How to choose the right Interior Designer For Your home

Hiring an interior designer that resonates with your style and caters to your needs is not an easy job. Whether you are moving to a home or trying to freshen up old decor, interior designs can make or break the space you live and breathe in. Read on and find out everything you need to know on how to choose an interior designer or agency in this article.

List Your Wants

Before you go on the lookout to find an interior designer, make a complete list of all your household needs, requirements and essentials that contribute to your lifestyle. From basics like the floor plans, site photos and all the layouts to a detailed inventory of your existing furniture and accessories, gather as much information about your space as you can to lay a clarified foundation for a further conversation with interior designers.

Your living room will be furnished and laid out quite differently if you have a pet or are a friendly home cook that holds dinner parties every week. Getting extremely specific and picturing how you will utilise the space is essential for you to choose an appropriate interior designer and enjoy the renovated space to the fullest. Having clear guidelines makes it easier for interior designers to understand your expectations and thus, find the best solutions that accommodate your living habits.

Identify A Style

Make sure you find time to determine a style preference before teaming up with interior designers. You should decide on the overall concept of the renovation first. If it sounds challenging to choose a particular style, at least define what you love and dislike to your interior design agency. You can get inspired by putting some time into research. Images of furniture, makeover TV show clips, architecture magazine articles or even social media posts and personal travel photographs that express your aesthetic are all useful resources to guide design professionals in figuring out your style and envisioning your dream space. After all, the last thing you want after a home renovation is a complete do-over.

Another easy hack to communicate your message more clearly is to go through established interior designers’ portfolios or previous projects.

Work Out Your Budget

Just like any project, you have to consider how much you intend to spend on the home renovation. An interior design project’s budget varies depending on the scale, scope and timeline. Be as concrete as you can with consideration of factors including your home type, layout, types of materials, tools and equipment that are required and so on. Because each project is drastically different, it is of utmost importance for you to find and communicate the cost you are willing to pay with interior designers upfront.

Here are a few common payment structures in the interior design industry:
● Fixed or flat rate: covering all services rendered.
● Cost-plus: A designer will take care of all materials and furnishings at cost and will mark them up (at a percentage negotiated with the client).

It is always nice to quote from a range of interior designers for comparison, especially for new homeowners that are not familiar with market prices.

Have a Rendezvous With Designers

Trying to find time and schedule a sit-down with your selected interior designer is vital at the beginning of any makeover project. This is to ensure both parties are on the same page so that no one would be shocked by the end of the month.

As you prepare for the meeting with all the information listed above, also choose some pending questions and unanswered concerns that you might wish your interior design agency to clarify and address. Sharing doubts right from the start is an effortless fix and a time-saver in preventing future misunderstandings.

Get in touch with inT Design

Looking for a reliable partner to kickstart your home renovation? inT Design is experienced in working with residential spaces of diverse sizes, layouts and styles in Hong Kong. Get in touch with our team by filling out our online inquiry form here, and explore how we infuse aesthetics and cosiness into your home with interior design magic.