Monday, October 19, 2009

Interior Design: Expertise At Your Fingertips

By Janice Nickole

Over my many years of design I have been asked many questions. One in particular always pops up. How to hire an Interior Designer and what you should know.

Always ask yourself the 5 questions contained in this article.

-- Do you feel inadequate when it comes to home decorating?

-- Have you purchased any items for your home that are still stored away? 3. Do you have the experience but lack the time it takes to accomplish your design goals?

-- Is your day just too busy and you can't find the time to even think about decorating or designing?

-- Are you at odds with a spouse, roommate or someone else when it comes to the way you want to decorate?

-- Are you not exactly sure of what your personal design is or even what type of design would favor the interior space in question?

If you've answered yes to any of the questions in this article, then it is possible you could use the help of an Interior Designer. You won't regret your decision I promise.

Interior Designers have the know-how and the expertise when it comes to interior spaces. Now you may think you know how, and perhaps some of you are pretty good with the DIY (do it yourself) projects, but the truth of the matter is, most of us simply aren't. So for that reason alone should you seriously consider hiring an Interior Designer because the bottom line is mistakes will cost you more in the long run.

Of course not all Interior Designers are alike each one is uniquely qualified in my opinion, but if you ask five Designers to design an interior space, you will get five different design concepts.

So how do you hire and find the Designer that is right for you? Word of mouth is great advertising so you might ask friends or family for a referral. Maybe someone on the job might have hired an Interior Designer recently.

A good characteristic to look for in a Designer is confidence in his or her abilities. Also a Designer should respect YOU as a Client and listen to your desires and needs for your design project.

Meet with your Designer before hiring them. Many will advertise their services on personal websites. Most Designers offer free consultations, which is an informal meeting to break the ice and get to know your Designer. Your Designer will use this meeting to get to know you as well and hear what you desire in your interior spaces.

State clearly your likes and dislikes, your ideas and your desires to your Designer so that he or she can design exactly what you want. Even if you are unsure about your personal design style, an Interior Designer's expertise will know how to put it all together for you.

It is not so important as to how long the Designer has been in practice, rather that he or she is on the "same page" as you.

Your Designer should connect with you. This "synergy" should exist between Designer and Client. Personalities do matter.

Interior Designers will bring together special vendors to the table to help get your interior project done. They are invaluable because they know who to go to and most importantly who not to go to. This in-depth knowledge is exactly what the Client needs. Most consumers are not privy to this information and may end up hiring the wrong team of people.

Referrals may or may not be given by your Designer simply because past Clients are not willing to give out private information about them. General questions may be acceptable like what kind of projects were completed and was the client satisfied with the results.

Most Designers charge by the hour and work with many budget levels so don't think you can't afford one. You'll see a range of prices from $50 dollars an hour to $300 dollars and hour or more. But don't assume that because the Designer is charging the higher end would make them any more qualified or better.

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