Congratulations! You are taking another awesome step in your custom home building process by working with an interior designer! Working with an interior designer during the building process will not only bring you great vibes but also take some of the stress off your plate during the process of building a custom home.
So now that you’ve made the decision to work with a designer, now what?
Here are some tips to help you make the process easier when working with an interior designer.
1. Know what an interior designer actually does
Have you been staying up dreaming about the perfectly decorated room? Maybe you’ve spent hours pouring over design magazines in the bookstores imaging the perfect beach house design. It’s great, isn’t it? The idea of living in your ideal home.
Then you look up and the proverbial record scratches as you realize it’s all a dream. You’re still miles away from from that dream and you feel overwhelmed at how to close the gap between now and your perfect room.
It’s time to call your fairy design god mother. Designers can envision a plan that makes your space not only beautiful but will function in the way that benefits you and your family. They will take into consideration your aesthetic preferences as well as the home’s architectural features. They will even make sure that the home’s less exciting parts like vents and outlets are worked seamlessly into the design. A great interior designer will help you to stop just focusing on the details and help you craft a bigger picture when it comes to your home’s design. A professional will help you go beyond cosmetic concerns and work to create a space that reflects your needs and your style in a harmonious.
The nice thing is that none of it will go away at midnight either.
2. Find a designer you vibe with
Before we talk about communication let’s take a step back. Don’t worry though, we’ll get to the communication part soon! A good designer should be able to jump from mid-century modern to L.A. loft styles like an Olympic athlete jumping the hurdles in the 100 meter. The reality is that every designer will have their own strength and signature style just like every track star has their best event. If you have a style that craves bright colors and eclectic palettes don’t choose a designer known for her beach getaways and neutral color schemes. You will be spending quite a bit of time with your interior designer. Make sure that you both are on the same page with your style needs as well as personality preferences.
Take the time to research potential designers and look at their portfolios. Do any of the designs resonate with you? Request some time to sit down with the designer to ask them about their favorite and least favorite jobs. Find out how they handle clients when they change their minds. Ask them about their process and see if it vibes well with you.
3. Know how to communicate with your designer
Okay great! Now you know what an interior designer does, you know how to find one that you vibe with and you’re ready to get started. But wait! You will need to be able to help your designer understand your ideas so that your space can truly feel like your own – in a more glamorous and put together way of course.
One way to communicate your ideas to your designer is through images. Start a Pinterest board and start collecting pictures that you are drawn to. Collect finishes, paint colors and color palettes. They say that a picture is worth a thousand words. Don’t discount using a thousand words in communicating with your designer via your favorite paintings. Even images that have nothing to do with home decor but simply reflect the feeling that you want to have in your home. Another place to get great ideas and create your very own idea book is houzz.com.
Another way to share your design cravings is by collecting samples of things you love. Collect paint chips, fabric swatches and finishes that you can’t live without. Cut out pictures from furniture catalogs and design books that grab your attention.
As your designer begins to see what you like, they can start probing to find out what are the points that resonate most with you and use that information to guide the final designs.
4. Involve your designer as early as possible in the building process.
If possible, try to get your designer involved as soon as feasible in the building process. Your designer will be able to work with your building contractor on any potential problems that involve your design needs and the architecture of the home. This way you can be sure that everyone working hard to make your vision a reality is on the same page. When your designer is part of the planning process it can save you time, money and stress. As you are daydreaming about your new home, imagine the difference between reorienting a door or window on the computer rather than after it has already been built. That daydream just got a lot more uncool, didn’t it?
By letting your designer in on the planning process as soon as possible you will be giving your daydreams a better chance of becoming a reality.
Hopefully these tips helped you see what a great decision you’ve made to work with an interior designer on your new home and the ways that you can make the process smoother. Want some more awesome tips when it comes to building a custom home? Great! We’ve got some for you!
