The other day someone asked me why they should hire an interior designer. This is a topic close to my heart; so this week I thought that I would share a few reasons with you on why hiring an Interior Designer is a must for anyone, with any budget, debunking the myth that that an interior designer is solely reserved for celebs and the uber-wealthy!

Interior designers can save you money
Yes. You did read that correctly!
It might sound strange that hiring someone to design your home or workspace would save you money since you have the additional fee of the designer, but hiring a designer can help you to avoid costly mistakes. It can be very overwhelming when faced with a hundred decisions (like cornice profiles , shower traps and the correct grouting colour) and it’s possible that you’ll make purchases or choices on items that are either not worth the cost or won’t “live” or are just plain wrong. With a Designers (like moi) assistance, direction, and expertise, our job is to steer you in the right direction so the entire space can come together as a whole… so you will not waste your money on the wrong shade of grey for the lounge (not that grey could ever be wrong, just saying ;))

We know how to stick to a budget (Surprise surprise!)
Designing a home without a designer and trying to stay on a budget is like going to the YDE half price sale and only buying 1 item – it’s not going to happen. You don’t have to be a millionaire to live in a space that looks like you spent money on it. You just need help, and that’s where we come in: making the choices that suit your wallet.

A designer is an artist
A designer is an artist: a creative person that has a vision, a “visual story teller”. So of course we are going to make your interior better! It’s not all about “dressing the nest” tho. We also understand what goes into making the interior of a home look amazing because we understand what goes into building the outside of a house: the structure…the skeleton. Just as Nicole Kidman and Adele can’t wear the same outfit to the Oscars, they’re built differently – so are homes. Most people don’t get that. They think that something that looks good in the mansion down the street will also look good in their bachelors flat. Not the case!

Interior designers think out of the box
Designers think outside the box and give a fresh perspective – well we try to anyway! The mind of a Designer is taught to think differently (well when it comes to interior spaces!). We can perhaps see things that others may not and we think laterally to provide fresh ideas and a unique perspective for a space. Simply put, we don’t want to re-create the front cover of the latest House and Leisure magazine, but rather be on it!

Space planning
This is one of my favorite parts of the design process. Determining the best layout for a space is critical in how the room functions and how it reads aesthetically. Planning the space is HUGE; it’s the foundation of the project and not to get all technical on you, but it is how you the user, experiences a space. (Next time you are in a shop, just take a minute to think about how you experienced the space, I promise there was some thought put into it!) And just because someone knows how to use a measuring tape, does not mean they are a space planning pro and can figure out how to fit furniture into a space. There might be room for a gigantic leather L-shaped couch in your living room, but that doesn’t mean you should definitely have one there……

Interior Designers sweat the small stuff
This is the most important thing to remember. This is what we get paid to do! Just like you spend time in your office analyzing your business reports, designers spend time poring over floor plans, working out what size sofa will fit in your TV room and liaising with the electrician as to what heights the plugs should be in your kitchen. There’s no way that a person who works an 8:00-to-5:00 day has time to stomp around a building site daily, try out as many pieces of furniture, or call as many suppliers as we do. And that’s okay because you shouldn’t have to. Designing an interior is a full time job. (I know because it’s my full time job!) Interior designers take the pressure off our clients by liaising with the professional teams, co-ordinating everything and making sure that the vision is realised. And as our client, all you need to worry about is if you have enough tissues for the dramatic “handover” day ;)

Designers will “hook you up”You will often hear a designer say “I’ve got the perfect guy for you”. No, we are not trying to set you up with our “neighbors’-best friends-cousin”, but designers have access to a myriad of recourses and suppliers that are not often available to the general public. Because of our relationships built with tradesman and various subcontractors, our “little black books” are filled with numbers of people for the right job!

Designers have Passion
Speaking from my personal experience, I live and breathe design. From my day job to this blog in my spare time, design is what I know and what I do, day in and day out. It’s not just my job, but a hobby and career that I’m truly passionate about, and that is reflected in every one of my creations.

My list could go on and on……………. there are just so many benefits to hiring an Interior Designer! I hope this has shed a little light (the right kind of lighting, of course, because the right lighting is more important than you think!) on my profession, and the next time you are looking at tackling a project – whether a house/office/shop or restaurant, you will consider using an interior designer.

Please check out my blog post next week as I will be showcasing another fabulous East London creative!
If you know of anybody that I should get in touch with, or any cool project that you reckon deserves a mention on Styleast, please drop me a line: styleastblog@gmail.com. I’d love to hear from you!