How to Prepare For a Helpful Interior Design Consultation
Faith Led Interior Design Show | Episode 29
For some people, it can be intimidating to have an interior designer over to their house. Well, if you knew me, you wouldn’t worry about a thing!
Having been in the industry for so long, I have seen disastrous messes. There have been times when I walked into a home and wondered why the owner called me as their home looked so great. A client once told me, “If I want my house clean, I tell my wife Sheree is coming over.” She would whip that place into shape, LOL. But really, I don’t care. If you don’t have time to clean, no worries. Most of the time, we designers are very concerned with the end outcome, not the current state.
In this episode, I share some helpful tips on how to prepare for an interior design consultation. Are you planning on consulting an interior designer? Listen to this episode.
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Be Blessed Verse
Our verse for the week is Psalm 23:4 (NIV)
“Even though I walk through the darkest valley, I will fear no evil, for You are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me.”
With Halloween coming, this may be an appropriate verse.
No matter the circumstances, the Lord is always with His Children.
The symbolism represents the concern and compassion that a shepherd has for his sheep.
The rod conveys the concept of authority, power, discipline, and defense of the sheep.
The staff represents all that is long-suffering and kind.
I am greatly comforted by this verse and I pray you are too!
So many times when I go to initial consultations with clients, they have thought and thought and thought about their project, but in spite of this, they have not been able to solve their design problems with solutions that they are very excited about.
We may not completely solve the problem in the first meeting, but we will gain a solid design direction. Whether homeowners feel that there are just too many options, or they are hemming and hawing over possibilities, any forethought is helpful as we determine the client’s goals and desires.
When we meet for an interior design consultation (this can be on-site or virtual), we will need to tour the project. As we are touring and talking, we get acquainted. I love to hear about your dreams, about the uses of each of the rooms, and about your family.
A good designer isn't worried that the project does not look great right now, because that is why you called. Please don't fret about that. This is an info-gathering time. Perhaps there could be some early possible solutions, but most designers are not speed designers.
Designers gather initial information to take back and think about the design. We will need your house plans if you have them or we will create the floor plans to do space plans. This shows how the furniture will be laid out. This is very helpful in furniture selection and giving to contractors for flooring and other quotes. We set goals, discuss budgets, and assess lifestyle needs.
It is incredibly important for both you and the designer to have this initial consultation. You can determine if this is a designer that you feel comfortable with, can work with and want to work with. The same is true for the designer. At the very least, you will gain several tips that make the most of the time together. At the most, there may be some big decisions made.
How to Prepare For a Helpful Interior Design Consultation
1. Consider Your Goals Ahead of Time
It is crucial to know your goals for each room. That is the first step. Many times, however, that is easier said than done. I remember one couple who were disagreeing about the direction a part of the project should take. I told them they should do it this way. The husband said, okay, that sounds great. The wife became pretty upset with him and said, "I have been telling you that for two weeks now. She, meaning me, says it once and you say okay." She was not a happy camper, but we all laughed and all went very well. I get it, there are so many ways the design can go, so many choices, etc. It is hard to make the final educated decisions.
Photo by Corinne Kutz on Unsplash
2. Discuss Your Budget in Advance
It is a great idea to discuss and figure out your budget prior to the initial consultation. At least a ballpark. The idea is to let the designer know what quality you are wanting. Don't give a VW budget if you want Bentley's quality. It will be exposed because you will not like the quality of the VW items that you told your designer to select.
If you have wonderful architecture, then you need wonderful furniture to complete the look. Google some items you like to get current pricing and estimate per area what you will need and add it up. Other clients have said, “Give me the best look for the best price in my quality.” Others have told me they don't have a budget and they will just buy what they like. And my personal favorite, "Sheree, don't try and save me money." Okay, no prob, LOL!
Photo by Amy Hirschi on Unsplash
3. Review the Use of Each of Your Rooms
For each area you want to design, it is helpful to have a better understanding of who uses the room and how they use it. When we start working together, I have a room design form that you can fill out for each space. Completing it for each room helps inform the whole house master plan as well.
4. Prepare Yourself to be Open & Transparent
I love to meet people and get to know them and their environments. It is so fulfilling to me to help them achieve their heart's desires and add value to their largest investment, their home. It is important to be open to thoughts that you may not have had.
My job is to help families create beautiful living spaces that are safe and function extremely well. There is no judgment on what you want, just tell all and you will be heard. So, you like to read in the toilet area, you need kid toy areas, or you can’t live without a coffee bar. Whatever they are, let your wishes be known!
5. Present Your Desired Pieces for the Design
Another thing that your designer will need is to know what items you are wishing to keep. The designer will also need measurements of all of those pieces. Width first x depth (front to back) x height is the standard formula for sharing measurements. You or the designer will take pictures of all of those pieces and consider them in the design, if possible.
6. Spend Time Searching out Your Preferences
I can't stress enough how much pictures from you help. Look for pictures of things you love, not just like. It is very hard to find a room that is exactly what you want, so a variety of pictures of items that you love will help. One might have your desired area rug. Another is the floor lamp you have to have. And maybe a completely separate photo of the artwork. Pinterest is a wonderful site for this. The more you show, the more it helps the designer. It might even help you determine what you like and it helps narrow down your design style. Lots and lots of pictures make me smile.
7. Establish Your Decision-Making Process
When we meet, please have all decision-makers present. Decisiveness is critical to an efficient strategy session or project launch. It is nice to have a process for making decisions IN ADVANCE of the initial consultation.
Bonus Tips for You
Much more will be accomplished if there are no or few distractions during the consultation:
Childcare may be necessary. It is a good investment in this case.
Perhaps silence your phones and focus your attention to accomplish the most that you can during this time.
As I mentioned earlier and will mention again because it is so important, to keep an open mind to new ideas and plans. Many times, people will say no, but the next day, afterthought, they say yes. You will get new, fresh, wonderful ideas at this initial consultation. Be prepared and welcome them.
Thank you for reading these initial consultation ideas and tips. I am always thrilled to meet you and to discover who you and your family are, and what you all love. It is an honor to help you achieve a home that allows you to live your life to the absolute fullest.
Haven't scheduled your design consultation yet? There's no time like the present! Reach out to us and we'd be delighted to help.
As our verse for this week says, I pray that the Lord is with you, delighting and rejoicing over you with singing this week. Remember, He is Your Shephard kindly and lovingly watching over you~
My business is quite busy! I am going to have to do this podcast, every other week. So, the next episode will be in two weeks, or October 31st, on Halloween, here in the USA. I really love doing these podcasts, but I am finding it very difficult to keep up with my schedule. I hope you all understand!
Now, Stop Dreaming, Start Designing your luxury home within your budget!
Blessings and See you next episode…
