So you’ve decided on building a house. You’ve already got a contractor, and production of your abode is well on its way. Your permits have all been processed and are secure, and you’ve also made the necessary arrangements to get the utilities installed once the house is finished being built. Now that the house has already been built and everything is set up, it’s time to think about how you’re going to make this house a home. A house is not a home until it’s been made to fit the family who will be living there. It is for this reason that you may want to consider getting an interior designer.
Working with an interior designer makes the task of fixing up the insides of your home much easier. Interior designers have poured most of their life into learning, honing, and perfecting their craft. This beats doing the job yourself since they already have a good idea of what works and what doesn’t. The goal here however, is to not just pick any interior designer that shows up on a random search. The right interior designer has to be able to work with you as a client and help bring the best possible outcome from the vision that you want to achieve.
Below are a few things to look out for when choosing the right interior designer for your home.
Know which style you want.
Unless you know what you want your house to look like, choosing a designer to make the inside of your house look great is going to be a herculean task. So have a look at Pinterest and try to see what calls out to you when you look up ‘interior design styles’. If you’re working with prefab homes it should make the task of knowing which direction you want to go design-wise easier. Prefab homes are mostly designed with a modern, contemporary school of thought, so it’s natural that your home should look that way on the inside as well. Think strong clean lines, with a pared down, Scandinavian aesthetic to the color palette and the choice of furniture.
Examine their portfolio.
The key to finding the right interior designer lies in extensive and exhaustive research. And researching the right interior designer is all about looking at their body of work. Now that you know what style you want and you’ve already got a couple of names in your shortlist, take a peek at their websites (which they should have by now) and examine their previous projects. A designer’s portfolio should tell you if they can do justice to your concept or not. In fact, go the extra mile and give these designers a call to consult with them. Most interior designers will usually agree to give you a pitch complete with a concept board to help you decide whether they can take on your project or not.
Define a budget.
One thing that you must not forget about choosing the perfect interior designer for you and your home is the budget. Given that you are not just taking care of the interiors but also everything else to do with your new home, you may want to set a strict amount that you are willing to work with. Plus, a good interior designer should be able to know what is the right budget for interior design work. Having a good look around other designers should also give you some room to haggle, since some interior designers may be tied with product brands and may be pushing you to use specific brands that they mark up.
In conclusion, choosing the right interior designer to help you design the inside of your home is really all about knowing what you want the insides of your house to look like, and whether the interior designer you have in mind can bring your concept to fruition under the budget you set. When finding the interior designer who is willing to work for you, it’s important to do your research, ask a lot of questions, cross-reference price quotes against retail or market prices, and of course communicate constantly with your designer. This way, you’ll be able to achieve the look you want for the home you’ve been dreaming of having.
