On this page:
- Collaborative Creativity (and fun!) with your Interior Designer
- Have fun, not a headache
- Behind every great interior designer is a great construction team
- Mistakes cost time and money, avoid them with an interior designer
- Budget and Contacts
- The space will look like it had an interior designer
- Designer Advice
- Ready to meet and collaborate with an interior designer for your dream home or renovation?
So, you’ve come to the point of deciding on whether to hire an interior designer, and you’re just not sure how they can help.
There are many benefits to hiring an interior designer. An interior designer can help with unlocking your creativity and forming it into a cohesive, functional space.
Whether it be a dream home, an extension, or a renovation, finding a good interior designer is going to elevate your project and bring about results you never would have thought about. So, let’s get into some of the main aspects that hiring a designer can help with saving you time, money, and your sanity!
Collaborative Creativity (and fun!) with your Interior Designer
The first thing you need to know about hiring an interior designer is that they are not there to design their own dream space, but to design your dream space.
This is first and foremost a collaborative endeavour, and the interior designer is there to assist and guide you on your journey. It is for this reason that it is important that you and your designer share a common vision and can communicate while even -dare we say- enjoying the process!
They will be able to look at a space from a different perspective, one that comes from experience, passion, and creativity. It is not just about how a space looks; it is also about its function.
Now you may think, function, I understand this concept, and indeed you may. But to a designer worth their merit, it means a lot more than just having the fan above the stove.
To a designer, every room is about relationships, those that you have with your friends, your family, your partner. These spaces will inevitably become places for memories as the tradition of Christmas dinner in your new kitchen becomes your old kitchen. Your new living space remembered by friends for those late-night dinner parties, and cozy winter nights by the fire.
It is with these visions of what the future may hold for a space, and indeed what you want for a space that can determine a deeper form of function. The movement of people within the space, and how it can hold a large family seated for that Christmas dinner, or dinner party.
Or you live with a limit on space, and you need innovative ways to have function that maximises every inch, with no waste, no clutter, just a clean design.
So, interior design is not all about making spaces pretty, but about seeing what you want from a space, imagining the life it will have, and building on that vision to live its reality.
Deep, I know. But you want an interior designer to care with as much passion as you have, and create the best possible outcome, and this is Jasmine McClelland Design.
Have Fun, not a Headache!
Renovating your home is supposed to be a reward! You’ve worked hard to be able to get to this point, and you should be able to enjoy that reward. Having an interior designer is the difference that will make your build a pleasurable experience.
Wouldn’t it be great to only enjoy the fun parts of your new renovation or build? Having to manage your renovation yourself means you have to worry about it also, but with a designer looking after your project, it’s more like being the grandparent. Enjoy the fun stuff, then hand it back to the designer when any problems occur!
Not to mention that when mistakes are made, you are not liable for those mistakes (or the cost). A sure thing to make you need a Panadol or two if you are doing it all yourself!
Behind every great interior designer is a great construction team
The quality of an interior designer’s work is like an artist’s signature for a piece of art. The finish on your spaces is an extremely important aspect of the reputation of an interior designer, and for this reason, you can rest assured that they have collected for themselves some of the finest craftspeople you can find.
Sourcing Trades – Finding the right tradespeople can take time, and your designer has no doubt already gone through the tribulations of poor craftspeople. A lot of tradespeople may not want to do some of the more custom ideas you may have for your plans with your renovation project also, they are just in it for a quick buck and to get the job done as quick as possible before moving on to their next job.
Accountability – Your Designer will hold the craftspeople accountable for their work, making sure that the finished project is meeting their standards. It is important to recognise a designer that takes pride in their work so that you can be sure they will be as concerned for the best possible result as you would be, treating the project as if were their own.
Scheduling – Then there is the matter of timing all your contractors to work to your schedule, chasing them up when they are pulled to other work, or if you need them back to fix a defect. Making sure that one trade has finished by the time the next trade is scheduled to come in and follow up from their work. With trade work, there is an order to how work is done and which trades work in which order. Just one trade not being able to make it to the job will create a domino effect on other trades and affect the whole project.
Richmond Home Project – Jasmine McClelland, Interior Designer
Most designers will have a portfolio online that you can look through to see how the craftsmanship shows on their projects. You should be sure to do your homework and listen to how the designers you meet with speak on quality.
These are all things that your interior designer can be your buffer for so that you can focus on the bigger picture and end result.
Mistakes cost time and money, avoid them with an interior designer
Not many people who decide to take the D.I.Y. route realise the work involved and the expertise needed for major, or even small renovations. There can be a lot of opportunities for costly mistakes, but having a designer can help.
So, you measured your countertop, and you were sure that it would fit the sink you bought but maybe you didn’t read about the clearance the fitting of the sink required.
Uh-Oh! All your laundry appliances are too large for your great idea for a hidden laundry, and you cannot close the cabinetry doors.
Now you need to decide on what to do about it… Maybe get in the trades again to start over with the cabinetry, and order new appliances while trying to sell off the old or work out returning them?
If you’re tired already from just reading that, then that gives you your answer right there in the value of having someone else deal with these issues. But even better, is the issues never happening in the first place because you hired a professional!
So, with this in mind. When you are making the calculations on whether the cost warrants the service. Some people end up kicking themselves later on (usually when it is too late) for not taking on a professional interior designer to help them avoid such mistakes. The cost that you save in avoiding these mistakes from doing the job yourself is not usually so apparent until it is in hindsight.
Budget and Contacts
Another reason why you should hire an Interior Designer is to have access to their contacts. That little black book of wonders and delights!
Have you ever been looking at a magazine and seen some amazing piece of art, custom piece of craftsmanship, furniture, or any other unique part of a designer’s project and thought… wow.
As we touched on with designers having curated their crew of trusted tradespeople, they have also spent time curating artists, specialty stores, and hidden treasure troves of delight. They are on top of current trends and if they are not looking at what is hot right now, then they are bringing in what will be.
A designer has established a relationship with these contacts. They come back to them many times, and this allows for the designer to have a better price for their goods, which means you get a better price too! Maybe even allowing you to acquire that item that you may not have been able to afford otherwise.
The legwork involved in trying to do this yourself is possible, and even perhaps pleasurable. But it is not assured that you will find that aspect of your project that has others think, wow, when they see your designed space. You may even be able to be a part of the process in a guided tour through the hidden and obscure stores the interior designer has up their sleeve.
This also works for the more mundane items such as appliances. We all know that with repeat orders comes the potential for better deals. Maybe even resulting in some upgrades!
The space will LOOK like it had an Interior Designer
Collingwood Warehouse JMD Design – Jasmine McClelland, Interior Designer
I know that we all fancy ourselves as having great taste and impeccable style. But… bringing all of what is in your head into the real world and having it look as grand as your mind saw it, well, that is a different story. To bring all of those ideas into a cohesive and themed space where colours, surfaces, and textures all combine into a whole that is (at least to the designer) art, requires an artist, and that is your designer.
I think we have all seen D.I.Y. home renovations or even new builds of a dream home that didn’t really get there if you know what I mean. There was potential and a valiant effort, but it just fell short.
This could have been from any number of the things I have written above, and easily avoided if they had trusted to hire a professional.
When you work with an interior designer, you get a result that looks like it had an interior designer. It’s that simple.
I will admit there will be some exceptions. There are some great organisers, and people with a natural talent that could end up with a great result when they do it all themselves. But, even for those people having a designer could elevate a project from great to amazing. But that will be for you to decide on where you measure on this scale.
When we build our dream home or invest time into it by renovating, we think that we will never leave. But life can bring change at the drop of a hat, and you may be looking to sell at any given moment. Having a designer can add to the value of your home when and if that time comes to sell.
Designer Advice
Now this may be a no-brainer, but having someone to bounce ideas off, ask about trends… who will be honest, and have an opinion that you can trust can be gold. You will be up to date on the latest trends, finest materials, and most unique items.
Sure, you’ll have friends and family to ask, but are they really invested, and does it match a professional in the industry?
As I explained at the start of this article. It’s about collaboration!
The design process is about asking questions. What do you want from the designed space, how do you want to feel when you are in it, what will be its function, the style you are after, how will it fit in with the rest of the house, and many more. You are the student, and they are the teacher guiding you through the process.
Ready to meet and collaborate with an interior designer for your dream home or renovation?
Now that we have gone over some of the benefits of hiring a professional and experienced interior designer, you’ll want to know what comes next!
Check out our article on what to prepare and know before meeting with an interior designer so that you can get the most out of your first consultation!
Jasmine McClelland Design services all of metropolitan Melbourne with a complete Design and Documentation Service.
This includes:
- Brief establishment
- Schematic space planning
- Concept design, design development, joinery, finishes
- Finishes Selection
- 3D concept renders
- Design documentation ready for quoting
- We are also able to provide construction and support at the most important stages of your build
After working on your design, we also provide Interior Decorating Services documentation including:
- Brief establishment
- Furniture floor plan
- Furniture Selection, we share discounts from our suppliers with our clients
- Decoration administration service ensuring deliverables
We would love to hear about your project and how we can help!
