5 Reasons why I should hire an Interior Designer
From time to time, we have new clients contact us and we realize that they don’t really know what an interior designer does exactly. They want to understand what we can do for them and the type of value we bring to their project. Let me break down the main benefits of hiring an interior designer in a few points.
1) The Look (Harmony)
We often hear from clients that they excitedly started a design project and bought this piece and that piece, but once they got everything into their space, they realized it just doesn’t quite hit the mark, and they can never figure out why. After all, they bought their favorite coffee table, their favorite side table, etc. Why doesn’t it feel right? Well, this is actually a common mistake. It isn’t about individual pieces; it’s about the entire room and how all of the pieces play off of each other and harmonize. We don’t pick items in isolation. Rather, we design a space from top to bottom before we ever start purchasing anything. Good interior designers are not coming to you with 5 coffee tables, 6 lamps - then a few days later, art. We give you a cohesive and complete design from the beginning, with everything included and where each piece was chosen intentionally to compliment everything else. Interior designers know how to achieve the feeling you want in a space. We’re trained to do this. We’ve studied this. In fact, we study interiors every single day! The key is scale and harmony, and these are not something that just anyone call pull off. By teaming up with an interior designer, you’re getting a bird’s eye view design plan that takes all your pieces into account, both functionally and aesthetically.
2) Save money
Some may think it is more expensive to hire a designer, but this actually is not always the case. Yes, interior design is a luxury service, but the real expense comes with ordering a sectional that doesn’t fit your space or in a color that has the wrong undertone and having to return it, or worse eat that cost and buy another one. Buying a rug with the wrong material contents may mean the rug is ruined if you spill water on it, costing you even more money to replace it. We can help save you from these expensive mistakes. Interior designers know which vendors offer the best value for varying price levels because we have already put in the work to thoroughly research all of our vendors. We know who carries the best performance velvet and who offers the best value on down inserts. We know to never buy a rug with certain fibers in it. We also know how to spend your budget wisely, and we understand the return on investment on putting more of your budget in this piece vs. that piece.
3) Save time
Who knew building a home or furnishing a space would require SO many decisions and so much time! This aspect can be very overwhelming for homeowners and is most certainly always underestimated. Luckily, interior designers know what needs to be done and in what order, and we are familiar with the products so you will get you where you need to go in much less time. On the list of things that no one has ever said, “I love sitting on the phone with customer support for 3 hours when my furniture gets delivered with damage” has to top the list. When we are doing full service interior design for clients, we take care of all of the ordering of furniture and deal with any damage right away. We have direct relationships with our vendors, so we can cut through the red tape and avoid sitting on hold for hours. We also offer receiving services - an added bonus! A crew receives all of your furniture at a loading dock, inspects it, takes pictures for us, and tucks it away until we need it. This means you aren’t having to be home to accept 100 deliveries, all in different 4 - 8 hour delivery windows, just to later try and figure out what you are going to do with the huge crate it was delivered in. Nobody has time for that! If you have an issue with your products, you just call your interior designer or shoot them a quick email.
4) Reduce stress
Let’s be honest: all of these decisions are stressful. Walking into a tile showroom has made some of our clients’ eyes glaze over. They’re worried they may be making a mistake. Is this a trend that is going to be “out” in a few years? Does the undertone of this white look okay with the undertone of the other white? Will this color combo complement each other or will they completely clash? Luckily you don’t have to bear the brunt of all that pressure to get it right. Clients often express the immediate peace of mind that comes after hiring a professional interior designer. We’re in your corner, and we’re here to help. All you have to do is just relax and trust the process.
5) Trade Relationships
Interior designers have hundreds of trade accounts with limitless customization options that regular consumers don’t have access to. We go to the largest furniture and kitchen/bath markets in the world to study these vendors and their products. Investing a hefty amount of time finding and vetting new vendors is the type of important, hard work we do to ensure that we can bring you the best products for your project. Not only do we have these trade relationships already established, but we also are able to speak the same language. Homeowners typically get a little stressed when the tile installer starts asking which schluter profile they want or questioning if they want a 1/16” or a 3/16” grout line. You don’t have to become an expert in the lingo overnight or buy a dictionary in order to get the home of your dreams. Designers speak the language already and can communicate effectively with architects, contractors, and trades of all kinds.
