How to get the best out of your Interior Designer and Builder
By Bryan LowWhenever people resort to interior designers, they usually have zero ideas on how the premise should look like. They have no knowledge on aesthetics, wall colors, window treatment etc. These could go on deeper into details, like floor plan, architectural envelope, nail head and tufts. Interior designers are never mind readers. Certainly the interior designers could work around a good piece of art but what appears to be beautiful to interior designers might not have the same appeal to you. It would be best for designers to first understand your personal preferences before further moving forward.
Maybe it would be better if you can first understand what an interior designer does. An interior designer envisions and plan spaces given to strike a balance between beauty and functionality. Differing from one interior designer to another, one might throw in elements of funkiness and elegance to its distinctive language. The interior designer tries his or her best to balance aesthetic designs under architectural constraints and fit into the scheme. You can look at project galleries and samples from different sources. Survey and look around different interior design schemes, pictures or specific interior design points that resonates with you. Pull out color schemes, motifs and furniture styles which turn you off, tell interior designer specifically what not to emphasize on. Your opinion and feedbacks are crucial to the end product at this stage.
Let's say you have a clear vision of how your house/ office would look like, you would also need the help of an interior designer, or rather a builder to help bring it to life. Make sure both parties discuss into thorough details on the feasibility and costing to make things happen. A good interior designer will pin point problems of your interior design, and work around for a solution. Interior designers have different fee structures, ranging from a flat rate to an hourly rate. So please do take initiatives to clear things out before wok begins. If you are on a tight budget, let's just settle down with a few hours on on-site consultations.
No two man matches perfectly with one another, same applies to interior designers. Be very sure that your appointed interior designer is a good match for your style. If you are somebody who adores minimalism, don't choose an interior designer that favors urban styles. These aspects could extend to choice of color palettes, material preferences from steel to wood etc. Look through their portfolios to seek for parallels to the design and style you desire.
It would be beneficial as soon as you involve the interior designer in the building process. Whether you are doing minor tweaking or rebuilding from scratch, include interior designers in the planning stages so that both party will be on the same page since day 1. Remember, its one thing to reorient a window on paper; it's another entirely to move it after installation.