So, you want to hire an interior designer, and whether your project is a small renovation or a larger commercial venture, you need to ensure the selected designer is going to interpret your ideas correctly and produce the design of your dreams.

From the interior designers’ perspective, they want to work with a client who has a clear idea of what they want; a good budget and can offer a realistic time frame to complete the project. Sounds easy enough, but all too often when the expectations of one do not seem to meet the abilities of the other it can end up a very painful experience for both the client and the designer. Setting personality differences aside, I have discovered that the biggest secret to a successful client/designer partnership is good communication. More often than not a difficult collaboration is the result of misunderstandings stemming from poor communication and unclear expectations. This month, I would like to offer guidance and a little clarity to help you get the best from
your client/designer business partnership.

 

To designers, existing furnishings can be the inspirational starting points for a design scheme, and right now vintage is in fashion.

1. PROVIDE INSPIRATION

“I’ll know it when I see it” suggests you want to see multiple design options, which is not popular with interior designers. Try and be more specific, go to Pinterest and see what inspires you. How do you envision your space will look? Inspiration imagery is one of the best forms of communication so start collecting images of interiors and furniture, but also fashion, graphics and everything that inspires you. Your collection of images helps to interpret your tastes, which is design food to an interior designer. Do not think that the designer will copy paste; they just need a starting point.

2. WRITE A BRIEF

This is so important! In a nutshell, a brief provides design guidance both aesthetically and financially. Especially when developed together with the interior designer, it ensures that both have the same understanding for what is to be achieved. Please be clear and honest, a design brief has so many other values as it is often the basis for your financial agreement too. For a residential project, here are a few of the main points to include;

What is the project scope? Is it just a room, or a whole villa? 

Committing to specific areas gives the designer clear defined boundaries within which to focus. It also helps to determine their fees and stops the scope from creeping.

Are there any existing furnishings, heirlooms to be incorporated or re-used?

Do not think that everything has to be new. To designers, existing furnishings can be the inspirational starting points for a design scheme, and right now vintage is in fashion.

Determine a project timescale. When is the project to be completed? 

Be realistic and agree on a written programme that you and the designer are comfortable with.

3. DETERMINE YOUR BUDGET

There is no such thing as an open budget. If you do not give an approximate budgetary guideline at least, the designer is naturally going to specify the best and probably the more expensive finishes and furnishings, to suit their scheme. Do not be shy. There have been many amazing designs produced on a shoestring budget. Providing a budget saves time in the long run, the designer will not have to repeat the design process if the design exceeds your expectations.

4. MANAGE YOUR EXPECTATIONS

Provide Constructive Feedback

If you do not like the presented design ideas, be honest and communicate it – but be constructive. Do not expect the designer to get it right the first time, explain why the ideas are not accepted; did the designer follow the brief? Honest and fair feedback is needed to revise work and it may take a couple tries to get it right.

Time is money

Resist the temptation to continually make changes. This is a business transaction after all and the designer is expecting to work towards a completion date. Changes cause delays, have a cost implication and often have a domino effect on the other processes within the project. Although there is always a level of flexibility given throughout, typically, good designers request sign offs from the client to prevent this, so that additional fees can be requested if the client makes further changes later.