Hiring an interior designer in 2017? Here's what to expect...

Hiring an interior designer in 2017? Here's what to expect...
Floorplan Example

Example floorplan for kitchen and breakfast room

Hiring an interior designer in 2017? Here’s what to expect…

Type “Top new year resolutions” into Google and it’s official – “Find time to decorate the House, finally get curtains up etc.” are now on the list (up there with eating better, getting more exercise, giving up smoking, getting the dream job, boyfriend or girlfriend)!

In the past (before I was an interior designer) I know I put this on my list many times and failed to achieve it an equal number of times as the onslaught of daily life took over in January and continued until December. This was partly because of lack of time, but also wondering where to begin, what to choose, how to make the right decision, avoid an expensive mistake and so on. I often wondered about getting help from a professional but wasn’t quite sure what to expect.

So, for anyone thinking along these lines and looking for help, our January blog sets out what to expect for a full design scheme:

Taking your brief and working out what you want to achieve

Although no two projects are the same, there are some tried and tested steps we follow to make sure we get the best possible results, whether it’s one room or an entire property. We’ll start by meeting you and visiting your property to talk about what you want to achieve, your taste, style, ideas and lifestyle. We’ll cover your specific needs, budgets, timings and incorporate ideas or plans for any structural or building changes, as well as look at existing features or furnishings that you want to keep.

If you think you’d like to work with us, we can then present you with a design statement. This is key as it makes sure everyone is on the same page; summarising your aims and goals and how we plan to achieve them. We’ll also give you our best estimate of likely costs at this stage.

Creating the design

The next step is to create the design and the starting point here is a good floor plan which sets out the arrangement of furniture, fixtures and fittings.

We’ll make sure you understand all the “technical speak” and can provide computer aided drawings to help you visualise if you’re struggling to make the mental leap from floorplan to finished room!

CGI Visual of Proposed Interior Design

Next, we create mood boards of fabrics and inspirational images to convey the concept and present these to you in order to further develop the design.

When you are happy with the design concept, we start working on the details of the interior architectural elements such as kitchens, bathrooms, joinery and lighting to reflect the agreed design, be it traditional, contemporary or somewhere in between. Then, with all the interior architecture and floor plans settled, we begin choosing fabrics, carpets, wall finishes, as well as furniture, soft furnishings and accessories.

At this stage budgets are agreed and fixed and again we can provide visuals so you can see how the final design is expected to look. No leaps of imagination required!

CGI Visual of Proposed Interior Design

3D visuals, finishes and fabrics for a recent bathroom project.

Implementing the design

For the last stage, we place orders and liaise with suppliers to help ensure delivery schedules are met. Most designers work with a large number of suppliers worldwide, whether trade-only, high-street or more specialist/artisanal. Although we will never make a promise we can’t keep, we can usually find a solution to most design problems and use years of knowledge to know where to start.

If you’d like to find out more, get in touch!