As a homeowner, choosing the right interior designer can be tricky. Is it the right match? How do I know if things will align? Are we on the same page? Do our wavelengths match? It is pretty typical to have these questions in mind.
This is why it becomes quintessential to ask a plethora of questions before hiring the most appropriate interior designer for you. With each passing day, sources of design inspiration come from manifold areas—ergo, you HAVE to locate your taste.
Ask the following questions to your interior designer, and you are bound to get the desired results, and of course, be left satisfied.
1. How Do You Choose Your Projects? How Do You Decide What’s Appropriate for Your Firm?
Oh, this can be a tricky one. It is almost as if your interior designer is up for a job interview. It is also a good screening measure for you, wherein if they appear nervous, you know that they aren’t sure whether they can live up to your expectations. Remember the dating analogy? Everyone likes a confident date, and this is no different.
This method of screening is also pivotal in determining how efficiently your job will be done. After all, interior designing is not just about expressing oneself, but also doing so in an efficient way. You need to understand that projects are meant to be time-bound entities, and coming to terms with the aspect of time becomes essential.
Asking your interior designer about the way they choose projects also aids in understanding how your end product will be. If your elected firm chooses more corporate projects, there is a fair chance that your artistic mind will not come to similar wavelengths with it. Ergo, always ask before you proceed.
2. Do You Indulge in Client Co-ordination? Or Do You Ascertain More Freedom?
This question is important for your application rather than the designers. This question will help you understand the grade of involvement you will have in translating your ideas to applicable designs. Ask your interior designer as to whether they will need your affirmations at every step, or whether they prefer a more hands-free experience.
This suits to serve one very important purpose—with both an upside and a downside. The upside is that you get a lot of hands-on experience at your interior design. If there is more involvement from your end, there is a greater chance of the design being closer to what you have fathomed.
The downside is, ironically, that you get a lot of hands-on. If you are one of those folks who cannot spare a dime of time, then having a designer who requires affirmations at every step would prove to be rather cumbersome for you.
Keep in mind that ideally, your designer should be able to get along with your ideas of a design language and have very little involvement from your end—but it is always good to have a personal touch.
3. What is Your Style? How Do You Work on Your Projects?
Ah yes, the question about your designer’s modus operandi, so to state. This becomes very important in determining projects that you expect to be more homely or in touch with your idea of reality. Probably not so much for banal projects—but is your project ever banal?
You will need to ask your designer how they go about their projects. Do they use software tools to ensure greater accuracy and then get along with the hands-on aspect? Or do they indulge in a more ‘hit and trial’ method? Make sure to ask these questions before you get along with the hiring.
This becomes important in determining the end result. Designers who are proponents of hands-on working happen to be the proverbial Studio Ghibli of the interior design space. Sure, they might not be as modern-sounding, but the personal touch to it is indescribable.
On the other hand, software tools save a lot of time, and eventually resources. You can modulate exactly what you want with artificial intelligence. There is technically no right or wrong here—it is just a matter of how personal you want your project to be. Either way, you won’t be misled.
4. Tell Me about a Mistake You Made?
This becomes super important in grounding your designer to the base of reality. It is pretty human to err, but not when it comes to your gravely important projects. Working on interior designs should not only be efficient and cost-effective but in the grander scheme of things, bereft of mistakes.
You will need to ask your designer about not just the kind of mistake they made, but also associated repercussions if any. For instance, if the furniture they plan on installing tends to be rather fragile, you will have to ask whether there are any workarounds to cover it.
For instance, homeowners insurance works in cases of accidental damage to property, but you will have to ask your insurance provider to see if the clauses are the same for mishaps during interior designing. Additionally, you will also have to consult your insurance provider to see if the same replacement clauses in case of mishaps cover interior designing. It never hurts to ask, after all.
5. How Do You Prioritise Your Budget?
Keeping the artistic inclinations aside for a while, let’s delve a bit on the pragmatic bits. Having a budget in mind is important for both you and your designer. Not just that, but asking this question ensures that both you and your designer are on the same page with regards to design.
As a designer, it is not only important to be efficient with work delivery, but also doing so under constricted budgets. This is why we insist that you ask the monetary questions after you have expressed the kind of designs you seek.
Having asked these questions, you are bound to have none other left. As a homeowner who is seeking valid and applicable design languages, it becomes all the more essential for you to ensure that you have received satisfactory answers to the aforementioned questions.
After this, you can sit back, relax, and watch your design ideas translate into reality.
This post appeared first on Decor Blueprint.
