Save Money and Time with a Professional Designer

Many people are intimidated by the idea of hiring an Interior Designer or think that it’s a ‘luxury’ investment. However, the reality is that hiring a professional may be one of the smartest decisions you can make. By utilising the skills of a trained professional, you can save yourself two of life’s most sought after commodities: time and money. It might seem counter-intuitive that you would save money when having to pay the additional design fee, but the truth is that hiring a designer can help you avoid costly mistakes. Here are the five biggest mistakes that Interior Designers can help you avoid:

1. Diving in head-first without a plan – Have you ever bought a piece of furniture that you absolutely loved the look of in the store, only to realise that it’s too big (or small) once you got it home? Ever painted numerous swatches trying to find the ideal colour? A designer has a trained eye that can help create a cohesive space. While you don’t have to go overboard and have everything completely matching, everything must make sense together. Interior designers are trained to know what will work and can provide you with the confidence that your entire home will be carefully considered and beautifully curated.

2. Incorrect scale – We see time and again in clients’ homes, the result of them failing to have measured their space and/or pay attention to the dimensions and scale of the objects they’re choosing before purchase. Scale and proportion are arguably the most critical aspects of Interior Design. For example, we commonly see people making the mistake of choosing a rug that’s too small, or a sofa that’s too large for the spaces they’re intended. Another common mistake is selecting all of your furniture and furnishings to sit at the same level. An area needs to resemble a city skyline - there should be objects of numerous heights, shapes and sizes, that come together to form one cohesive idea.

3. Incorrect placement of artwork – Too often we see a beautiful space that’s marred by the artwork being hung too high or in the wrong location. Remember that an artwork does not always have to be centred or stand-alone. The temptation is to have art centred, even though offset on the wall will make it stand out even more, and suit the space it’s in. Don’t be afraid to be asymmetrical! Often the ideal position is an unexpected one. For example, your Interior Designer may suggest hanging the artwork over a side table and have it partially obscured by a lamp or a stack of books or other accessory items. This layered approach might seem slightly unusual but is exponentially more effective in providing depth to your space.

4. Following Design trends that will date – It’s so easy to base your design purely on what’s currently on-trend. While it’s great to have your finger on the pulse and incorporate elements of what’s ‘cool’ right now, it’s important to remember that trends are fluid and transient. What’s currently trending on Pinterest and on The Block will quickly change and evolve to the next biggest trend. Interior designers are aware of the forward momentum and can save you from the trap of basing your entire design on one single movement, as it will inevitably date faster than you can say ‘I wish I hired an Interior Designer’.

5. Shying away from investment pieces – It’s easy to understand the caution related to spending significant amounts of money on investment pieces. As mentioned previously, as with all areas of design, trends come and go, and it’s inevitable that this years ‘must-have’ pieces will not be so desired next year. But that doesn’t always need to be true. Fewer, high-quality investment pieces are, in my opinion, far more favourable than multiple inexpensive items that have to be replaced regularly. So how do you know what pieces are worthy of your investment? That’s where an Interior Designer can help you!

Design trends are cyclical; we often see them repeating throughout history. By considering the form and functionality of key pieces, an interior designer can help you chose classic styles that have been proven to stand the test of time.