10 Steps to Preparing for a First Visit with an Interior Designer

Lets face it, it’s never easy for any of us to invite a semi-stranger into our home, especially someone who will be offering invited suggestions on how to re-design your home. To make things easier on everyone I’ve assembled 10 steps to preparing for a first visit with an Interior Designer, which will take some of the guess work and jitters out of opening your door to your new partner in design.

Here we go . . . 

1. Prepare two “Ideabooks” in Houzz of items you like and dislike, and include notes as to why, and then share with your designer.

   

2. Decide which items you would like to keep in the rooms you are asking the designer to re-design, and decide if these items must stay in the newly designed room or if it can be used elsewhere in the house.

   

3. The designer will want to tour your entire home to look at your current style and to see how your family lives. Please know that as designers we do not expect to see a perfectly clean home, designers are real people too.

   

4. It will help your designer if you and your pertinent other have discussed a budget. We realize that you will need guidance as to what quality investment pieces cost and we will be able to narrow down the costs and give you a range at your meeting.

   

5. A list of prepared questions is encouraged and welcomed.

6. Like Houzz, Pinterest is a great place to assemble ideas of items/designs you like and dislike and then share these Pinterest “Boards” with your designer.

7. For the designer that you plan on hiring it will be helpful for them to have samples of items that are already installed and staying; carpet, tile, paint, drapery material, etc.

8. If anyone in your family has allergies to textiles such as wool or feathers, you will want to have these notes prepared for the designer.

   9.  Think ahead as to any important family events that may coming up and share those dates with your designer. You will both want to be on the same page for expected delivery schedules.

   

10. Most importantly, have fun and enjoy your time working with the designer to create the home/office of your dreams. This should be fun process for everyone involved.      

Hopefully these little hints have helped, now lets get together and have some fun!

 

 

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