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8 Steps to choosing the best interior designer – for YOU
February 20, 2017
Hiring an interior designer need not be as complicated as you imagine it to be – if you are thinking of renovating, over-hauling or just spending a little ‘TLC’ on a certain area of your home, the expertise of an interior designer can go a long way in saving you time, money (believe it or not) and a whole lot of hassle!
In saying this, there are a few pointers to keep in mind when hiring and inviting a professional into your home, whose job, in a nutshell, is to critique your personal style – not always easy for some people to swallow.
If you are considering working with an interior designer, it’s important to keep in mind that the relationship you form with them will be both a professional and personal one – and it’s equally important to take the time to consider just what you want from this person you will be inviting into your life and your home…
Here are few pointers to consider when hiring your own interior designer:
Step one: Identify your own style
Before you consider hiring anyone to style your home, you need to identify what it is you like, don’t like and what you want to achieve from the space you plan to renovate / redecorate. A truly professional interior designer will be able to adapt to your preferences, despite their own style.
Step two: Review portfolios
Once you have established what you are looking for in terms of style and design, it’s important to get to know the work of designers that may have been recommended / referred to you. Take some time to review their portfolios, and try to imagine living in the spaces they have created.
Step three: Set a budget
This seems like a no-brainer and the simplest of steps, but be aware that some interior designers may charge a fixed fee for their services, or an hourly rate. Ultimately, this can play as a factor when narrowing down your potential pot of designers.
Step four: Meet with design ers
Email and phone calls are all good and well, but there is nothing like face-to-face interaction to gauge how you and your interior designer will ‘gel’. This is an important step to determine whether you will have a good chemistry, can develop a rapport and ultimately, a good working relationship. During this meeting, don’t be afraid to ask as many questions as possible, including: references to contact, qualifications, costings, project duration and overall experience.
Step five: Compare notes
After meeting with potential interior designers, find some time to sit down and draw up a pros and cons list of each potential candidate – keeping in mind that the cheaper option, is not always the best!
Step six: Consider how involved in the project you want to be
At this point, it’s worthwhile considering how involved you want to be, or can afford to be – in terms of time constraints and work commitments etc. Do you want to be consulted on the nuts-and-bolts details or do you prefer to leave the project in the hands of the designer, more interested in the ‘bigger picture’? This will also help to determine which interior designer is best suited – based on their experience, expertise and previous work.
Step seven: Sign a contract
Once you have made your final decision, make the call and contact your interior designer to draw up a contractual agreement, inclusive of timelines, budget limits and specific responsibilities of the designer.
Step eight: Adjust your schedule
Life – it happens, and at times the design work may be off the projected timeline you drew up with your interior designer. Make sure to keep an open mind about this and adapt the schedule as and when needed, within reason!
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Back in March of 2020, Bianca and Jana were dusting off their Fez’s and grabbing the pashminas out of storage in preparation to Rock the Casbah! However, as we all know and vividly remember - with March, came the eventual Covid shutdown, and instead of frolicking down the Moroccan streets, we all shut ourselves inside and watched the days tick by… 3 Years later, and now we can finally say - with conviction - that they’re going to Morocco at the start of September! This blog, filled with excitement and curiosity about all the weird and wonderful curios they might find, and endless sourcing they’ll do, stays as a reminder that sometimes plans change, things go awry and there’s not much you can do about it other than persevere - and that we did! So, here’s Bianca and Jana’s innermost thoughts about the trip, 3 years before it came to fruition, enjoy :) We've got our passports out and Jana has already picked out what she's going to wear each day… Come March [September] we'll be heading north with Air France to the Kingdom of Morocco, bright eyed and bushy tailed as we make our base in the ancient city of Marrakesh (also known as Marrakech to the French, but we're not French, so we'll go with the English version until all that fuss about Brexit is sorted out) - This turned into a year long negotiations trade, and now us outsiders would pay nearly double what we used to if we visit the UK - thankfully our flight is direct!! We'll be looking for inspiration and will be investigating what's there that we could possibly bring back to The Hoed. We can't wait to experience the atmosphere and afro-arabic influences of this amazing place as we visit the celebrated souks and off-the-beaten track artists and craftsmen that make Marrakesh so special. We're desperate to see the beautifully hand-crafted furniture, textiles, fabrics, rugs, carpets, objets d'art, accessories, lighting… anything that catches our eye and could possibly be brought back south. Berber mats and rugs are definitely on our list, as are the kind of furnishings you might find in a gorgeous Bedouin tent. If you think about it, the Bedouin refined the art of "glamping" into an artform - fabulous carpets on the ground, soft, billowing fabrics hung here and there, plump cushions spread on the ground, intricate leatherwork and carved wood, patinated metal… Total Glamping vibes! We just love all of it and will be tracking as much of it down as we can. We'll also have an eye or three out for wonderful ceramics and glassware and wonderful lamps that give off soft, filtered light. For us it's about workmanship, so we'll hopefully be finding the people who make furniture and ceramics using techniques that have been passed down over countless generations meaning that everything we look at will have its own, and its own special story. Our mission is to share those stories with you and, if it's feasible, bring some of that special workmanship home to the Rainbow Nation. We're most definitely inspired and are sure this is going to be a truly special trip! Counting the sleeps till then! Less than a month to go now - we will be keeping the updates going on our social channels as well as another few blog posts to explain in detail our wild adventures - Stay tuned!
A safari theme never really runs out of viewing time and is particularly popular for interiors at the moment. The warm, earthy tones give a sense of comfort and the accessories offer the anticipation of travel and adventure.
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