Throughout the years of assisting clients build their dream homes, we have encountered many client approaches to interior design. Some clients have contracted a team of designers to assist them, others decide to take on that role themselves, and many clients have fallen in between. Here are a few tips from Alair Homes Houston to help you decide what approach you might want to take.
Interior Designers come with a price tag, but can also save you time, money and most importantly peace of mind during the build process. Not only do they have the ability to translate your aesthetic into a language that will carry throughout your home, but they can also provide you with preferred pricing for vendors, offer visual aids to what your design will look like, and do the mathematical legwork behind pricing the correct amount of materials.
If you can humbly admit that you might be challenged in the design department, a full scope designer will be invaluable.
If you feel as though you have an artistic eye, but aren’t extremely confident you can coordinate the multitude of finish items that go into the cosmetics of a home in a way that jibes, you might want to find a part-time designer to help you make final decisions, suggest vendors that fit your style, and give you the reassurance you might need that you’re on the right track. This might save you money in the long run and will certainly help ensure that all final decisions are “final”. The last thing you want while building a home is the cost of change orders or “re-dos” during the build process.
There is also the occasional client that wants to take on the design process all on their own. I have seen many of these. Some succeed with flying colors and others end up with ulcers. If this is the route you feel like taking, be honest with yourself about a few things. First, do you have the time? Depending on the size of the build, this could very well be a full-time job during the preliminary stages of estimation. Secondly, how comfortable do you feel with architectural plans, dimensioning, square footage take-offs and all of the math that goes along with sizing up your selections? If you can think in three dimensions, you should be alright. Another thing to consider is your ability to understand color and space. Picking selections is much more complicated than selecting a swatch from a sample book at the local paint store. The way colors look in certain lights, the way certain finishes or sheens complement each other, and the coordination of your décor all come into play. Lastly, and most importantly…are you a decisive person? Not being able to stick to your guns once your finalized your design can be a budgetary nightmare. Changing finish items mid-project will affect more areas of the building process than are immediately apparent. One can blow their budget quite quickly if they tend to be a fickle designer.
Any way you go, we always suggest that you have a part-time designer in your back pocket to bounce ideas off of when needed. Ask your builder if they can refer you to someone they work well with and trust. Your builder should be able to show you portfolios of previous projects by respective designers to help guide your choices. Happy Designing!