As Interior Designers, we love what we do. Our favorite part of the job is witnessing the excitement that our clients have when the projects are complete and their home has been transformed. While we pride ourselves in our ability to take our client’s wish list and bring it to life, we understand that every client is different and the necessity for communication is crucial. For those who have never worked one-on-one with an Interior Designer or are looking to gain some insight, we have put together a helpful set of guidelines to follow to ensure a helpful, healthy, and seamless relationship between client and design professional in order to get the best outcome and enjoying a stress free process.
1: Be Prepared.
When you invest into a relationship with a designer, they are tasked with understanding your wants and needs very quickly. At the onset of a project, we pay close attention to the client's language to provide key words or phrases of styles that interest them in order to get the ball rolling. Often, we ask our clients to create a visual wishlist of photos that showcase their dream spaces to show us what they would love to see in their home. For example, if we are working with a couple, we always ask them to have photos separately so that we can see any differing styles we need to meld together. This is also a very enlightening exercise for the couple as long as they go about it individually!
2: Be Aware.
Though it’s important to know what you, as a client, do like, it’s just as important to be aware of what you do not like. Some Designers like to give their clients quick color questionnaires to eliminate colors their client is uncomfortable with or would prefer to stay away from. Additionally, be aware of any artwork or furniture that is going to be utilized in the final design. Designers have a talent of transforming the treasures of their clients into something special so communicate with your designer your needs and desires for your home/work space.
3: Communicate
As with any relationship, professional or personal, communication is key. Design Professionals love to hear the opinions and style preferences of their clients in order to ensure the best quality results. Clients also depend on Interior Designers to bring their vision to life. It’s important to trust one another and always have an honest open line of communication.
4: Have an Idea of Your Investment
This is a big one! Most of the time, client's really do not know how much a project should cost. For a designer to be able to do their job and present a client with a solution that is a viable option, they need to have some idea of what the budget will be for the project. There is a stigma that designers will spend every penny you give them, but in reality most good designers just need a direction so that we will know how to source for the project. A good designer will be honest with you if the investment is realistic based on experience.
3: Timeline
Another big one! Full time designers have several projects that they are working on at any given time. When starting another project, the anticipated timeline is very important so that we can make sure and give the proper amount of attention to each individual project. We usually try to get a timeline from builders when starting a new build project so that we can stay on top of the selections before needed. This is not always possible to attain from the builder, but when it is, the process is so much smoother!
We love our job and we love our clients so when we enter into a relationship with a new project, we strive to create the low maintenance stress-free experience our clients deserve. Depending on what type of project you may be looking at starting, the relationship you have with a designer could last a very long time, so it's important that there is a great dynamic and open communication between you and the designer. If you are interested in working with a design professional, keep some of these tips in mind and leave us a comment letting us know how your experiences have been in the past.
BGI Principal Designer
How To Work With A Designer
As Interior Designers, we love what we do. Our favorite part of the job is witnessing the excitement that our clients have when the projects are complete and their home has been transformed. While we pride ourselves in our ability to take our client’s wish list and bring it to life, we understand that every client is different and the necessity for communication is crucial. For those who have never worked one-on-one with an Interior Designer or are looking to gain some insight, we have put together a helpful set of guidelines to follow to ensure a helpful, healthy, and seamless relationship between client and design professional in order to get the best outcome and enjoying a stress free process.
1: Be Prepared.
When you invest into a relationship with a designer, they are tasked with understanding your wants and needs very quickly. At the onset of a project, we pay close attention to the client’s language to provide key words or phrases of styles that interest them in order to get the ball rolling. Often, we ask our clients to create a visual wishlist of photos that showcase their dream spaces to show us what they would love to see in their home. For example, if we are working with a couple, we always ask them to have photos separately so that we can see any differing styles we need to meld together. This is also a very enlightening exercise for the couple as long as they go about it individually!
2: Be Aware.
Though it’s important to know what you, as a client, do like, it’s just as important to be aware of what you do not like. Some Designers like to give their clients quick color questionnaires to eliminate colors their client is uncomfortable with or would prefer to stay away from. Additionally, be aware of any artwork or furniture that is going to be utilized in the final design. Designers have a talent of transforming the treasures of their clients into something special so communicate with your designer your needs and desires for your home/work space.
3: Communicate
As with any relationship, professional or personal, communication is key. Design Professionals love to hear the opinions and style preferences of their clients in order to ensure the best quality results. Clients also depend on Interior Designers to bring their vision to life. It’s important to trust one another and always have an honest open line of communication.
4: Have an Idea of Your Investment
This is a big one! Most of the time, client’s really do not know how much a project should cost. For a designer to be able to do their job and present a client with a solution that is a viable option, they need to have some idea of what the budget will be for the project. There is a stigma that designers will spend every penny you give them, but in reality most good designers just need a direction so that we will know how to source for the project. A good designer will be honest with you if the investment is realistic based on experience.
3: Timeline
Another big one! Full time designers have several projects that they are working on at any given time. When starting another project, the anticipated timeline is very important so that we can make sure and give the proper amount of attention to each individual project. We usually try to get a timeline from builders when starting a new build project so that we can stay on top of the selections before needed. This is not always possible to attain from the builder, but when it is, the process is so much smoother!
We love our job and we love our clients so when we enter into a relationship with a new project, we strive to create the low maintenance stress-free experience our clients deserve. Depending on what type of project you may be looking at starting, the relationship you have with a designer could last a very long time, so it’s important that there is a great dynamic and open communication between you and the designer. If you are interested in working with a design professional, keep some of these tips in mind and leave us a comment letting us know how your experiences have been in the past.
BGI Principal Designer