The time has come for a revamp of your home, but you don’t know where to start, why not get a design professional to help.
Here are the top tips for choosing an interior designer.
- You’ll need to start with a brief to help them understand your vision. Put some ideas together from Pinterest, photos from magazines or pics from your latest hotel stay. You may have a favourite piece of furniture or a painting that you would like to build your scheme around. This is a great way for the interior designer to understand your taste, so share what inspires you with them
- Once you have a shortlist, check out their website to see previous work or ask them for examples of past projects, client testimonials and photos of previous work
- If you’re hiring an interior designer, ensure they are BIID (British Institute of Interior Design) accredited. This will guarantee that the designer has met the organisations rigorous professional standards and offers you reassurance that they are properly qualified. Check out the ‘Find a Designer’ section of the BIID website www.biid.org.uk
- Follow them on social media channels to understand more about their projects and design inspiration
- Consider your budget carefully, if you have a fixed budget declare it on the outset, get the designer to explain how the project will be costed. There are no standard charges for interior design services, however, the BIID members are encouraged to be transparent about their fee structure
- Make sure you get on with the interior designer you choose and can build a rapport, keep in mind, good communication is key. The brief should be agreed upfront followed by a detailed proposal along with transparent costs, all parties should be clear on how and when the project will be achieved and what the cost will be
- Consider your time frame, when would you like or need the project completed by? Make sure this is feasible for the interior designer or consider if you need to be more flexible for the right designer
- Remember – be open to new ideas, an experienced design professional will be up to date on the latest design trends and will have a wealth of expertise, so listen to their recommendations on materials, colours, layout etc. as they may come up with ideas that you would never have considered!