When you want to integrate a new element of your home, from a kitchen remodel to a luxury spa addition, it is best to work with an interior designer. Their background and knowledge of home trends will ensure that the results will be both pleasing to you and harmonious with the overall style of your home. This is key for potential resale value, but it is also very helpful for making sure the design of your addition is timeless and continues to please you and your family over time.
Research Designer Portfolios
The first step to choosing an interior designer these days tends to be looking through portfolios. Yes, connecting with friends or family members for a referral is a good idea, but don’t opt to use a designer’s services before you see the work they’ve done. Their style must mesh with yours, or the relationship could have friction.
Create and Aesthetic Board
While you are evaluating portfolios, start creating an aesthetic board on a website like Pinterest or simply in a folder on your computer’s desktop. Designers will know the technical terms for the features and elements you like, but you can help narrow it down by gathering a variety of photographs that represent the aesthetic you want. If these photos are found in a particular designer’s portfolio online, all the better!
Send Inquiries & Start Meetings
Send inquiries and start meetings with the designer to make sure that their working style is pleasing as well – you’ll be doing a project together, and you don’t want to be frustrated by their lack of communication or abrasive tone. This is also the time to get clear on the costs and how the designer bills you; there are many models, but a transparent, clear contract is a sign of a designer that knows his or her worth and can clearly state it.
Follow Along in the Design Process
Once you’ve found the right aesthetic and communication style, however, follow the designer’s inspiration gathering process. Trust that, since you’ve done the work, they are the professional and will create a great end product. Let them know any pet peeves up front: if you don’t want marble anywhere in the project, or if you hate beige, they need to know these things.
By doing your homework and then trusting the designer to work his or her magic, you get so much more than just a remodeling project; your home’s value and utility improve, adding to your satisfaction in everyday life.
