How to Find the Best Interior Designer for Your Home

Last Updated on November 13, 2024 by teamobn

Most of us have seen one of those reality shows where a complete revamp of someone’s home was botched so badly that you wonder why they even went on the show in the first place. Not because something was done incorrectly, though that is sometimes the case, but because the interior designer did not properly interpret the vision of the homeowners they spoke to.

Contents

1 Finding the Right Interior Designer: A Guide for Homeowners
2 Wrapping Up

Finding the Right Interior Designer: A Guide for Homeowners

Getting the interior design right the first time is a challenge every interior designer faces because their own vision may bleed into the vision of the homeowner (making this equally stressful for the homeowners, too). It’s essential, though, because interior design can be very costly and though most of the work can be reversed, as the owner, you really don’t want to go through the hassle.

So, if you’re looking for an interior designer that gets you, your vision for your revamp and communicates well enough for you to accept or decline ideas – and you should, where do you start?

We’ve taken some of the collective experience of these individuals and compiled a list of seven things you should do when consulting different designers.

Don’t forget that even the simplest interior design jobs are often a very messy business. Old fixtures will be removed, furniture will be moved in and out, and existing components of your home will be put at risk of being defaced or damaged. Even the most careful workers can very easily make a mistake and with such fragile items, it’s easy for things to break.

Interior designers may not undergo the same risks as construction experts, but they still deal with potentially dangerous situations. They’re hardly expected to mess with the foundations of your house or deal with heavy building materials, but they still deal with heavy furniture and potentially hazardous materials like nail guns, saws and the like.

As such, you should really double-check your personal liability coverage to make sure you are covered if you or any of the strangers working in your home are injured. If this cover isn’t in place, you may be held personally liable for medical or legal implications should the unexpected take place within your property bounds.

Consult with at Least 3 Experts Before Commencing

As individuals, we all think completely differently from each other. One interior designer will give you an entirely different result compared to another. Finding the person who understands your vision as closely as the way you do takes time.

We recommend that you consult with at least three different interior designers in order to find the one that best fits your desired outcome. But be sure to harvest as many design ideas from all of the experts you talk to because even your vision may be subject to change as you discover new and exciting options for your home’s interior.

How to Communicate Your Vision Effectively

Communication is essential in finding the right interior designer for your home. Remember those reality TV renovation shows we talked about earlier? The truth is that the fault in these cases doesn’t always necessarily come down to the designer, but often with the homeowners themselves, who failed to communicate properly what it is they actually wanted.

The last thing that any interior designer really wants to hear at the end of the project is, “I hate it,” especially when they did every single thing asked of them, so be extremely clear about how you envision the final result to look.

Create a Folder of Ideas and Catalog Various Aspects of Your Vision

This is the fun part! Shopping with your eyes from the comfort of your sofa is a sure way to get what you ultimately want out of your interior design project. Grab some magazines and a pair of scissors and cut out those pictures that speak to your vision. You can also search for great design pieces on the web and you may even notice some great set design in a movie you’re watching.

Also, keep your phone camera ready for when you visit friends and family, always capturing images of what you love. Collect these images in a folder and present them to your interior designers when meeting with them.

Be Clear About What You DON’T Want

It’s equally important to express how you absolutely do not want your home to look post-renovation. When your chosen interior designer has a clear idea of what you dislike, they can avoid those final outcomes during the selection and installation processes. Remember that your interior designer may take some professional liberties to try and impress you, so make sure they aren’t adding elements you dislike.

Be Involved in the Shopping and Renovating Processes

The best way to keep your interior designer on track with what you want is to work alongside them along the entire interior design journey, at least whenever you can. This may not always be possible, but for the most part, you should at least participate in the purchasing process so that your vision is always maintained when decorative choices are made, and you know what you’re in for before the raw materials are affixed to your walls.

Take Notes and Record Conversations

Keeping an archive of notes is a great way to ensure that both you and your interior designer are kept on the same page. Inform your decor expert that you would like to record your meetings with them so that previous conversations can be revisited when necessary. This will keep you both accountable if any disagreements emerge.

Wrapping Up

Finding the perfect interior designer takes time, homework, and great communication from your side. Remember that you’ll have to live with the final result when the project is over, so make sure you do everything in your power to ensure a happy outcome.

These steps will also be appreciated by your interior designer because if they know they’re doing a good job, it removes the stress of ending up with an unhappy client. Happy decorating!