Should You Hire an Interior Designer?

Posted by Marketing on Monday, April 10th, 2023 at 11:00am.

If you plan to purchase your dream home this summer or want to transform the appearance of your current home’s design, you may be wondering if you should hire an interior designer. A skilled interior designer will have the ability to evoke moods, themes, shapes, textures, and proportions throughout your home based on a series of interviews with you and your family.

While this working relationship could be the stuff of dreams for one homeowner, it could be a clear mistake for another. With that in mind, let’s examine the most common matters you should consider before hiring an interior designer for your upcoming overhaul.


Service Packages vs. Hourly Rates

Throughout the process of interviewing several designers (or simply devouring their content on their Instagram feeds,) you will encounter a variety of services offered. Some designers offer stand-alone design consultations, including a detailed space assessment and suggestions for design plans.

High-end interior designers also offer purchasing services that will include the assessment of a per-item fee. For a full custom overhaul of a space, turn-key project managing will often be preferred by the interior designer; however, this top-tier service is truly a luxury and will be priced accordingly.


Brass Tacks

As we find so frequently in life, budgetary concerns are foremost when deciding whether or not to splash out for a customized interior design. A skilled, experienced designer will never be cheap.

Their niche artistic sensibilities, understanding of both the history and current trends of all forms of design and fashion, and experience creating what will likely be a broad range of interior designs means that such interior designers have justifiably risen to the top of their field. Consequently, they can command a rate of pay commensurate with their abilities, and one must have plentiful financial reserves to comfortably hire them.

On the other end of the spectrum, you could opt to work with a fresh, young design student who has a great eye for interiors. In order to gain experience and expand their design portfolio, a student will often agree to a financial arrangement that would be feasible on a more moderately padded bank account.


How Stylistically Flexible Are You?

When you imagine your home’s completed interior, how specific is your vision? If you have a vivid visual imagination and can already see each design element in your mind’s eye, an interior designer is likely not a necessary, or even helpful, part of your process.

The truth is, a designer’s job will be to infuse your home with their own artistic flair. They won’t enjoy being micromanaged or having their plans significantly changed throughout the redesign process. If you’re hoping for someone to do the work purchasing and arranging the pieces you’ve chosen, switch gears now and redefine your search for the perfect design assistant.

If you have only a vague impression of the result you’re hoping to achieve but need assistance bridging the gap between your aspirations and your environment, a designer with a strong stylistic sense will be able to do just that.


How Much Time Do You Have? 

Talented designers will require time to become familiar with your home, your family, and your own design sensibilities. They will, in turn, yield insightful suggestions for both aesthetic and functional customizations that will allow you to use your spaces in ways you would never have otherwise considered.

Once the design plans have been finalized, your designer will need yet more time to select each piece, source it, and have it delivered. When necessary, pieces of furniture or décor may be bespoken and require many weeks to create.

If you are on a tight schedule, retail furniture items selected for both their delivery windows and easy-to-coordinate appearance will be a wiser decision. There’s no point in hiring a designer only to stress both of you out striving to meet a constraining timeline.


Regional Influences

If you are new to Middle Tennessee, and you want your home to reflect the authentic aesthetics of this stunning region, a local interior designer will likely have the foundation to achieve your goals. Thanks to our rich history, gorgeous landscapes, and love of all things artistic, Music City and the surrounding communities have a distinct design fingerprint not found anywhere else in the country.

Naturally, there is absolutely nothing wrong with adhering to a design scheme from your native region, and you will not have any difficulty hiring a designer here who will invoke it beautifully.


The Takeaway

The choice of whether or not to hire an interior designer is ultimately personal and will depend on factors only you and your family can fully understand. Whether you decide to invite a professional to execute a stunning interior on your behalf or rely on your own refined artistic eye to create the vision you see so clearly, we know you will be delighted with your completed home design.


If you are currently planning to move to a new home within Middle Tennessee or if you’re relocating to our beautiful state from elsewhere, our agents will work tirelessly on your behalf as you navigate the complexities of our competitive housing market.

To begin your search, contact us today. Our agents are all local residents who have first-hand, lived experience in the cities, towns, and neighborhoods you’re considering moving into. Ask us anything!

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