When Should I Hire an Interior Designer?
This is a very great question to ask, especially if you haven’t worked with an interior designer before. You may be asking questions like, is any project too small?(NO) Or is it going to be worth it for me? In order to determine that we have prepared 7 valid reasons for knowing when it’s time to hire an interior designer.
From saving money and time to getting access to exclusive resources, If you relate, then chances are that hiring an interior designer is the right choice for you because you will see the value in the service. But how do you know who to hire? Well, that article is coming soon! First let’s talk about how to know WHEN you should hire an interior designer. Here we go!
YOU'RE TOO BUSY AND WANT TO SAVE TIME AND EFFORT
As an experienced interior design firm, we understand that time is money now days. By the time a client comes to see us, a great majority have already lost countless hours trying to figure out how to come up with a design plan on their own. The reasons are always the same: They just didn’t have the time, resources, contacts and training to make their vision a reality.
Interior designers are masters in their trade. They design and manage projects every day; and literally make it their business to stay up to date on all the latest trends, contacts and exclusive resources. In addition, designers work efficiently, and can help keep your project keep moving forward, so that you don’t see months wasted away with no action.
You’ll know it’s time to call an interior designer when the over- sized sofa you ordered on Wayfair, ended up consuming most of your living room. Once you accepted that it was time to return the sofa and try again, you found yourself on the phone trying to resolve the issue for LITERALLY 6 hours. (TRUE STORY! Sofa was returned) You can conclude that your time is valuable, and a professional interior designer is going to have an account representative through Wayfair, with a direct phone number to their account manager because they are a part of Wayfair’s trade program. And returning that sofa will literally take 5 minutes. Your interior designer will also assist you in managing every aspect of your project from start to finish so you don’t see months wasted away, (after a traumatic sofa encounter from hell), with no action.
YOU'RE LISTING YOUR HOME FOR SALE
Often times people wish to first consult with their realtor when they want to make updates to their home that offer resale value. Have you ever thought of contacting an interior designer first? Think about it, a great realtor is going to know how to sell a house, but are they going to know how to design it? This is not their area of expertise. They don’t design houses every day.
Experienced interior designers are going to have an understanding of the psychology behind the furniture layout, color scheme, and styling of the home when prepping the house for sale. In addition, they will know what updates will offer the most return on investment (ROI) and are going to know how to appeal to the most amount of prospective buyers leading to more open house traffic and potentially multiple offers. Granted, there aren’t any guarantees, (especially in such a hot market), but the statistics show that homes designed by interior designers sell approximately 80% faster, with multiple offers and above asking price.
In addition to updating the home itself, another reason to contact a designer is for home staging. Many Realtors argue that in such a hot market staging isn’t always necessary. I have a friend with a neighbor that lives in the house to the left of hers. This neighbor on the left listed her home on the market without staging. The neighbor across the street also listed their house for sale and had the house staged in addition. Both houses are the exact same layout and nearly the same finishes throughout. In addition they both were listed for the same price point. After just 1 weekend the staged house went pending with multiple offers over asking price. After 5 days the un-staged house received only 1 offer for asking price. The staged house eventually sold, and it sold for over 10% more than their un-staged neighbors.
Proof that staging works! You can view more home staging statistics for 2017, released by the National Realtor Association HERE.
If you live within the Portland, OR Metro area, CONTACT Design Allure today to find out how we can add resale value to your home today! PS…We also do Home Staging!
YOU WANT TO SAVE MONEY
As a professional interior design firm in Portland Oregon, we have countless trade only resources that we proudly share with our clients. Every interior design firm does things differently, but here at Design Allure we believe that your investment in our time designing, sourcing managing and setting up your project is enough. We only charge an hourly rate of $100/hr. for our time. In contrast, you may have found that a majority of interior designers do charge a markup for sourcing items in addition to their time spent. But believe it or not, whether your designer charges a markup or not, you will STILL save money.
Interior designers have a trained sense of what need to be done and when it needs to be done. In addition, they are able to anticipate costly mistakes in advance through preparation and proper planning. An interior designers job is to keep you on budget and keep your project running smoothly. Furthermore, they understand the principles and elements of interior design. As a result, they are able to ensure a perfect equilibrium is accomplished throughout the space. And don’t forget time is money. You will SAVE countless hours of researching products, brands, labels, dimensions and more so that you can focus on the things that matter; like family and work.
YOU WANT ACCESS TO EXCLUSIVE RESOURCES AND LABOUR CONTACTS
As an experienced design firm we understand that our value lies in who we know FOR SURE. As a result, we have countless positive connections to the masters of our trade and have working relationships with the right pros so that you can get the job done right. After all, this is our area of expertise! Hiring an interior designer means you WILL have reliable contacts and connections that you may likely need, and they will be people you can trust.
Professional interior designers also have access to TONS of product. From fabric and furnishings, to fixtures and finishes that are not available to the general public, you’re sure to find exactly what you need and your design WILL be unique.
YOU WANT A PROFESSIONAL OPINION AND APPROACH
When you hire a professional interior designer, you are going to get a professional assessment. That is the goal right?! You know you need an interior designer when the contractor you invited over for a bid on the kitchen extension, asks you if you have drawings specifying the scope of the project. Drawings?! You might say! YES. Professional interior designers went to school and were trained to do what they do. They understand how to draft floor plans and elevations that contractors can read and determine the scope of the project. They understand that drawings come first prior to bids. Bottom line, a great interior designer is GOING to give you a professional assessment that leads to a SOLID plan of action.
IRENE Tokstad
With a loving husband and three amazing kids, Irene is committed to serving and supporting fellow community families of all shapes and sizes by helping them realize their home vision with innovation, integrity and passion.
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YOU WANT A QUALIFIED LIASON WITH A TRAINED EYE
A great interior designer is going to know how to speak a contractors language and this is critical in managing projects, saving time and budgeting. Strong communication is important in order to ensure the success of your project, especially if you want it to finish on time.
Here at Design Allure, our goal isn’t to highjack your project and say that all design decisions MUST go through us. On the contrary, our goal is to build a stronger bridge between you and your contractor so that we can avoid costly mistakes in the overall plan. In addition, we are trained to think about factors that most people commonly overlook. For example: It is critical to address lighting and furnishings first before construction starts because you’ll need to have proper placement of lighting outlets. Great designers don’t just design to make things look pretty, they design around function, flow and lifestyles.
YOU WANT YOUR VISION TO BECOME A REALITY
Interior designers are creative people that are trained to think of how the key principles and elements of interior design, play a part in your design. As a result, a great designer is going to understand exactly what it takes to make stunning interiors. If you want the WOW factor, then hiring an interior designer is the way to go. Not only will you learn a TON throughout the entire process, you will also learn to think outside the box while you gain powerful interior designer insights.
In addition, a professional interior designer won’t be limited to standard products. They will know how to design custom-designed pieces to create perfect spaces. Furthermore, they will pay attention to all of the little details. Often times, what makes a great interior designer so special is just that, they understand that great design is made up of all the little details. So let your designer help your vision become a reality. It will not only enhance your space and the quality of your life. Start by bringing great design home today!
THANK YOU
Thank you so much for taking the time to read this blog! We hope you found it valuable and helpful! Our goal here at Design Allure is to offer you relevant and valuable information so that you can make informed decisions. Sometimes hiring a designer just simply comes down to cost.
Did you know there are still affordable options out there? Have you ever thought about online interior design? If you don’t live in Portland, OR Design Allure would be happy to assist you in a more cost affordable custom package where we design a design concept and floor plan layout based on your style, tastes and budget. Email Irene at irene.tokstad@designallure.com with details about your project for a custom quote for an online interior design package today!
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