It makes sense to hire an interior designer
In a recent interview, an interior designer explained her role in the design process with the following: "A good designer is like a new best friend. They will be both sympathetic to your vision and empathetic to bringing out all of the finest qualities of the property. Their experience of having designed many more homes than you are likely to inhabit in a whole lifetime ensures that you will not be making expensive mistakes and will not feel the potential impact and stress of the project — as they take the strain. They will challenge your habitual way of thinking about space, texture and color and will inspire your own thinking to create beautiful and life-enhancing design."
As past president of American Society of Interior Designers, I naturally have a vested interest in promoting the benefits to be derived from working with a designer and wholeheartedly agree with this designer's statement. And even though I often encourage readers of this column to "focus on furniture," first and foremost, you really need to have a clear view of where you're going with your design project and just how you plan on achieving your goals.
Whether you're someone who hasn't a clue of where or how to begin to design your home, or whether you've got some kind of a plan but need a little help tying the pieces of the puzzle together, or you just don't have the time to do it yourself, designers hold the key to helping your vision come to life.
Still, there are so many misconceptions about what designers do and how their expertise can benefit you that it's helpful every now and then to go over the ways in which designers work and why it's good business to use one.
First, what could possibly be more fundamental, not to mention cost effective, than to have a professional on board to guide you with the best choices for furniture designs, fabrics, backgrounds and a host of other decisions that will have to be made during the course of your project? I've seen how the process can prove overwhelming for those who attempt to "go it alone" and then wind up making costly mistakes, having to experience the heartbreak and financial hardship of paying two and even three times for something that wasn't done right in the first place.
So while it's true that there's a fee involved when hiring a designer, doing so can often help you to avoid costly mistakes while increasing the value of your home. You must believe that designers are not only for the rich and famous, but for those savvy enough to realize their value.
It's a given that designers have different ways of working and of charging for their efforts, but there's little doubt that in the long run, a good designer will actually save you money. There's no such thing as a "typical fee," but that's not a cause for panic because there's really no great mystery to the way that designers work or charge for their services, which could be a fixed or flat fee, an hourly fee or cost plus or any combination.
Once hired, a designer will help you with a budget and help to spend your money in the most cost efficient way. Doing things in the right order for your design plan can save you a lot of grief and is often a key to a successful outcome.
Designers are schooled to know scale, proportion, color, size and texture and are an extra set of eyes trained to see things that you may not. A designer can tell you if something is wrong or right with your home from the get-go. And designers have the ability to make an immediate decision that is the result of many years of experience. In short, a designer will consider factors for maximizing your home's potential that you probably never thought about.
Most people underestimate just how much time is actually involved when deciding on a design vision, taking precise measurements, determining how to "work" the space, selecting and shopping for materials, coordinating with vendors and general contractors, and finally putting it all together. Whether large or small, each project comes with its challenges, such as a lack of storage space, poor traffic flow, color scheme, unusual window sizes or the need to maximize light and space. There are countless facets of a project to work out, many of which designers have dealt with many times before.
Staying on a budget will always save time and money. Designers know the best and most trusted resources so that you don't have to spend precious time researching brands and prices on your own.
They'll do that work for you and help to allocate your money by setting priorities so that you spend some of your resources now and maybe save future phases of your design project for later. A designer will know more or less what products and materials cost and so can help you to work out a clear item by item breakdown of projected expenses before any work begins.
Finally, a designer will help to make that strong connection between you and your architect and contractor along with plumbers and electricians from the conception of your project, helping to avoid design mistakes in your overall plan. And often things that are available to designers are not available to the general public, and trade-only resources are often deeply discounted from retail costs. Finding unusual fabrics, furniture and accessories are, of course, what helps to make your house a home.
The more research and planning you can do with your designer before even starting a project, the more successful you'll be in controlling costs in today's challenging marketplace. Interior design is a skill and an art that will only serve to enhance your home and the quality of your life in that space. Working hand-in-hand with a designer, you'll be able to resolve the money issues so that you can relax and enjoy the power of design and how it can change your life.
— Stephen Leon is a licensed interior designer and president of Soleil Design; he has been designing and manufacturing custom furniture and cabinetry for more than 25 years. He is past president of the Central California/Nevada Chapter of the American Society of Interior Designers. Questions can be sent to soleildesign@cox.net.
