whom you are comfortable working with, and understands your personality. Your choice of a designer should be open to your wants, and present you with his or her knowledge of interior design. Asking for a portfolio of past work, credentials and referrals is a great way to ensure you are a making the right choice for your interior designer.
When redesigning a home by yourself it is much easier to make decisions, but if you are a couple decisions might take more discussion, and there will be more pushback as both of you could possibly have different tastes or ideas on the right color choices, furniture selection and overall theme of your renovation. Being able to communicate with your designer openly will benefit both of you as a third party observer is often a good way to mediate on tough design choices.
Your First Meeting:
As you begin working with a chosen designer formulate a budge for the initial meeting. This will help the designer gain a better understanding of what you are willing to spend. Your designer can also help create a working budget based on his or her knowledge of your design objectives. Don’t be afraid to express your concerns or ask questions, and ask yourself questions about how you feel in relation to the elements of design such as color, art choice, furniture selection, and how you want to feel when you walk into a room. Remember, this is your home, and the designer wants to work with you to make sure you are getting exactly what you want. If you are hard pressed to make these big decisions, and have no starting point for your new look let your designer know. He or she will be happy to help cultivate a new look that will not only satisfy you, but also incorporate a fresh new feel to your space.
Prepare for your meeting:
Begin collecting a selection of photographs from magazines, Pinterest, Houzz or other media outlets that will allow you to supplement your feelings on how you want your redesign to look. This will bring those feelings to a reality, as you will be able to express to your designer what you want through these images.
If you are building your home from the ground up it is important to bring a floor plan to the meeting as a designer will want to see how your house works in terms of space. This will help him or her decide how to allocate size, color and design elements to each area of your home.
Mention any favorite color palates, pattern collections or particular fabrics you enjoy. This is your space. Remember to be true to yourself, and don’t let outside sources influence you. This is very important to the success of your relationship with a designer. Speak freely and openly, and any problems that might arise will soon be alleviated as you have already refined your relationship with a chosen designer.
Throughout the Project:
Regardless of the size of the project you are working on with a designer, continue to communicate freely. A good designer will listen to your desires and stay within budget. The designer’s role is to lead, guide, and direct you. A designer’s role should not be one of coercing you into a particular style. It’s a “team” effort to create your dream. Be conscious of deadlines. If the designer gives you a deadline for ordering upholstery for instance, be mindful of that deadline to keep the project on track. Letting the designer offer his or her creative influences will keep the project moving along at a good pace. The designer should be able to use creative ideas to help you, not influence your decisions. Remember to remain open minded as this process is full of fun and exciting decisions that will translate to a space you will love.