Choosing the right interior designer for your home’s design project is a multi-level process. Not only must you find someone whose experience and design expertise are up to your standards, but you must also find someone who will treat both you and your home respectfully. You must also find someone in whom you can place a great deal of trust. Additionally, you need to choose an interior designer with whom you feel comfortable communicating your preferences. Finally, you need to hire a designer who will understand whatever limits there may be to your budget. Top interior designers near you have put together the questions they would ask if tasked with hiring a designer for their own homes. If you have additional questions about how to choose an interior designer consult with an interior designer in New Jersey today.
Talk to Family and Friends
Still the most trusted way to find anything is to ask the people you know. Word of mouth has been the best way to do business since the beginning of business, and it still works extremely well today. Talk to family members, friends, and co-workers who own homes. Ask around to see if anyone has used an interior designer recently (within the past couple of years at most). Inquire about whether you can see the work performed in person. Most folks will be happy to show you around their homes, particularly if they’ve had a recent interior redesign done. If that’s not an option, ask if you can see before and after photos. Again, there are few people who have had such work done on their homes who would mind showing you photos and talking all about the work that was performed. Another very important place to find interior designers is through online sites where clients go to submit reviews.
Interior Designer’s Level of Involvement
Every interior design project will be different, and that means that each individual project will have varying levels of involvement required from an interior designer. Additionally, not all homeowners want the same level of involvement from their interior designers either. Assess your project and your comfort level with an interior designer’s engagement in it. Here are a few questions to ask yourself in order to determine this:
- Do you consider yourself someone who needs a lot of control over a project?
- Do you want an interior designer who will keep you up-to-date with all minute details?
- Do you need your interior designer to help you with such things as color palette selection?
- Do you need an interior designer to manage all aspects of your project?
- Do you need someone who will offer a number of different creative concepts or themes for your project?
Get their qualifications
Determine the level of education and expertise prospective interior designers have. It’s important to note that professional designers will be trained in:
- Building codes, permits, and regulations
- AutoCAD
- Fire-rating classifications
- Lighting products and effects
- 3-D Modeling
- Regulations pertaining to the Americans With Disabilities Act
Ask The Right Questions
Arm yourself with a list of questions that will help you to determine which interior designers are right for your job, and which ones you can put in the ‘no’ pile. Be sure to get contact information from referrals and online reviews for at least three interior designers.
- Ask all candidates for references.
- Ask to see a portfolio of work they’ve performed.
- Ask for a copy of their design contract.
- Ask for a visual model of their design ideas.
- Ask how much time they believe the project will take.
- Ask about their rates—do they charge by the room or by the hour, and get a written, detailed estimate.
If you’re in a position to hire an interior designer to redesign your home, you want to make sure the person you hire will do the best job possible. Recreating your living space for optimal appearance and ambiance that will match your personality, preferences, and lifestyle is exciting. After all, this is going to be an investment; you want to optimize it to its fullest. A big part of that optimization will depend on whom you hire as your interior designer. Top interior designers will be professionals who will treat your home as respectfully as they would their own.
