WHEN HIRING AN INTERIOR DESIGNER, HERE 12 ESSENTIAL QUESTIONS TO ASK, AND FACTORS TO CONSIDER
These factors are in no particular order of importance, since they are ALL equally important:
1) Portfolio - Look for a designer who has a lot of experience in the field, and a strong portfolio of work.
2) Aesthetic - This will give you an idea of the designer's style and capabilities. Even though designers have the ability and enjoy working with many different styles and aesthetics, their overall "look" will shine through, and you need to ensure that this resonates with yo
3) Industry Knowledge - Does the designer attend trade shows and are they up to date with the latest trends in the industry? Without this, they will not have the ability to offer you a broad spectrum of product that way giving you many diverse options, from a style as well as price perspective.
4) Connection - You definitely need to "connect" with your designer, and you need to feel and know that your designer "gets" you and understands what you are wanting to achieve in your project. Communicating with your designer should be easy and comfortable.
5) Personality - Your personalities need to "gel", and you need to be on the same page. You need to enjoy spending time together because most projects involve many many hours of time together.
6) Wholesale Accounts - Does the designer have access to hundreds of wholesalers and as such can they provide you with reduced pricing that is lower than MSRP?
7) Design Concept and Ideas - In what format will these be presented to you? Drawings, mood boards, CAD drawings etc.
8) Communication Skills - A good interior designer should listen to your needs, wants and preferences, and then offer their own expertise and ideas. They should be open minded, and should clearly communicate their vision for the space. They should work collaboratively with you throughout the design process.
9) Level of Professionalism, Efficiency and Reliability - You want someone who will meet deadlines, stay within budget, respond to your messages in a timely manner, answer the phone!, be there to bounce ideas off, manage the entire project, and be transparent about any challenges or issues that arise.
10) Fees - Budget and fee structure should be discussed in detail at the very beginning of the project, and should be understood by all. Transparency is key here, and everything should be in writing and clear.
11) Problem Solving Skills - You need someone who is positive, who sees the glass half full and not half empty, and is good at finding quick sensible solutions in the most effective and efficient manner. Remember that for every problem there is always a solution!
12) Reviews - Read reviews or ask for references from past clients.
This will give you everything you need to know about the designer and will give you insight into the designer's work ethic, communication skills, and overall satisfaction with the final result.
If you are considering a remodel of any kind, I hope you found this article helpful.
In our businesses, Shelley Sass Designs and Sass Construction and Design, we pride ourselves on all of the above, and we strive to reach these goals each and every day and in each and every project.
For us our clients come first, and we are here to advocate for them and serve them to the best of our ability.
Our standards are high and this is what we attribute our success to.
To read our REVIEWS please click here.
We would love take the pressure off and assist you with your entire Design Process, from Concept to Completion.
