How to Choose and Hire an Interior Designer
Whether you’re looking to redesign a room or complete the look of a bare space, you need an interior designer for a safe and functional yet aesthetically pleasing interior. Not sure how to find and choose the right professional for your project? Here’s how to find an interior designer who can help you achieve the desired look and feel for your space:
Decide on Your Style
Before finding interior designers, you have to determine the style you want. Discover what elements you like and the colour palettes you prefer. If you have no clear picture of how you want your space to look yet, you can:
- Determine the Function of the Space
Determine the function of the space first to make it easier for you to think of the aesthetic it needs. Is the space residential or commercial? Is it a room wherein people would go to rest and relax—-needing a cool and calming palette with soft furnishings? Or is it an interior that needs pops of bright and attention-grabbing colours to make people feel more alert and energised? - Look for Inspiration
Think of themes and motifs that you want for your space that would suit its function. What colours, textures, and patterns would go with your idea? Does your space need a Scandinavian or bohemian look? Or do you feel it needs an industrial or rustic vibe? If it’s a commercial or hospitality space, what look would be best for your clients or guests? Find inspiration from the internet, social media, or even magazines. Gather photographs, tear-outs, fabrics, wallpaper or colour samples, and more. - Create a Vision Board
To better determine your style and present it to possible interior designers, you should create a vision board. You can create a physical board from the photographs, fabrics, and samples you’ve gathered or make a digital one on your computer. With a vision board, the interior designer can better help you figure out how to include what you love with what’s beautiful and pleasing to the eye as well as exclude what won’t work.
Set a Budget
Before meeting with candidates, you have to set a realistic budget you can stick to while being honest about the possible expenses based on your vision board. You don’t want to overspend but you also don’t want to compromise the quality of the finishes and overall appearance of your space. Keep in mind that the expense for the construction work as well as the furnishings and decor does not include the interior designer’s fees yet. Be ready to be upfront about your total budget to avoid compromising the overall design that the interior designer will build.
Research Interior Designers
Once you have your vision board and budget, it’s time to pool candidates. Look for interior designers by searching online databases or checking with national or state associations of interior designers. You can also ask for referrals from the engineer or architect who helped build your space or drop by furniture or home stores and ask their salespeople for interior designers who frequently shop there. Once you have a pool of contacts, you can start narrowing your list down by considering:
- Their Credentials
Your candidates should only be qualified, licensed interior design professionals to make sure your project will be done properly. To make sure you hire interior designers who will not only produce aesthetically pleasing designs, but also a safe and functional space, you should first check their credentials, certifications, or formal qualifications. Look at their website, social media accounts, and LinkedIn page. You can also look for testimonials, not just written, but also people you can get in touch with. - Their Location
Narrow your list further by retaining only those from your local area or at least from areas near you. Hiring an interior designer from or around your area is advantageous as they can check out and evaluate your space right away. It will also be easier for them to visit the site and monitor the renovation once it’s ongoing. - Their Niche
Once you have a list of qualified interior designers near you, you should look at their niche and determine if your space falls within it. Do you need to hire an interior designer who mainly works on residential projects? Or should you find someone who is experienced in designing commercial spaces such as restaurants, cafes, or hotels? Does your space call for designers who specialise in designing lobbies, bars, or even commercial kitchens? - Their Style and Aesthetic
Finally, look through their portfolio and evaluate if their style and aesthetic align with your vision board. While it’s their job to bring the look and feel you want to life, it will be easier to achieve if you hire an interior designer who has designed similar looks before.
Research Interior Designers
Once you have your vision board and budget, it’s time to pool candidates. Look for interior designers by searching online databases or checking with national or state associations of interior designers. You can also ask for referrals from the engineer or architect who helped build your space or drop by furniture or home stores and ask their salespeople for interior designers who frequently shop there. Once you have a pool of contacts, you can start narrowing your list down by considering:
- Their Credentials
Your candidates should only be qualified, licensed interior design professionals to make sure your project will be done properly. To make sure you hire interior designers who will not only produce aesthetically pleasing designs, but also a safe and functional space, you should first check their credentials, certifications, or formal qualifications. Look at their website, social media accounts, and LinkedIn page. You can also look for testimonials, not just written, but also people you can get in touch with. - Their Location
Narrow your list further by retaining only those from your local area or at least from areas near you. Hiring an interior designer from or around your area is advantageous as they can check out and evaluate your space right away. It will also be easier for them to visit the site and monitor the renovation once it’s ongoing. - Their Niche
Once you have a list of qualified interior designers near you, you should look at their niche and determine if your space falls within it. Do you need to hire an interior designer who mainly works on residential projects? Or should you find someone who is experienced in designing commercial spaces such as restaurants, cafes, or hotels? Does your space call for designers who specialise in designing lobbies, bars, or even commercial kitchens? - Their Style and Aesthetic
Finally, look through their portfolio and evaluate if their style and aesthetic align with your vision board. While it’s their job to bring the look and feel you want to life, it will be easier to achieve if you hire an interior designer who has designed similar looks before.
Interview Your Candidates
Once you’ve narrowed down your list of interior designers to 2 to 3 finalists, you have to schedule interviews with them. Usually, designers charge a fee for an hour-and-a-half to two-hour consultations, but it will be worth it as you will get a lot of ideas and suggestions for your project. You would most likely get the fee back anyway once you decide to hire them. To know who among your finalists to hire, you must determine:
- Their Cost
Find out if their professional fees and the expenses they propose fall within your set budget without compromising the quality of work. - Their Timeline
Considering the designing process and the construction work itself, check if the timeline they set is reasonable and realistic for you and the project. - Their Availability
Depending on how often you want to meet and consult with them or how closely you want them to supervise the work, determine their availability for you and the project. - Their Personality
Even if they’ve met the criteria you set for your project, you have to hire an interior designer who has a personality that jives with yours. You don’t have to be best friends, but you have to choose an interior designer you won’t mind spending a lot of time with so you can work together comfortably.
The Takeaway
Finding and choosing the right interior designer to hire for your project can be overwhelming. While you have to make sure your winning candidate is qualified and meets the criteria you’ve set, you should also be able to communicate comfortably with them throughout the project. Hire an interior designer you can be honest with and who is not afraid to challenge your ideas. They must be able to offer their own opinions and suggestions to achieve the best look for your space.