So you’re hiring a designer to help you with your home? Congrats! Below are a few tips to ensure the process is fun and smooth-sailing.
Have a Budget in Mind. A good designer will be able to work within your means whatever your budget may be, but you must be forthcoming with the numbers from the beginning. A designer does not want to spend hours pulling items that are over your budget nor does he or she want to skimp and miss out on the custom and higher-end items you can afford. Know from the beginning what you want to spend so the design process can evolve accordingly.
Buy What You Love. I cannot tell you how many times I have walked into a home and the first thing the homeowner will show me is a specific piece of furniture or art that she has bought on sale. As the conversation continues, she will proceed to tell me she does not really love it, does not really have a place for it, but nevertheless, it was a deal. Regardless of the price point, if you do not love a piece, do not buy it!
Show Your Designer Anything You Can to Convey Your Taste. Communication is key, and pictures are worth a thousand words, as they say. Pull pictures from magazines and off the Internet that inspire you, such as specific rooms or landscapes or artwork. Giving your designer a visual will help him or her evoke your unique taste into the look of your home. It’s also helpful to show your designer your current home and what you love and don’t love about it.
How Involved Do You Want to Be? Some clients want no part in the design process, while other clients want to be involved in every detail. It’s your home, and either is fine, but it’s helpful to let your designer know up front how involved you would like to be and in what capacity.
Trust your Designer. At the end of the day, you hired this particular person for a reason – because you like his/her style. When a designer gives you an opinion, it comes from experience and skill. This is why you are paying them. Some of my best results have been on projects where my clients were willing to trust me and take a few risks. If you do not have this confidence in your designer, find someone else to help you.
We Want to Make You Happy. Yes, your designer wants to please you, and yes, your designer wants you to be ecstatic with the end result. We work hard and do not always convey the million times we have had to call about the fabric that was never shipped or that we had to send something back as it was not up to our standards. In the end, we are in this together, and we have the same goal: to make your home beautiful and something to be proud.
Hopefully, these tips will help you and your designer work together harmoniously so the process will be enjoyable and the end result will be the home you always imagined! Have fun!