Build.com for Pros: What to Expect from Interior Designers

There's a clear art to creating an interior design that remains fashionable while still meeting the daily needs of the client. A home should be customized to the personality of those who live in it, and it’s a designer’s job to understand how to turn it into a comfortable place to live. Balancing comfort, style, and the daily needs of living is what interior designers do for their clients.

Hiring an interior designer to decorate a space starts with an initial meeting where both parties get to know each other and make sure they'll be a good match. There is often an interior design consultation fee associated with this initial meeting because the designer takes the time to research and share ideas with you, as well as impart some interior design information. Make the most of the design time invested in the home by planning ahead and knowing what to expect when hiring an interior designer.

What Do Interior Designers Do?

Interior designers take the headache out of decorating a home by choosing furnishings, flooring, home decor accents, light fixtures, hardware, and finishes designed to provide a cohesive look that works with your day-to-day life. When you understand what to expect from interior designers, it's easier to get the finished look you want from your home while promoting a great relationship between designer and client.

Hire a designer to bring the bathrooms in the home up to date or for a broader update throughout the entire space to create a magazine-worthy look. Some of the best places to utilize the interior design information offered by a designer is in a kitchen design and lighting because they are so essential to the functionality of the home. The designer knows all the tricks for placing appliances to promote proper workflow through the space.

 Uncover Client Needs

Above all, this is going to be the home of the client, the place they return to every day and enjoy. It's imperative that the interior designer understand the needs of the client. This will help them create a design that will fill the voids in their current space. Use the interior design consultation services to ask the right questions and get a thorough overview of client wishes.

As a designer, it's important to ask clients the right questions to really get a solid idea of their daily lifestyle and the things that are most important to them. Designers go into the initial meeting with a few interior design consultation questions to reveal what matters to the client the most.

A few examples include:

• What is currently the biggest challenge in your home? 
• How many people live in the home, and how old is each member of the family? 
• Do you like to entertain or have quiet evenings at home? 
• Do you cook most meals in or spend most nights eating out? 
• Are there any pets that share your space?

As a client, come to your interior design appointment with a list of what you love about your home and what isn't quite working. Really think about what you need out of the interior design in order for it to work with your daily life. 

Some considerations might be like the following examples:

• If there are children and pets in the home, having washable or even waterproof surfaces may be essential. 
• If you have accessibility issues, having plenty of room for mobility will be key.
• If you are away from home a lot, maybe you want a lot of Smart Home features that allow you to control elements of the home from the convenience of your cell phone. 

The more the designer knows about their clients’ household, the better they are able to customize the home to the clients’ lifestyle.

 Identifying Client Style

Another important aspect of that initial interior design meeting is determining the client's favorite design style. Of course, this involves more than simply asking, as most clients won't be able to correctly name what it is they like. It is the job of the designer to ask some initial interior design consultation questions and to present examples of different styles to help the homeowner narrow in on which look they prefer.

Their preferences may not fall into one specific category, and it is very possible that the two homeowners may disagree on a favorite design style. It is the job of the interior designer to figure out how to incorporate both styles into one cohesive design.

As a client, it's important to keep an open mind. Make sure to clearly express your style to your interior designer, but once you do, trust them as the professional they are to take that information from the initial interior design meeting and use it to create a fashionable retreat for you and your family. Each piece individually may not appeal to your tastes, but when it is all in place, it will make sense together.

As a designer, it's imperative to put your personal tastes to the side and really think about how the pieces you choose are going to live on a day-to-day basis in the space. Make sure to take the style the client is comfortable with and push it to be the most that style can be.

Determining a Timeline

When it comes to what to expect from the interior designer, it's important for a clear timeline to be set in place. As a designer, it's always best to slightly overestimate how long it will take to plan the design, purchase the items, and execute the installation.

Providing a few days of buffer in there will prevent you from asking your client for extra time when delays occur, and it may even make it possible for you to get the design done early. If you need the homeowner to do anything to get ready for your installation, let them know at the initial consultation. It's also the prime time to set up any follow-up meetings or necessary shopping trips .

When you understand what to expect from your interior designer, it helps to set the stage for a perfect partnership. Utilize those initial interior design consultation services to learn as much as you can about one another. Ask as many questions as you can think of at this time, and the work put in will be reflected in the final design.