Hiring and Using an Interior Designer

Do you want to decorate and furnish your home and don’t know where to start? If you want to make your home both comfortable and stylish then an interior designer is just the person you need.

What Do They Do?

It may sound very trendy to hire an interior designer but what exactly will they do? We often watch television programmes where within a few hours a home is transformed into a scene from a jungle or the boudoir of an Arabian sheik but in reality an interior designer should be able to make your home appealing and comfortable and the type of place you look forward to coming home to after a hard day/s work.

Do It Yourself

It may be that you are quite adept at decorating, making home furnishings and playing with colour schemes but never have time to complete a job. By working with an interior designer you will soon have the sort of home that previously you’d only dreamed about.

Where to Find a Designer

Top interior designers are often seen on television either telling us what the latest home designs should look like or popping up in strange reality shows. We would all like to obtain their services but for most home owners they are simply out of reach and out of our price range!

• If you have found interesting styles in home interior magazines you will find that the designer is usually listed – if not ring the magazine office and ask for details.
• Most businesses have websites these days and interior designers are no exception. Use a search engine and search for designers. Study their website and ask to see examples of their previous work.
• Many soft furnishing shops or decorating suppliers will work with interior designers and can recommend their work.
• Local colleges and Adult Education Centres often run classes in interior design and will have students who are keen to take on projects. The tutors at these centres will be happy to introduce you to a student capable of working for you.
• Recommendation is probably the best way of finding an interior designer. If a family member or a friend has recently used their services you will be able to see the work – possibly view work still in progress – and get to know the designer before hiring their services.

Fees

Fees can vary depending on the interior designer/s fame and expertise. Make sure that you have a contract made up before work is started and that you are aware of any extras that may be incurred whilst work is carried out.

Ideas

Don’t let the interior designer bamboozle you into having a style that you are not comfortable with and one your family do not like. You need to be able to communicate with your interior designer otherwise there can be costly mistakes. Create an ideas box and add ideas to as they come to you. Cut pictures from magazines, record television programmes with scenes of rooms that you admire.

Perhaps you have a piece of fabric or item of clothing with a colour that you would like to see in your room, add it to your box. If you are designing a child’s room ask them what they would like in their room and add it to the box. Your designer will then have a good idea of your tastes and those of your family.