Considering Working with a Designer?

by Robin Muto on July 2, 2009

in Interior Design

Highlights of Architectural Digest Survey This is a link to a part II

Should you hire an interior designer?….Well, maybe or maybe not.  Certainly, if you are just beginning your career, maybe living in an apartment or condo, hiring an interior designer is probably not a priority.  A trip to Ikea or West Elm will do just fine.  But let’s say you’ve just invested in a nice piece of real estate and suddenly you have a gazillion decisions to make.. what style of windows and doors should be selected, should you use white or golden oak, should you stain the floors, is there a better way to position fixtures in the bathroom…will you still have seating for eight after putting the piano in the living room?  These questions can pertain to one room or multiply into many rooms and with each decision there is an investment of time and money.  Maybe it’s time to think about hiring a designer, not only to advise in the individual decisions but to guide those decisions towards a cohesive design that reflects your personal style.

It’s been my experience that people engage my services for two reasons. One aspect of my work is purely service oriented which can include consultation, space planning, furniture layouts, kitchen and bath designs etc. The other aspect is product oriented.  Sometimes I help clients in the selection of products that they, or their contractor will purchase at local stores and sometimes clients are looking for unique and exclusive items that are only available through designers (aka “to the trade only”).

Last spring Architectural Digest and Kravet surveyed over 400 clients to find out why they hired an Interior Designer.  The results of the survey are quite interesting and it affirms my own experience as a designer.

Here are a few of the reasons people hired a designer:

  • They are looking to the designer for creative inspiration, expert guidance, attention to detail, level of knowledge, knowledge of periods and styles, access to custom products, sources not known by consumers and they want the interior designer to be methodical and organized.
  • Clients hired an interior designer because they lacked confidence to do the job themselves.
  • Designers are an asset when they had complicated projects
  • They found themselves overwhelmed with the decisions required and wanted to avoid large costly mistakes
  • Interior Designers have the skill to customize a plan to fit their lifestyle and incorporate existing furnishings and collections into a cohesive look.
  • Designers have knowledge of resources for products and fabricators to implement the designs.
  • Designers have the skills to coordinate the project and therefore establish realistic budgets, helping the clients understand the true value of products.

    • Not only do designers bring specialized skills that are essential in managing large or complicated projects, but even in small projects there is a high level of service related activities combined with creativity that provide tangible benefits for the client’s investment.

    Excerpts from “Designing For Success” by Gail Doby

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