5 Things You Need to Do Before Meeting Your Interior Designer

Getting renovation works done for your first home? Or hiring an interior designer to breathe new life into an old space?

Some interior designers charge by the hour for a consultation, so you’ll want to make sure you attend the meeting prepared. Here’s what you can do to ensure your first meeting will be a productive one.

Determine the scope of work to give your designer a better understanding of what they need to do. If possible, bring along the floor plan of your house as it gives your interior designer a rough idea of what they’ll be working with in terms of dimension and layout.

Know what rooms and spaces you intend to renovate and what functions they’re supposed to serve.

A photo posted by Homepolish (@homepolish) on Apr 11, 2016 at 4:47pm PDT

Share your ideas with your interior designer. If need help deciding on a look and feel, then voice it out as it’s a great opportunity for your designer to flex his/her creativity and provide suggestions that suit your personal style and lifestyle.

Be honest with your designer regarding how much you can spend, and let them advise you on the scope of work that can be done with that money.

This way, your designer will be clear on the project’s opportunities and limitations instead of getting carried away with ideas that you won’t be able to afford.

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A bit of research on the overall look and feel that you’re going for would offer a clear direction for your interior designer to work on.

Browse through magazines or websites and bookmark designs that you want to incorporate into your home.

SOURCE: designtrends.com

When setting up an appointment, have the designer send over some references of the work they have done in the past.

If they have a website or an online portfolio, better still! Get a feel for their flair and see if they’ve done any work in the past that is similar to what you have in mind.

Sometimes, an idea may not work because of logical and logistical issues. It is so important to make use of your designer’s expertise and listen to them when they say that something can’t be done or has to be done differently.

With their years of knowledge, they’ll help you solve problems you didn’t even know you would have, while making sure you don’t make costly mistakes.

Pinterest-worthy kitchens don’t happen overnight.

Work with your designer when setting a timeline in order to find one that both parties can agree on. Be clear on the start date and approximate finish date for the work.