Who's Driving Your Interior Design Project?
Any given project requires a leader. While there are many roles within successful projects, architect, builder/contractor, trades, interior designer, not to mention all of the people behind the scenes coordinating, manufacturing, providing products etc., it takes a village!
You could say we are biased, however the role of an interior designer is critical for the success of a new home build, renovation, or even furniture and decor, however we’re often the most undervalued, and misused service in the industry.
I’ve been thinking about this type of post for some time, but what prompted me to put fingers to keyboard was a conversation I had with a potential client. I loved her honesty in asking simply “can we bring a designer into the project only at certain times?” I loved this question!! It stemmed from her builder, and while I do think he had a valid point based on certain parts of a project being more intense than others, I felt compelled to really share our value, and how that can impact a project.
I’ve put together a synopsis of each scenario in order to walk through the difference between hiring an interior designer during parts of the project, vs. hiring an interior designer for its entirety.
Scenario #1:
A designer is hired intermittently throughout the project.
The client decides they’d like to hire a designer at the beginning to lay their eyes on the floor plans, and make sure everything looks good before drawings go to permit, and shovels get in the ground. A great idea! The clients select the finishes and materials, and bring them in for the designer to review. The client also requests the designer to do a midway walkthrough of the home to provide thoughts on each space, confirm lighting placement, number of lights, plumbing placement, and briefly discuss furniture. Definitely beneficial! Lastly, the client would love to have their designer select light fixtures, and furniture to bring everything together. Wonderful!
These are all great areas for a designer to be involved, however problems can, and most likely will occur in this scenario. While at the onset, the intent is to save money, in actuality it will end up costing more or result in a level of compromise.
Designer is brought in at the beginning to review plans
Possible problems
A full understanding of furniture placement and lifestyle is not understood or considered.
An understanding of furniture placement is essential in providing important information regarding electrical and millwork, and subsequently, millwork provides important information for plumbing AND electrical.
Assumptions are made based on a lack of information, and understanding of all aspects of the project.
Designer is brought in to review finishes and materials the client has selected
Possible problems
The client may not have considered costs alongside each selection.
The cohesiveness of each space may not be consistent.
There may be more options to consider that the client is not aware of, or does not have access to.
There may be a lack of understanding with how one selection connects to the other as far as scale, texture, size and overall feel.
The client may not know how to translate the selection information to the contractor, creating possible assumptions and potential unclarity for installation.
Designer is brought in for a mid-project walkthrough
Possible problems
Decorative lighting selections are not known at this time, therefore confirming electrical placement is not efficient, nor accurate.
Walls are potentially drywalled, so changes/additions are not always easy at this point, and can be costly.
Millwork has not been considered alongside electrical, so outlets, and the potential of adding lighting within the millwork, etc. may have been overlooked.
Furniture is discussed in greater detail, and at that time it is determined the antique, heirloom dining table passed down from Grandma won’t fit into the existing space. Nor does a King size bed in the guest bedroom. Oh no!
The home office, necessary for the clients to work from home is under lit. Now drywall will need to be opened up to accommodate more lighting, and adding a table lamp to the desk will mean running a cord along the floor to the wall from the free standing desk, rather than having planned for a floor outlet.
To name a few scenarios….
Designer is brought in at the end to select lighting and furniture
Possible problems
Lights must now be selected based on the location of the existing electrical boxes. Choices will be more limited for every room, and it will take longer to find the most suitable option, resulting in more fees.
The weights of the light fixtures were not considered at framing stage in an effort to add backing for additional support if needed.
As per the notes above, there is risk of existing furniture not fitting into their respective spaces, resulting in unnecessarily buying something new.
Positions of outlets were not considered based on furniture layouts, therefore cords are running longer distances, the printer doesn't have its own outlet, or a floating sofa in the room does not have access to a floor outlet for table or floor lamps.
Locations of bathroom hardware, hooks etc. were not considered at framing stage, before drywall, so additional backing and support was not installed.
Sound overwhelming? To those not versed in the process of interior design it absolutely is. Especially considering the overall investment being made.
COST or COMPROMISE. It’s one or the other, and often a combination of both when a professional interior designer is not involved in a project from start to finish. Either a client will end up paying more money to make changes or additions, or they will compromise, living with the completed space, not having considered many details an interior designer would bring to the table.
There’s an incredible amount of money that goes into a custom home or large scale renovation. Even updating your home with new furniture is costly. Enlisting the services of an interior designer throughout the entirety of the project will most certainly yield the best result. While the cost of engaging the services of a designer is an investment, the costs and compromises associated with not having a designer on your team, are more.
Scenario #2:
A designer is hired to lead, and drive the project from start to finish alongside the builder/trades, with the liaison and guidance of the architect as needed, throughout the project.
With a designer at the wheel, the project is managed through the duration, and all the details are worked through in an effort to avoid disappointment, frustration, and stress. A thorough, and thoughtful approach is taken throughout the project, with foresight in decision making.
A professional interior designer provides the following:
Furniture plans at the onset to determine layout, scale of rooms, and a review of the family’s lifestyle.
A review of the construction budget to determine the allocation of funds accordingly, and provide insight into where to save, and where to splurge.
Preliminary electrical layout based on furniture placement, as well as determining recessed lighting vs. decorative lighting.
Preliminary millwork design, and layouts to determine plumbing placement and appliance locations.
Complete selection, specification and drawing packages with respect to appliances, plumbing, lighting, tile, millwork, finishing carpentry, hardware, paint etc., to eliminate guesswork and provide the builder/trades with all pertinent information regarding the interior design of the project.
A healthy connection, and collaboration with the builder/trades and architect to ensure a smooth process and successful end result.
Advocacy on the clients behalf. We’re in the trenches for you.
Expertise and efficiencies based on years of experience.
Continuity and cohesiveness throughout the home.
Unexpected design and details offering WOW factor and interest.
Regular site visits to ensure the project is moving along as per plan, and manage any concerns that may arise along the way in a thoughtful way.
Make selections well in advance to navigate timing, and avoid disappointment, such as an item being out of stock, a product being discontinued, dye lot changes etc.
Work with existing pieces of furniture and/or artwork to ensure they fit, and have been considered within the overall design.
Provide a turnkey approach to the completed project.
Peace of mind.
To name a few…
With an interior designer leading, and driving your project you are sure to have an end result that not only looks good, but feels good. There are details a designer thinks of, ideas they will contribute, and connection points that a client/builder/contractor may never have thought of. Our ultimate goal is to not only bring value through the above, but to create thoughtful, functional spaces/homes our clients feel have been designed specifically for them, feel comfortable in, and look forward to enjoying for many years alongside family and friends.
So, who’s driving your next interior design project?
If this has prompted more questions, or you’re ready to get started on your next project. Get in touch! We’d love to speak with you more about leading your project!
