Four critical mistakes to avoid when choosing an interior designer

 

 

Mistakes to avoid when choosing an interior designer.

 

 And here we are again at Sweet blog, the sweetest blog online.

The place that connects all fans of the 'home concept.'

And today, following several requests from our readers, we will share some tips to help you avoid critical mistakes when choosing an interior designer for your home.

There is a quote attributed to Margaret Oscar:

"Designers are meant to be loved, not to be understood."

Powerful. Isn't it?

With such a quote, it is pretty clear why some interaction difficulties may arise with designers of any kind during collaborative work processes.

Although it is well known that dealing with professionals of any kind can be quite challenging, still, those who come from professions characterized by a "free spirit" and excessive creativity, such as designers of various types, may cause more communication difficulties with clients than "other" professionals.

In a nutshell, A person who defines himself as a 'free spirit' does not feel bound by traditional social structures. A free spirit tends not to go with the flow but in the directions to which his soul marches him, And features such as spontaneity and 'wild nature' characterize it.

"Free Spirit" will tell you precisely what he thinks without filters of politically correct. But With that being said, We also want to point out that a free-spirited person is usually quite kind and sensitive to his surroundings.

In light of the above, it is quite clear why contractual conduct can be pretty challenging when it comes to designers of various types - their point of view tends to be somewhat 'different' and 'unstable,' and even if you - the customer who pays good money and demands to receive a specific service - sets certain requirements - still - do not be surprised If your instructions are not thoroughly followed due to their perception that you "don't know what's good for you," And that design matters are too sensitive for the ignorant common people to understand fully. And later, you will surely be grateful once you realize things more deeply.

Therefore, efficient conduct on this issue will significantly help an insignificant number of people (which is also probably the reason for the inquiries received from our readers regarding this topic).

In this article, we will help you grasp what you must do before choosing a designer for your home and the common mistakes that must be avoided.

And as always, later in the article, there will be a refreshing infographic presentation and a video summarizing its content for you.

 

'Four critical mistakes to avoid when choosing an interior designer.' 

Hop on!

 

 

1. Do your homework.

 

Benjamin Franklin once said:

"by failing to prepare, you are preparing to fail."

The importance of advanced preparation for all of life's challenges is intuitively understood. You don't have to be a rocket scientist to figure it out. The more thoroughly you prepare, the significantly better your performance will be.

And this is more than relevant to the topic of our article - mistakes to avoid when choosing a home designer.

One of the main reasons for unfortunate misunderstandings in the client-interior designer relationship is the lack of orientation in the professional field, which usually characterizes the client - He must understand what he wants and expects from the design process from the very beginning. (and even prior).

He must be 100 percent sure what his goals are from the design process and how he wants (exactly!) his house to look at the end.

Indeed, there is room for doubts and hesitations, but only before hiring the designer - Contact an interior designer only when you have a solid plan, with no room for misunderstandings. Because as mentioned above, any hesitation and doubt on your part will result in the designer deciding things for you, ultimately leading to unnecessary frustration.

And by the way, there is no need to panic. Our recommendation to be prepared before contacting the designer does not require you to become a certified expert in the field of interior design. All that is required of you is, first, to focus on the procedure's outcome - what would you consider a success. And then it is highly recommended to dive in a bit and enrich your knowledge regarding the field of interior design, something that, on the one hand, will grant you more practical knowledge and improve your expertise on the subject, and on the other hand, will help you create a common professional language with your designer later on.

"Okay, fine, but where do I get the information?" you may be asking.

Well, everywhere: starting from Googling it, through reading about it in social media\forums\consulting with friends and family, and ending (for the advanced) in examining the professional literature in the field.

The guiding principle is that this is a reasonably simple task whose only purpose is to get you ready for your first meeting with the designer, which, as mentioned above, will spot right from the start if you are one of those who don't have a green idea about what they are talking about and your house is nothing more then another "space for his artistic creativity" And You are only the one who keeps the cash flowing Or, this time he is facing someone who knows exactly what he wants, and he better implements your requests precisely.

With that being said, let us note again - we have no intention to diss any designers. We actually quite like them. Our only purpose is to describe a natural professional phenomenon that characterizes professionals with a "free spirit." And if you are one of those who want their will to be carried out precisely - you must get to know her.

 

Don't be lazy. Sit back and read about the topic

 

So, in conclusion, the first mistake to avoid when choosing a designer for your home is to arrive unprepared.
Know what you want, and only then look for a designer.

 

 

2. Evidence of quality performance!

 

Arnold H Glasow once said:

"The fewer the facts, the stronger the opinion."

As in many other areas of life, for intuitively well-understood reasons, it is highly recommended to give significant weight to actual evidence over opinions or hypotheses. One doesn't have to be a rocket scientist to figure this out - And this is more than relevant to our topic.

Once you've properly followed the instructions mentioned in paragraph one and reached the stage where you start looking for real designers for your home, it's time to put aside your niceties and start demanding proof.

Credentials, portfolios, projects carried out in physical homes, past clients you can talk to and get their opinions on the service they received - basically anything you can lay your hands on!

Nowadays, most of these materials can be easily obtained from the background check stage, even before making initial contact - A little internet research and you're good.

It goes without saying that even at the stage of the first face-to-face meeting with your potential future designer, it is highly recommended that you ask for evidence concerning their professional abilities. It is not the time to be friendly and agreeable. On the contrary, you must be assertive.

Studies clearly show that agreeable people are not successful in a wide variety of social and business fields compared to people who are not agreeable. The reasons are quite intuitive to understand. While agreeable people tend to please others, disagreeable people will be concerned with achieving their goals, regardless of how the other party feels. You may like it, and you may not, but it cannot be argued that it helps to clarify your positions.

 

Don't be shy - get the information you need!

 

 

It follows then that the second mistake to avoid when hiring a designer for your home is not doing background checks that are thorough enough.

 

 

 

 

 

3. Match expectations.

 

Napoleon Bonaparte once said:

"An order that can be misunderstood will be misunderstood."

So after you've done your homework and conducted a CIA background check on your designer, and indeed you've chosen one, it's time for the most important part - match expectations.

When working with a home designer, you cannot underestimate the importance of coordinating expectations in advance. It's what will make you or break you.

As briefly mentioned in paragraph one, Due to their tendency to take free initiative, You must sit down with your designer and clearly define how you see your home design process and its results. It would be best if you did not leave the slightest place for misunderstandings. And how do you avoid it? Exactly - By clear instructions and guidelines. Set expectations with him, and you won't find yourself badly surprised.

It is highly recommended to work with computer simulation software that will allow you to point at the screen and say - "This is exactly what I want!".

 

Ensure to match everything in advance!

 

So the third mistake to avoid when hiring a designer for your home is the lack of a thorough match of expectations.

Don't do that!

 

 

4. Put your finger on the pulse.

 

It's one thing to take care of excellent preliminary preparation (doing homework\background check\match expectations), but it's a whole other thing to ensure good execution. 

Among other things, home design is characterized by a structure of stages, when often, one thing is built on something that preceded it, And so it progresses accordingly. Think of it as a design cogwheel.

Therefore, in order for irreversible errors not to occur, you must have your finger on the pulse at all stages of the design process, Because as mentioned, sometimes, a delay in identifying a mistake may lead to another error on top of it.

"So what to do?" You must be asking. Well - and this is also the fourth and last mistake that should be avoided when hiring a designer for your home - During your home design process, you must closely monitor your designer's work and ensure that all the instructions you give him are carried out as required.

With that being said, it does not mean that you will be bothersome and nag him all day long with questions and comments, The only thing you have to do is to be in the background, and your presence must be felt.

 

Come to check from time to time

 

By doing so, you will be able to minimize as much as possible the chance that unexpected faults will occur and ensure that things will not be carried out in a way that is not precisely according to your requirements. 

 

In conclusion, these were the four critical mistakes to avoid when choosing an interior designer, and we hope that we have helped you to some extent if you are searching for one.

 

 

 

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