What Does an Interior Designer Actually Do?
Your home should be a haven. At the end of the day, after hours of business meetings or arguing with coworkers, fighting traffic and dealing with spilled coffee, you should be able to come home to a place that is relaxing, comforting, and your very own.
Unfortunately, many homes aren’t quite this perfect space. Maybe your home has a clutter problem. Maybe your furniture doesn’t match or your wallpaper is outdated. Perhaps your home’s biggest problem is the unsightly carpet or the piles of untouched moving boxes in the basement. Whatever the problem may be with your home, an interior designer can help you move from “unhappy” to “overjoyed.”
When you hire an interior designer, you don’t have to know exactly what you want. It’s her job to help you figure that out. Maybe you just want your home to be more spacious, but can’t afford costly additions to your home. An interior designer can examine your home and offer suggestions for creating a more visually appealing space. For example, did you know that dark colors can make a room look smaller? An interior designer can offer simple, inexpensive suggestions, such as painting your room a lighter color or implementing a filing or organization system for your items to create a less cluttered appearance.
An interior designer can work in any room of your home or can help you redesign your entire home. Whether you simply want help redoing an upstairs guest bathroom or your sights are a little more dramatic – such as redesigning your home into a country western theme – your interior designer can help you get there are painlessly and easily as possible.
In addition to offering information and suggestions for redecorating your home, an interior designer can actually help you get the job done. Interior decorators know the best places to get supplies, paint, wallpaper, furniture, and appliances. Your interior designer will also be able to help you book the best local plumber or painter if you don’t want to do the work yourself.
When you have your first meeting with an interior decorator, remember that she’s trying to get everything sorted and figure out exactly what you want – even if you don’t know yet what that is. She might take pictures or measurements or ask you a series of questions about the way you feel about your room. Be open, honest, and up front with your interior professional to get the most out of the experience. If she suggests something that you aren’t sure about or that you don’t like, don’t be afraid to speak up. It’s your house. You have the say. Ask for an alternate suggestion or say, “I’m not sure about that. Let me think on it.” Also remember to talk about your budget at the first meeting. If you have unlimited resources, your interior designer will be able to offer you a larger variety of choices. Don’t be turned off at the idea of hiring an interior designer if you have a slim budget, however, as an interior decorator can make your home look absolutely amazing with a few simple changes that aren’t terribly expensive at all.
Lily Candice is regular article writer at London based Interior Designer Company – Global Interior Design