Whether you have been neglecting the interior of your home for a few years, or you have inherited some less than tasteful décor from the previous occupier of your new home, a facelift would make your home a much more pleasant place to live, as well as adding substantial value to your potential resale figure.

It is important then to get your décor right, especially if you have the potentially brilliant opportunity of starting from scratch, so considering the possibility of hiring an interior designer to help you make the most of your home can be a very wise and fruitful decision.

In essence, an interior designer is a trained professional who will plan and supervise the decoration and furnishings of the interior of your home, office, outside living space, or any other space for that matter.

Options range from the full consultancy and project management package, where they do everything from hiring the plumber and sourcing materials to positioning your television at the right angle, to a self explanatory design-only service. 

Why not do it yourself?

It would be incorrect and grossly unfair to suggest that this is something that you categorically cannot do yourself. Some people have a natural flair for design and instinctively know what will look good.

But, if like most people you struggle to envisage things unless they are laid out in front of you, or your taste and ideas seem only to please you whilst those around you wince, then you would probably be better off enlisting the services of somebody with the skill and experience to get your home looking like one of those featured on the telly!

As well as the ability required to get the best out of a home, there is also the stress factor of doing up your home. It is a lot of work and requires a huge amount of patience, time and effort if you are to do it yourself.

Why trust a designer?

An interior designer will have years of experience, they will be trained in various aspects of design, art and architecture and will be flexible enough to work with a variety of styles and tastes to suit your personal preference.

Most professionals will have a degree or diploma in interior design. But while qualifications are important, there are other factors to consider.

A good designer will have a personal style that appeals to you, be versatile, welcome your input and be reliable and trustworthy. And if you like their portfolio of work, and have experienced their projects in person, this can be a far better indication of quality and suitability than a piece of paper.

Finding your designer

To ensure that you get a designer that you do not clash with, ask friends and colleagues for recommendations. And, if you ever see a space where you like the design work, enquire as to who designed it, and look them up.

The British Interior Design Association www.bida.org offers an extensive list of professional designers and decorators if you are struggling for recommendations, any reputable designer should be registered with BIDA.

BIDA recommends you get at least three quotes before you make a decision to hire. It also advises that you check the designer is covered by professional indemnity, public liability and employer’s liability insurance.

This is required of all BIDA members and ensures that, if something does go wrong, and the designer is at fault, you can claim compensation.

Most designers will have good, helpful websites with examples of their work and information on pricing.

It is important that you understand exactly how much you are going to be paying for the service, be sure not to miss any hidden costs, end up paying an expensive hourly rate for unexpected overtime, or get charged the RRP by the designer for items that you have researched and expected to be cheaper.

It is advisable, especially if there is great scope for unforeseen costs such as building or plumbing work, to have a 10-15% contingency fund just in case.

If utilising the full service, including project management, enquiring about any sub contractors is a good precaution to ensure that they are fully accredited and covered.

Preparation

A good designer will welcome your initiative so do some research into things you like, have magazine cut-outs of rooms or colour schemes that you like ready to show your designer, and do not be afraid to select certain pieces of furniture that you would really like to be implemented into your design. This will save the designer time, and you money.

Do not be alarmed if the designer is seemingly rather intrusive. A good designer will want to know things about you and your family so that they can please you specifically and give you a unique end result with a personalised touch.

During the project

Throughout the course of the project you should meet regularly with your designer to ensure that everything is being done to your taste and to prevent the designer going down a route that is not to your taste before it is too late.

It is of paramount importance, if you are to keep costs at a minimum and results to a maximum, that you regularly converse with your designer and highlight any concerns as soon as possible so the necessary adjustments can be made.

The best piece of advice is to be as actively involved as your obligations will allow, although the designer is the professional it is not the case that you should just sit back and let them get on with it.

It is important that you listen to what your designer has to say, they are the expert after all. However, if you work as a team, you will get the best results.

Any problems?

The majority of designers will be extremely keen to leave you with a project that you are pleased with. But, things can go wrong. The most common things to go wrong involve misunderstandings with regard to costs and the design itself.

Most of these problems can be avoided with regular meetings and a good working relationship with your designer. However, if you feel that there is a serious problem with regard to negligence that cannot be resolved privately, you can ask BIDA to put you in touch with a mediation service, or contact your solicitor for further advice.