Hiring a Designer: Part 3
Welcome to part 3 of our Hiring a Designer series! So far we’ve talked about why you should hire a designer and how to find the right designer for you. Now let’s talk about some ways to be a great design client and make your experience with your design team stellar!
Pinterest & Houzz Boards
Start curating your Pinterest and/or Houzz boards with photos and images that inspire you. Whether you’re building, remodeling or need furniture, it’s important to have visual inspiration for you and your design team to reference. It might take a little more time, but making a board specifically for each room you are looking for help in will help everyone involved. Want to go above and beyond? Write specifics in the description of what you like about the picture! Maybe you love the look of the whole room or maybe you just like the exterior brick in the photo. Make note of what you like! Designers want to see images inspire you and exude the style you’re looking to bring into your home. This will help guide your design team and make sure they can create the style you are wanting!
Know Your Investment
We mentioned your investment in part 2 of our series but here it is again because it’s that important to the process for everyone. Talking money is always an awkward discussion but you need to have your budget clearly laid out for your designer. Let them know what you’re must-haves are, what elements of the home are important to you and where you’re willing to splurge or save. You’ve got to be realistic too! You can’t add marble, brass and high-end finishes on a Wal-Mart budget and your designer isn’t the bad guy for giving you a little reality-check here and there. They want to stay in your budget just as much—if not more—as you do! Be flexible, though, because designers can get pretty creative on how to get the look you want for a fraction of the cost.
No matter how big or small your project is, be upfront about your wishlist at the beginning of the project. We can let you know if it’s possible within your budget or we can look for ways to save you in other areas so we can make your wishlist happen. Whatever you do, please don’t say, “Well I saw a couple on HGTV who bought a house, gutted it & remodeled it for $85,000.” That’s extremely unrealistic and there is way more happening behind the scenes that they’re not showing on TV. If you’re unsure what you should expect to spend on your project, be upfront about that! Your designer should be able to give you a rough cost of each space.
Give Your Designer Honest Feedback
Whether you’re meeting your design team face-to-face or virtually or having a phone conversation, give your honest feedback! You might love a chair style your designer has suggested but maybe you hate the fabric they selected for it. Or maybe you’ve thought about it and you don’t want to use a bold paint color for your kitchen island. You won’t hurt your designer’s feelings if you don’t like things they suggest—it’s their job. The more feedback you can give your designer, the easier it makes their job. But if you love something or are happy with how a design turned out, be sure to voice that too! It will be validation to your designer that they’re moving in the right direction and everyone appreciates some words of affirmation!
Show Trust and Respect
This may seem harsh, but you hired a designer for a reason. When it comes to building a custom home, you’re not going to try to build it yourself right? You hire a builder and you trust your builder to do a good job. Trust that your designer knows what they’re doing and they’re a professional for a reason. They truly have your best interests at heart and will treat your home even better than their own! It’s also important to show your designer respect. Respect their time, respect their business, respect their services. They are people too! You might have your designer’s cell phone number, but that doesn’t give you free reign to call or text them all hours. Hopefully you and your designer become good friends throughout your time together, but everyone has boundaries and sending a 1am text message freaking out about a bathroom light is not okay. Work hours are set for a reason and when your designer isn’t working, they’re enjoying time with their own families and friends just like you do.
We hope this “Hiring a Designer” series is helpful for you and can be a resource to you during your search for an interior designer! If you have any questions, please feel free to email us at hello@moorehouseinteriors. Be sure to read Part 1 and Part 2 of the series if you haven’t already!