By Austin Miranda It is a given that the best interior designers can easily transform any house beautifully. With wrong decisions made, however, any designing project could end up to be a disaster. In order to steer clear from such, it is vital to know what questions to ask when getting the services of an interior designer.
Keep in mind that interior design business should be founded on trust. Since most homeowners have pretty much a good idea about how their homes should look, designing the space is a totally different sphere. This is when an interior designer must step in. He must be able to tell the homeowner – you – the architectural spaces that can be transformed into aesthetically pleasing spots. He must take into consideration your lifestyle, your taste, and your home’s architectural features.
Are You Licensed?
You need to shoot with this first question right away. Every state has different licensing requirements but the typical combination is for the designer to have been educated and armed with ample experience. Hire the one that has the best knowledge of building and fire codes; accessibility requirements; ergonomics and other aspects that can affect the success of the design project.
What Are Your Specializations?
Each designer has a different specialty based on his experience. For instance, there are designers that are good in creating functional office spaces while others are better at residential settings.
You need to know whether the interior designer can provide the services that you need for your project. If you establish this early on, you can effectively plan and have a team ready in no time.
Can You Use My Ideas in Designing My Home?
This is a crucial question since the answer to this establishes whether the designer is willing to listen to inputs coming from his clients. As the designer, he should be able to translate your ideas into the project that you want to him to accomplish. He should be versatile enough to adapt the design that best suits his client’s preference.
The designer that you choose must also be able to work with the budget that you set. Finding an expert that has accomplished high-end projects may not be suitable if you are working on a strict budget. These big project designers may also not prioritize small projects so be wary when choosing the big-named ones.
Can You Show Me Your Portfolio?
Do not hesitate to ask this since the designer’s portfolio will give you a good look at the previous projects that he has done. An impressive portfolio should score high on your to-hire priority list.
More than the past projects, you need to get in touch with the references that he will provide you with. Past clients can effectively describe whether you and the designer will be a good fit. It is vital to know whether his past clients were happy with his work, if not, well, you can always hire another designer.
An important part of his portfolio is his billing preference and actual professional fees. This should also help you understand whether the designer knows how to meet his time limits.
How Are You Going to Involve Me in This Project?
Even when you choose a designer with a proven track record, it is still important for you to determine your part in the project. Of course, you would not want to be left by the sidelines. As much as possible you want to be involved in the whole designing process. Most designers already know that they have to work with homeowners at certain points in time but watch out for the manipulative ones who want to take full control.
If you want to be involved every step of the way, hire someone who is okay with that setup.
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