6 Things to Look for When Choosing an Interior Designer

Author: Donna Barr | | Categories: Aging In Place , Best Interior Designer , Custom Design , Design Consultation , Historical Renovation , Home Remodelling , Home Staging , Interior Decorator , Interior Designer , Kitchen Remodelling , Renewal , Space Planning

Are you doing a major renovation? Perhaps, you’ve purchased a new home and want to start from scratch. Either way, you’ve decided that you need an interior designer. Well, whatever the reason, you can work with Donna J. Barr in Indianapolis, IN for the best interior design. She’s experienced, professional, and thorough. When looking for the best interior design, there are specific things you should consider. In this blog post, we’ll go over six of them.

1) The Basics – What is your budget and your design esthetic? The best interior designs happen when you’ve answered these questions before you look for an interior designer. Don’t walk into the interior design process without first setting an approximate budget and how you want your home to look. An interior designer can do a lot of planning for you, but they need to have the basic parameters given to them so they can start working on a design plan. If you like Southwestern décor, then tell your interior designer so they can fit your preferences into the overall design. When choosing an interior designer, you need to understand that even though a budget or design esthetic may change, you and your interior designer need a starting point.

2) Finding your Interior Designer – Ask for referrals. Chances are if you just bought the home, that your real estate agent may know of an interior designer with whom he or she has some familiarity. In fact, they may have a list. You can also check out the homes of friends and family. If they’ve used interior designers and you like the look they achieved, ask for the name of the person they used. Referrals are a key to the best interior design. Of course, you will then go to the website of the designer and look through his or her portfolio. You will get a feel for the range that the designer has. This will help you decide if you want to make a phone call to this designer or not.

3) Project Costs – For the best interior design, research project costs. If you’ve never been a part of an interior design project before, you’ll want to have an idea on what it actually costs and what it entails. You should probably do a little bit of homework on your own before you meet with your potential designer so you can ask pertinent and intelligent questions about the best interior design. You can talk to friends and neighbors who have done makeovers similar to what you’re doing. They can tell you how much time it took and what it cost. This will give you some idea. You can also do hard research. Remodeling magazine’s annual “Cost vs. Value” report will give you fantastic hard data.

4) Budgets and Priorities – Be clear about your budget for the best interior design in your price range. You need to be upfront with your interior designer about how much money you are willing and able to spend on your design project. Many interior designers wish that clients would be more forthcoming about their real budget so feel free to state yours clearly and definitively. Sometimes, your vision may not match your budget. Your interior designer can help you prioritize your wish list so you can do some of what you want now and work on doing the rest later. It doesn’t have to be an all or nothing proposition. The best interior designers like Donna J. Barr in Indianapolis, IN, know how to prioritize so that you are happy with what you accomplish first and save money in the process.

5) Interior Design Fees – Understand the billing process to get the most out of your interior design. Interior designers frequently charge an hourly fee plus a markup for handling the purchase of furnishings and materials. Some designers will bill by the hour with no purchasing services offered. There are others who charge a flat project fee. If the interior designer does your purchasing for you, you generally will need to pay up front. For more information on how Donna J. Barr Interior Design bills, please visit our contact us page.

6) Saving Time and Money – An interior designer can help you locate contractors for your very best interior design. One of the many ways an interior designer can save you time and money is by helping you find good construction and remodeling contractors. Donna J. Barr Interior Design has long standing relationships with reputable contractors who get the work done on time and on budget.

If you want the very best interior design, you need to work with the best interior designer for you. Donna J. Barr has the experience, skill, and creativity to provide you with the best design for your vision and budget in the Indianapolis, IN area. Give her a call today at (317)634-2049. You can also visit her website at: http://www.donnajbarrinteriordesign.com/About/.

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