How to Find the Right Interior Designer for You
Hiring an Interior Designer can be a nerve-racking experience.
It’s a big investment and the field of designers is more saturated than ever. It’s great to have options but having that many options can be overwhelming. How can you be sure you’re choosing the right designer for your project? Here are some tips to find an interior designer that will work for you.
Find the Interior designer whose aesthetic aligns with your style, or can help you find a style that feels like home for you.
Take a look at the designer’s portfolio as well as their social media posts. Do they have a cohesive aesthetic? Does their overall style align with what you can see in your space? There’s going to be variation between projects but you should be able to envision this designer creating something that will beautifully showcase your personality.
Check for the designer with a portfolio that speaks to you.
If you look at my portfolio, you’ll notice that my work has a distinctive style. The designs I create tend to look transitional with a mix of modern and traditional elements, and they feature organic, earthy color palettes with lots of white. If you want a space with more bold, bright colors, or an industrial or grunge look, or super contemporary styling, my website and social profiles make it pretty clear that I’m not the right designer for you.
Look for someone who understands good interior design principles.
Anyone can claim the title of interior designer. That doesn’t mean they’re a good designer, or that they would be a good fit for your space. Here are some red flags to watch out for when you’re scrolling through a designer’s website and portfolio.
The spaces they are showing are sparse and lack personality. This is one of the most common issues I see across the Internet. In fact, I notice it most on aggregate websites that pull photos from interior designers for inspiration, like Pinterest. A room that lacks personality to me is just a room. But when you can envision the people that live there, I think that’s when a space really is alive and its most beautiful.
The spaces in their portfolio are lacking cohesion across projects. Another common mistake I see is when a designer’s portfolio doesn’t show a common theme of treatment in spacese. This typically can mean the designer is following trends without direction or hasn’t found their niche yet. While i think it’s great for interior designers to experiment, I think that they also need to have a cohesive design vision that runs through all of their work.
Find the designer that has availability to work with you.
Do you have a deadline for your project? Some interior designers are booked out months in advance, so make sure your designer of choice is available. Communicate clearly if you have a specific finish date you’re targeting.
Also, it’ll be incredibly important for you to have an understanding of when and how to communicate with them. While the average busy designer is not going to be on call 24/7, they should be able to answer questions and respond to emails in a timely manner. While one designer can return phone calls within a few hours, another may ask for 24-48 hours to respond. Emails tend to have a longer waiting period, as there might be pertinent information that they need to work through before responding. However, there should be some consistency to their availability.
The right interior designer for you will discuss this upfront and openly. This is one of the things I like to talk about with clients during our consultation so that so that you know what to expect and so that we can make sure that we’re on the same page about how and how often we will be able to discuss your project.
Choose a designer whose rates fit your budget (but don’t skimp).
Obviously, you need to choose a designer who won’t completely drain your bank account, so be realistic about what you can afford. Most good interior designers, formally educated or not, have put countless hours into learning their craft, and yet interior design is still a woefully undervalued service. While it’s true that a friend of yours may have the design eye, they may not have the contacts or resources you need to truly allow you to get the best “bang for your buck” that an interior designer will have.
Choose a designer whose choices you trust.
On a related note, a designer you can trust will make sure that they are thoroughly shopping the available options before they present them to you for your final decisions for selections. Changing the design or shopping for less expensive options after the designer has presented you with in-budget options tends to lead to a waste of time and resources that could have been spent elsewhere. Not to mention, a lot of designers bill you for additional revisions or change orders. A good designer puts in a lot of work up front to make sure they are sourcing material from a range of suppliers that are within your budget, that fit your design, and that are originating from ethically and socially responsible sources.
Talk to the designer before you sign a contract.
A number of interior designers offer discovery calls to prospective clients. It’s a good idea to talk to someone (rather than just emailing) before you hire them for such a big project. You can get a better feel for them, they can get a feel for you and your personality and needs, and it’s a great opportunity to ask more about some of the questions on this list!
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Schedule a free consultation!
Let’s get started on a one-of-a-kind design that you’ll love for years to come. Get in touch with me and we’ll start to talk about how we can make your interior design work for you.
