Interior Designer Ireland

How to Choose an Interior Designer

The 'how to guide' to finding an Interior Designer Ireland. This article will give you professional advice on how to select and interior designer for your home improvement project.

1. Ask Around
If a friend or colleague has used an interior designer, you can look at their home and ask for a personal referral.

2. Communication
Speak to the interior designer. In the first few phone calls do they strike up good rapport? Do your personalities clash or gel? Do them seem professional, genuine, friendly and enthusiastic? Do they push you for the hard sell? Could you invite them into your home with confidence? Are they approachable and down to earth? Can the interior designer speak comfortably with both you and your partner, family? Go with your gut instinct here, as you want to work with someone that you are not intimidated or pushed by.

3. Interior Design Portfolio
Ask to view their portfolio of work. How do their ideas suit yours? What projects have they worked on, where were they and what involvement did the interior designer have? Their portfolio will show you their approach to design, style, diversity and flair for design.

4. Interior Design Testimonials
Ask the interior designer if they can provide testimonials from previous clients.

5. Interior Design Niche
What is their focus as an interior designer? This could be anything from domestic to commercial projects. It could be style from minimalist to classical, or type of project whether high end or budget restricted. Again think whether their specialism fits with your ideas.

6. Qualifications
In Europe the interior design industry is unregulated which means ANYONE can set themselves up and call themselves an interior designer. Ask the prospective interior designer where they studied, what they studied and the qualifications they hold. Ask what type of professional insurance they have. Alongside their portfolio ask for a mini version of their CV including any interior design companies they have worked for or for their work as a sole trader e.g. website, blog, newsletter etc. Click here to find out more information on the different types of interior design roles/job titles.

7. The Sales Approach
Do they push you into a sale? Are they more sales focused than customer focused? Feel comfortable saying no and expressing yourself if you are unsure. A good interior designer will not give you the hard sell, they won’t need to as their ideas will sell themselves.

8. Trial Interior Design Projects
Start with a small area if you don’t know the designer. You can gauge how that project turns out as to employ their services for a larger project in your home.

9. Interior Design Fee
There are a few ways for an interior designer to price their fees. ‘Percentage Fee’ is where the interior designer charges a percentage on top of the costs of goods bought. ‘Fixed fee’ is for the entire project. ‘Hourly Rate’ is a set figure that the interior designer charges per hour. ‘Fee per stage’ is a fixed fee that the interior designer charges per stage e.g. concept, specifications, final design. ‘Fee per item’ is a fixed fee that the interior designer charges per item e.g. floor plan, lighting plan, decorator specification, colour illustration. In the quotation the interior design will advise which pricing strategy they have applied to your project. Ask the designer how they price their services before the put together a quotation.

10. Interior Design Contract
The most important part of the project. This will detail exactly what the interior designer WILL DO as well as what the contract DOES NOT INCLUDE. This will show you how much involvement the interior designer will have on your project. A professional interior designer will include an initial project scope which lays the project in terms of the extent of work from theme, decor, remodel details to project management.

Finding an Interior Designer Ireland

I hope this artcile on finding an Interior Designer Ireland has helped you on you way to locating a professional for your home.

Click here if you would like more information and a FREE quotation for an interior design project in Ireland.

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