If you’ve decided that your home needs a style makeover but you’re not quite sure how to get the look you’re after, or you simply don’t have the time or the inclination, an interior designer can help. It’s all very well seeing pictures of gorgeous interiors in magazines but let’s face it, getting your home to look like that takes professional help.
Your home is your pride and joy, so obviously you will want to look for a designer who understands your vision of what you are trying to achieve. More than that, the designer needs to have the creative skills to turn the sitting room, bedrooms or even your entire house into a space that reflects your personality, that works for your family on a practical level and that you will love spending time in.
So, armed with the firm intention of finding the right professional designer to transform your home interiors, how do you go about it? Here are three key considerations you should take into account.
Local Presence
First of all, you need to think about the practicalities. If you were looking for a plumber or an electrician, it wouldn’t make sense to hire someone from 50 miles away – it would take them too long to get to you and they wouldn’t be available at short notice. The same principle applies here. If you live in Tunbridge Wells, you’re better off looking around Kent and Sussex rather than commissioning a London-based designer. In addition, a local interior designer may have valuable knowledge and experience of the particular property types in your area, and therefore a better understanding of how to style them.
Past Projects
Before you can make an informed decision on the right designer to transform your home, it’s imperative that you see evidence of their previous work. Every reputable designer has a portfolio showcasing the breadth of their expertise that they’ll be more than happy to show you. The portfolio could be a folder with images of previous client projects or it might be a gallery on their website. Increasingly, social media is used to display visuals of past projects – check Facebook, Pinterest and Instagram profiles.
The portfolio is an excellent way to discover your chosen designer’s range and capabilities, their versatility and preferred styles. If they specialise in traditional furnishings for children’s bedrooms when you were thinking of restyling your contemporary kitchen, it’s not a match. However, if your country cottage needs an overhaul and the portfolio shows a range of sensitive period property transformations, you may have found The One.
Rapport
While you may be hiring a professional to work for you, it’s important to remember that this is much more than a simple commercial transaction; it’s your home they will be remodelling. Letting an interior designer loose in your private surroundings is a highly personal process that requires trust and confidence. If you’re not together in your vision for your new dining room, master bedroom or conservatory interiors, forget about it.
Good vibes, same wavelength, great rapport… call it what you like, you need to feel it with your interior designer. Trust your gut instinct – if the first meeting feels stiff and laboured or you just don’t ‘get’ each other, save yourself a whole lot of trouble and walk away now.
A style makeover should be a positive experience for all concerned. Expect to feel excited, inspired and pleasantly surprised by your designer’s ideas for your home spaces, while your own creative input is valued and incorporated into the new room schemes. Choose the perfect interior designer now to help create your dream home and you will reap the benefits for years to come.
Article provided by Mike James, an independent content writer in the property industry – working with renowned interior designer Furnished by Anna, who was consulted over the information contained in this post.
