So you’ve decided you have a space that needs updating. You also realize that the space needs more than a few throw pillows in order to change the look. In fact, the space needs a complete overhaul to improve its function and look. You begin researching everything involved in making the changes you envision and you realize…this is a lot!

You ask a friend for advice and they mentioned that they used an interior designer on their last project to help her think through how she wanted the space to function and what aesthetic she was trying to achieve. She goes through all the reasons it’s important to hire a passionate and dependable interior designer.

Design Your Space Around How You Live

The number one reason anyone should update a space in their home is to improve its function around how they actually live; not how they wish they live.

From personal experience, I have had some room updates of my own that were designed around how I hoped to live and not the way my family ACTUALLY lived. For example, my mudroom had an initial design that did not aid my family in keeping a tidy space.

I thought I would put a bench, a mirror, a couple of hooks, and a few shoe shelves. Sure it looked nice, but my family quickly overran the space. I needed to regroup and pay attention to what happened when we walked through the door. Where do our shoes end up? Where do the jackets end up? Do we even sit in the mudroom to put on our shoes, or do we sit on the steps near the door and put our shoes on? When we are tired how easy is it to put away our belongings?

These are the types of questions a dependable interior designer will ask you before suggesting you buy a piece of furniture or accessory for your space. Does it fit the lifestyle of the people that live in this house?

Knowledge to Achieve Projects Within Budget

Most people have some idea of how much they want to spend on various items or projects in their life. A renovation project should be no different. Working with an interior designer will help you to convey your vision while remaining (mostly) within budget.

Why do I say that? As you have probably experienced lately, the cost of labor and materials is ever-changing; almost daily. A dependable interior designer has experience working with contractors and has an idea of what materials, furniture, and accessories will complete your space while staying super close to your budget. This includes understanding shipping and delivery costs, change order costs, and the cost of delays.

Say you fall in love with a piece of furniture, and that piece is within your budget but then you find out shipping and delivery are half the cost of the piece. A dependable interior designer has the experience to try to source a similar piece at a brand the general public doesn’t have access to that will work within your budget.

A dependable interior designer will work to achieve the look you are going for within the budget you have set for the space.

Cohesive Look Throughout Your Space

While you may have one space in mind to update, a dependable interior designer can help to make that space work with the other spaces in your home.

Often one can be so laser-focused on the task at hand, that they forget to incorporate those decisions into the larger picture. Most homeowners truly desire a cohesive-looking space, especially when they are taking the time and energy to do a major overhaul in one or more spaces in their home.

An interior designer is able to make material and color selections that will play well together; not just in the one space but across all the spaces in your home.

If all you need is help making color, fixture, and material selections, interior designers can do just that. Maybe you feel confident handling the construction of the space, but you just aren’t sure what you should be choosing. Consider hiring an interior designer to help you feel confident in the investment you are making.

See Your Space Before Construction Starts

A dependable interior designer will be able to provide you with a preview of what your project will look like when it is executed. It is hard enough to make decisions in isolation, but what do all those decisions amount to?

Having the ability to see your space as it will be built is invaluable. Before spending money and time on your project, finalize your choices after seeing a 3D rendering of your space.

Informed and Empowered Selection of Contractor

When all the decisions have been made, and you’ve finalized the look, layout, and materials for your space, it is time to connect with a contractor to get an accurate bid for the completion of the work.

Working with an interior designer will enable you to provide contractors with very specific specifications that will enable them to bid on the project as accurately as possible. Not only will the bid be accurate, but you will also receive a bid that is apples-to-apples with the bids from the other contractors. It is prudent to get at least three bids and compare each of them for what is included and what is not. This way, when you decide which contractor to choose, based on parameters that are important to you, you will be confident that your selection includes everything that should be included in the bid.

After the selection of your contractor, you have two options. You can manage the project/contractors yourself or you can have your interior designer manage the project/contractors. This all depends on the level of involvement that appeals to you.

Connect with an Interior Designer That Inspires You

Considering all of the reasons above to hire a dependable interior designer, make sure you choose a designer that inspires you. It is more than just the space that will be transformed, you will be transformed as well. How? Your new space will function so well that you will feel an ease come upon you that you didn’t even realize you needed.

I hope to inspire my clients to achieve the look and feel in their space that allows them to focus their energy on the things in their life they are passionate about.

Thanks for reading!