Trust your Interior Designer

Up on the blog this week I'm discussing the value of the Interior Designer.  I love when our clients are into their design project and more importantly when they are happy with the outcome. We enjoy interpreting your ideas, concepts and business brand into an interior space that will best suit the look, feel and budget you have in mind. That’s why you hire us, right? The number one thing I can say about how to ensure a successful commercial design project is to have confidence in your interior designer and trust them to do what they know best.

A good interior designer will know how to take your ideas to the next level, create a cohesive project, and establish a functional space that promotes productivity and profitability. All of this requires that you put a little trust into your designer’s expertise and be open to their suggestions. There are many reasons you should trust the designer you have hired; I've outlined some of them here.

Start with the Credentials

The first thing you should research when selecting your interior designer, is what their credentials are.  Specifically for a commercial project you want to look for a Licensed Interior Designer; this means you are hiring someone with the highest level of knowledge and recognition achievable for Interior Designers.  This alone should instill some trust in your designer. The process of education, experience and examination required to earn the NCIDQ designation is stringent and provides a high level of quality assurance.

Experience Goes a Long Way

Another important piece of research to be done when selecting your interior designer is determining if the experience they have is suitable to your project. Often times a designer’s portfolio will speak volumes to this. If you liked the examples of their work that you saw, it should give you some peace of mind that you have selected the right person or firm. You can also bet that clients of those fantastic projects allowed the interior designer the freedom to creatively invent spaces that were unique to them.

Listen, Consider, Decide

Sometimes as interior designers, we hit you with something completely unexpected. A creative way of displaying product that you’ve never seen before, or an alternate solution to how your space could be laid out. Our best piece of advice when you have one of those surprise moments with your interior designer? Hear them out, listen to the reasons behind their proposal (and you know they will have many!), and really consider what it is they are saying before making a decision. A good designer will analyze their ideas from top to bottom before presenting them to you; by the time it gets to you there are a million answers to a million questions ready to go.

When you feel like you need some time to think about a direction, your interior designer would like to take with your project, no matter how big or how small, a great response is something like, “I hadn’t considered something like this, give me a day or two to sit on it and I’ll get back to you”. No harm in that right? You can then roll it around in your mind, talk to your colleagues and friends, and make a decision once you have fully considered the options.

Now, it’s also important that your interior designer is open to your feedback. This is a two way street and you shouldn’t feel pushed into anything you really don’t feel comfortable with, but we do feel it’s a good thing to push your comfort levels a little. Offering challenging feedback is welcome, as long as you are willing to hear the reply.

Be Willing to Push Your Boundaries   (even just a little!)

We have already mentioned that pushing your boundaries and getting outside of your comfort zone can be a good thing. This is an excellent piece of advice for any and all areas of your life, but how does it relate to interior design?

As a business owner you understand that having a unique point of view is integral to your success and profit. What makes you different is what makes you stand out. This way of thinking should not stop at your procedures manual but should resonate in everything from your business cards and website, to your interior space. No matter what your business, your personality is important. Let some of who you are shine through and allow your interior designer to explore ways to create a space that is unique as you are.

What’s Good for You is Good for Us!

We will let you in on a little secret: Interior designers are often detail oriented perfectionists who are just as interested in providing you a killer space as you are. Upon project completion we, first and foremost, want you to be thrilled with your new digs; this means we have accomplished our goal.

Designing an interesting, distinct, functional interior for you only benefits us. Your project becomes part of our portfolio, helping us sell our services to other businesses. And, you can count on your designer asking for a testimonial from a happy client as a means of assurance to potential clients. Providing you with the best environment we can is a win-win.

For your next interior design project take comfort in knowing that your designer is looking out for you and your business. Trust in them and they will not lead you astray!

Hey Philadelphia, let's get social.  Follow us on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, YouTube and connect on LinkedIn! Each day I will post follow up interior design thoughts from the latest blog post to give you more inspiration.  AND, please leave me a comment below and let me know what you thought of this post!

In addition to being a Philadelphia Multifamily Interior Designer,  I also design boutique hotels, fitness centers, office spaces, residential development projects, other commercial spaces such as office and retail spaces, and the senior living community throughout the tri state area.  We work here in Philadelphia, the main line, and even Nationally!