Why It’s Important to Choose the Right Interior Designer
One of the most important decisions you will make when building a business is choosing the right interior designer. There are several factors that go into choosing the right designer for your project. Here are a few key points we’ve found are most important when making this decision.
THE FIRST THING YOU SHOULD CONSIDER IS WHAT YOU NEED DETERMINED BY SCOPE.
If the project is just getting a few pieces of furniture or styling rooms, you can look at interior decorators. Interior decorators are not licensed to design or build the bones of a room. However, if the project is bigger and requires designing a room from the ground up, you need to narrow your search to specifically interior designers with experience related to your project.
Now days, with social media all around us, people tend to look at someone’s site or Pinterest board and see that they have good taste and think that that must mean they know what they are doing. But while that may make a good decorator, it doesn’t necessarily make for a great designer.
A DESIGNER NEEDS TO SEE YOUR VISION, GROW IT, AND THEN ALIGN IT WITH WHAT THEY HAVE TO WORK WITH.
They need to know how to utilize every piece of a room and how to build out any additions in a way that is cost effective, efficient, flawless, and seamless to your desire. They also need to be able to work well with the builders and architects.
KNOW YOUR BUDGET BEFOREHAND.
When you don’t have a clear start and finish point, it is hard to determine if one designer would be a better fit than another. So, before you look at different designers and consider their work, know what you have to offer as well as what you need to gain from the hire. For example, if you are building or redesigning a large hotel, it is important to work with a team that can handle the work load. They not only need the qualifications but they also need the bandwidth to give your job the time and energy it needs and deserves. You need a team.
LOOK THROUGH THE DESIGNER’S PREVIOUS WORK.
Knowing if the designer is up for the task is not just about their taste, style, and cost-it’s also about their experience. While we are all about giving everyone a chance, when it comes to hospitality, you need to know that your designer understands the big and small differences between residential, commercial, and hospitality. You might not necessarily know the difference between something that works better in a home than in a hotel lobby and that is okay. However, your designer should know and should be able to walk you through why going with a different color palette or seating design may be more beneficial to the environment and growth of your hotel.
As interior designers working in the hospitality business, we’ve seen it all. The importance of process and development is essential to creating an amazing space and aesthetic. But understanding your client’s needs, as well as them understanding your qualifications, is just as important in the process. Finding an interior designer that not only is qualified but that you trust to work alongside your team could make all the difference in creating a space to grow your business and reach new clients.