Ever wonder what an interior designer really does? Everyone has their assumptions, but not everyone has actual industry insight. Are designers really worth having on your home project?

From someone who has worked alongside interior designers for the last five years, here are a few things I’ve learned:

Interior Designers Do So Much More Than Make Design Selections

If you think that the main purpose of hiring an interior designer is to help you pick out selections that coordinate, that’s only a small piece of the puzzle. Plenty of clients come to us already knowing what color they want for cabinetry, countertops, and hardware. So why do they need to work with a designer, one might ask? The short answer: because designers do so much more than make design selections.

A kitchen design, for example, requires more than picking out a few colors and materials. If it were that simple, many people would skip a designer altogether. For a kitchen design, an interior designer will ask the client how they want their kitchen to function and how they want it to look. It requires a balance of considering aesthetics and functionality.

For example, certain countertop materials require different levels of maintenance and perform better/worse for different uses. A designer would help suggest the type of material that would work best based on your preferences before even making an actual color selection. Also, that certain sink you’ve seen on Pinterest that you love? Your designer knows how easily that material stains and scratches, and can help suggest a more practical option that will still give you the look you want.

Aside from functionality vs. aesthetics, designers also know how to find a balance in terms of budget. That specific wood type with a custom stain and all the bells and whistles in terms of storage inserts, it could potentially blow your budget. A designer will help you prioritize your main wants/needs and give suggestions on how to achieve them best while considering your budget. Switching up the cabinetry overlay to a less expensive option might save you enough money to get the giant kitchen island you’ve been dreaming of.

One of the most overlooked skills a designer brings to the table is layout design. A proper kitchen design requires much more than just “the island should go here with the sink over there by the window.” We’re talking cabinetry measurements of length/width/height down to the quarter inch, coordinating the height of the crown to best hide that weird slant in the ceiling, and figuring out how to fit seating for five within a limited square footage.

Even after layout design and selections are made, designers communicate with cabinet builders, countertop vendors, and contractors doing the labor to ensure all aspects are taken care of. The cabinet plans submitted to the cabinet builders must be incredibly thorough, so they are built accurately and fit the space perfectly. Does your contractor need to know when cabinetry will be delivered? When should countertops be measured? Your designer has your timeline in check.

Interior Designers Help You Move Forward With Confidence

Building or renovating your home is a huge undertaking, and often it’s something homeowners spend years planning for. It’s a big investment, both financially and temporally. Because of this, it’s important to get things done right the first time around. How do designers help with this? Firstly, everything listed previously about their expertise will help ensure your design plans and selections are solid.

Additionally, our designers provide clients with 3D renderings of their projects to visualize before anything is ordered. This means you make sure all those selections and design decisions turn out beautifully. 3D renderings take out the guesswork of how everything is going to come together.

By offering a glimpse of what the final product will actually look like, it tends to lessen the anxiety of just hoping it all will look good in the end. Instead, you can actually see for yourself and make changes if necessary. This gives clients the confidence to approve designs and move their projects forward more efficiently.

Another reason working with a designer makes clients more confident is that if issues do arise, which do happen occasionally with so many moving parts, you have someone to lean on to help get things back on track.

Not sure what to communicate to your contractor? Your designer probably does.

A vendor sent the wrong material? Your designer has the contact.

Was something lost in translation? We’ll work to get it corrected.

If you’re DIYing everything, that means everything is on you, which could possibly be a costly mistake.

Lastly, and perhaps mostly simply, it’s just nice to have an expert’s opinion, even on the little things. You’re pretty confident that the tile will coordinate well with the cabinetry and wall color, but it’s reassuring to have an educated second opinion. For the same reason, you might ask your realtor if a house is reasonably priced even though it’s already in your budget. It’s good to have someone experienced confirm the information or explain why you might consider alternative options.

Interior Designers Are Often Excited About Your Project

This may not sound like it’s that important, but let me explain. Our designers work one-on-one with clients, getting to know them, what they want out of their home, and the joy of creating it for them. As creatives, designing in general is fulfilling, but couple that with working with clients you’ve gotten to know? That’s the best!

Most designers have experience working on their own personal projects, and they understand the importance of that undertaking. Getting to walk clients through that process and seeing their house dreams fulfilled is truly elating!

Some people think designers are just there to upsell you on over-the-top products that don’t add any actual value, but that’s not true, at least not here at Gravel Lane Design. We value high-quality products and craftsmanship, but don’t deliberately push clients beyond their budget. Our designers are passionate about finding creative solutions to achieve a client’s wish list, because that’s what they would do for themselves.

I’ve seen designers excited to show off a basement bar design they’re stoked to see installed, or alternatively mourn the fact that the client with a really fun style wasn’t able to move forward because something came up.

We’ve worked with clients on year-long projects or some who come back to remodel again after moving, and that bond that exists between a homeowner and the designer that already knows their style, their family’s needs, etc., is priceless. We’ve had designers go above and beyond a normal project scope because they were dedicated to making their client happy.

To sum up, interior designers recognize that being invited into your home is a personal matter. They also know how daunting building or remodeling can seem, and they are there to help take the weight off your shoulders. Working with a designer isn’t just about having the prettiest outcome (although that is a great benefit in itself), it’s about being confident in your investment and having a trusted industry professional on your side.

Interested in getting in touch with our design team? Take a minute to fill out our contact form, and our next available designer will be in touch to discuss your project!