This is why you should hire an interior designer

The renovation, re-design and redecorating process is a stressful one. It is never without obstacles and challenges; that is the reality! The best way of getting through it successfully is to have an interior designer guide you through the process with honest collaboration, realistic expectations and open communication, which will result in a positive experience for both designer and client.

Trust: the key to an interior designing collaboration

Trust is the most important element to any relationship and the client / designer one is no different. When a client trusts in the professional whom they hired, the end result is a success and obstacles will be resolved smoothly. Before you call a design professional to engage their services, research their firm and look for examples of their work to ensure they will suit your project needs and understand your vision.

Bring your tastes to life

Creating a home environment which expresses your lifestyle is always the goal. If you communicate your plans openly to your designer, you will get what you need and what you want, even if you may not be able to visualize the end result during the process. After the initial ‘discovery’ meeting with a client, I see the space completed in my ‘mind’s eye’, so it is critical that the client is honest and open with their goals, budgets and limitations so the vision comes to fruition exactly as it should.

There are hundreds of details in designing and decorating a home. Have an open mind; if you hired the right designer, they will create and resolve issues to best suit your unique lifestyle. The best compliment I get is when a client says, “I would have never thought of that, and I love it.” Is that not why you hired a designer? It is not your job to ‘think of that.’ It’s theirs.

Source: EEID.

What interior designers can do for you

Be honest and ethical in your business approach. Designers are not your ticket to a discount. We have valuable resources, experiences and relationships which have been curated over many years. The reason you are getting such good service is because your designer has paid their dues.

What interior designers don’t want you to do

Don’t micromanage the project. This wastes time, creates frustration and develops a feeling of mistrust within the relationship. I’m not sure why this is the case in the design and décor business, we don’t tell our dentist how to do their job. It boils down to communication, if you do it openly and clearly from the beginning, you should be able to rest easy knowing your home is in the hands of a professional who understands your vision.

I believe I can speak for most designers when I say we love what we do, but it is not a hobby. It is the way we make a living and as such should be approached as a business. At my firm, Evelyn Eshun Design Inc., we have a system in place to ensure that the client is right for us and that we are right for them. Each professional will have their system which they use to run their business; you should make sure you understand it and are comfortable with their process.

Most designers begin with an initial meeting to determine whether the budget, timeline and general goals can be met by both parties. Then a proposal and estimate is given to confirm the project at hand. Sign on the dotted line and you’re off to the races.

Source: EEID.

Are you ready to design your space with a trained eye? Visit our directory of home service professionals to find an interior designer who can decorate and design your favourite spaces!

About Evelyn Eshun:

Recognized for her classic taste and eclectic style, Interior Designer Evelyn Eshun, been providing innovative, forward thinking and consistently artistic design solutions for her discerning clients for almost 2 decades. A design personality on various television shows, including Take this House and Sell it, Evelyn is a regular contributor to local and national design publications. For more information, visit us online.