Let’s for a moment entertain the idea of a world without interior designers. My visceral response: Ewww, no thanks. Honestly, my brain cannot even fathom what that would be like. But for the sake of entertainment, let us pretend. What would a world without interior designers look like? How would we go on surviving? Short answer: we wouldn’t … and when I say “we” I mean “me.” Thankfully that is not our current reality, but in thinking about the value that interior designers bring, how would designing be different for the average person if they did not seek out professional help?
#1: A Whole Heap of Us Would Waste Money
If you’ve ever made a crappy design decision, raise your hand (everyone’s hand should go up … hell, both of mine are up). It should come at no surprise that bad decisions cost money… sometimes lots of money. Wasted money sucks. Try to avoid bad design decisions at all cost – pun intended.
You may fall victim to the idea that interior designers are for the rich and famous … my response to that?? Lies and garbage. Believe or not, hiring an interior designer can save you lots of money. If you have a budget in mind for your space, an interior designer can help you to meet it by avoiding costly novice mistakes. Interior designers are not strangers to frugality. They have the experience to know how to stretch your hard-earned money; it’s what they do. If you are one for investments, know that by hiring an interior designer you could potentially be increasing your home’s resale value. This is an investment that will payoff down the line.
Christiane Lemieux
#2: We’d Probably Take a Chance with some “Contractor” on Craigslist, named Mike
No offense to the Mikes out there! I know a very small group of people here in New York who just have clout and seem to know every important person in the city. Having friends with the hookup has yielded many perks. I could fill a book with the experiences that I’ve had over the years because of connections.
Interior designers are totally like that, but with contractors. Keep your designer near & dear. I cannot express how deep the designer/contractor relationship goes. Most businesses rely heavily on referrals & repeat customers. When interior designers find a good contractor who does the job right at a reasonable price, they hold on to them. You could leave it to chance & Google a specialist and * maybe * luck out on a decent contractor, but my advice to you? Buy right or buy twice. You’re investing in your living space don’t take a chance with it. Get the hookup (aka – a designer).
#3: Most of us have a lack of knowledge and access to what exists in the design world
Obviously, one of the core aspects of interior design is to manifest the vision that clients have regarding their space. How can you know what’s out there if you don’t know what’s out there?? Interior designers are already familiar with high-quality resources, many of which are not accessible to the average person. One of the biggest perks to hiring a designer is gaining access to To-the-Trade only resources. You most likely don’t know a fraction of the items that exists because of the designer exclusivity … but your designer does.
In the same vein of knowledge, designers are most likely familiar with zoning regulations in your area. Idk about you, but I certainly would not want to spend endless hours reading up on zoning regulations and applying for permits in order to make changes to my home. I promise you that unless you are already familiar with this info, it’s very time consuming and not exceptionally riveting.
Athena & Victor Calderone – Elle Decor
#4: A Lot of Us Would not Actualize Our Design Visions
So you’ve spent your time pinning images of what you want your living room to look like. Seeing a great idea on Pinterest is cool, but is the idea right for your space? Wouldn’t it be great to have someone assist you in executing your vision, down to the tiniest details and making sure that it is tailored to your lifestyle?? Enter designer. Before you go out and spend money trying to recreate a phenomenal concept on Pinterest, reach out to a designer to provide you with a digital rendering of what it might look like in your space. A rendering might cost a little money, however, it’s certainly cheaper than engaging in trial and error with lighting, paint, finishes, and anything else that you might consider changing about your space.
If any of the points made resonate with you, consider reaching out to a designer! If you are a design aficionado maybe you’ve created a space that you are proud of, but you’d like some feedback. Some designers are happy to offer a professional assessment of your space. Even if you don’t hire a designer for all of your services they can make the process of editing your home a lot less painful. Exactly, a week from today, I have an article on the value of a 1 hr. design session – Come back to read it!
The biggest takeaway that I want to leave you with is that incredible interior design does not happen by accident. It is thoughtful and calculated. It takes time to create and is something that is deeply personal. The best gratitude that you can show an interior designer is to refer them! If you know an amazing designer, be a friend and shout them out in the comments!
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Featured photo: Designed by Studio McGee
