When to Hire an Interior Designer? - Home Builders & Remodeler's Association

Katie Canfield, an experienced interior designer and owner of Studio KC Interiors is here to share some insight on why enlisting a designer from the onset of the project can make all the difference in your project’s final result.

The collaboration between interior designer, architect, and builder is a careful balance to ensure the project is properly executed. A renovation of any scale is an exciting time, but you may be wondering when the best time is to bring an interior designer onto the team.

CONSTRUCTION AND FUNCTION

Having a designer come on board before construction begins means you can more intentionally consider the result of the construction that will affect your everyday life. A designer will work with you to visualize how you live in your space and come up with solutions that combine form and function, all while making sure they work with your specific needs. For example, a designer will carefully consider the placement of outlets in the kitchen or mudroom while also selecting outlets that look beautiful in the space. Inevitably there will be questions or ideas that need to be discussed during the construction process. Without a design professional, you may be asked dozens of questions by your contractor that you weren’t expecting or aren’t even sure how to answer. An interior designer will be on call to guide you through these situations and work with the contractor to provide the best solutions.

UPFRONT PLANNING

Once walls are closed or tile is installed, making changes becomes expensive, messy, or no longer possible. Especially when it comes to electrical work or plumbing. Your designer will provide invaluable foresight in the planning process while also developing concepts that you may have never considered. Like hanging pendants over your bedside tables instead of using table lamps…therefore meaning junction boxes would need to be installed prior to the completion of drywall installation. If you wait to hire a designer for the “decorating” portion of the project, you could end up finding a lot of things you missed or wish you’d thought of during the construction phase. In addition, a designer may not be able to execute certain ideas due to the time and expense needed to backtrack on finished construction.

LEAD TIMES

A beautiful design brings together thoughtful elements, and those unique elements are often not in stock at your local warehouse stores. If you wait until the bathroom is already gutted to hire a designer, that made-to-order light fixture or specialty tile is probably a missed opportunity, since the lead-time would now delay the project. A seasoned designer will work with you to create realistic schedules for ordering and will manage any unforeseen delays to keep the project on-track. Your designer will not only have access to trade-only resources, but they will be an invaluable part of order management from start to finish.

TAILOR MADE FOR YOU

Unless you’re building a prefab home, your unique project has never been done before. Certainly, your builder has renovated hundreds of bathrooms, but none entirely unique to your style and your needs. A designer will think about your project from the inside out and bring up ideas to make the final result look beautiful and truly customized to you.