9 Reasons Why You Should Hire an Interior Designer

As an interior designer, I know my services aren't a necessity, but of course I do think there are a number of benefits to hiring a designer to help you with your home! Sometimes people balk at the prices of "luxury" services like wedding planners, graphic designers, high-end photographers, or in this case, interior designers because they don't fully understand the ways we can serve you! So today, I'm giving you a couple of the top ways an interior designer can make your home and life more enjoyable.

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1. We increase your resale value. Designers should be helping you make choices that are beautiful and functional for years to come, which should help maintain or increase your homes' resale value. I just finished working with a client who actually ended up deciding to list their home. With all of our improvements, they'll be able to get a lot more for their house AND it will probably sell faster because it's staged so well!
2. We save you money, because things get done right the first time. This is especially true if you hire a designer to help you at the beginning of a renovation or new build, as sometimes contractors do things the easy way, but not the most functional way or that is most aesthetically pleasing (a favorite example is where builders place lighting!). A number of things can go wrong or unforeseen, so the help of a designer during a renovation can ensure you do things right the first time, thus saving you money. A new client of mine and I just did a walkthrough of her new build house. While walking through, after the electrician came and wired the house, we noticed there was no outlet above the fireplace for the TV. It cost extra money for him to come back and install the necessary things, tearing down drywall in the process. If I had come on before the electrician, we would have been able to avoid this and make the decision together that, yes, the TV above the fireplace is the best solution to the room layout.
3. We give you new ideas and a fresh set of eyes. This is an obvious reason to hire a designer! You want your space to be reimagined and have new life. Your designer should definitely be able to do this!
4. We come with contacts & resources you don't necessarily have. Your interior designer should have contacts to refer you to (ie. painters, window coverings, tile stores, contractors, etc.) They should also have a number of resources at their disposal, including designer accounts with stores so they can get you better prices on retail items. 
5. We create spaces that feel like YOU! (We know you better than you know yourself ;)) Sometimes my design clients come to me with inspiration and pieces they know they love, but they don't know how to put it all together to create a room that feels like them. Designers (in all areas, not just interiors) should be able to take information on what a client likes, glean their style, and then design a space that embodies their lifestyle and personality. That's what I try to do in all my client spaces!
6. We save you time. We source (the designer term for "shop" and "put together") so you don't have to. We place orders, run errands, and style your space so you are saving time left and right!
7. We save you stress. Going hand-in-hand with the above, additionally, you're saving yourself a whole bunch of stress in not having to do all of those things and ensuring your room will turn out beautifully, with the end vision in mind.
8. We make sure things will actually fit to the scale of your room. A good designer should be measuring your space and the pieces they are going to fill that space with, to be sure everything fits. This avoids hassle, returns, or loosing money when items aren't allowed to be returned. I use CAD for my client floor plans and draw everything in before we order. This also comes in handy as I can show my clients what the layout of their room will look like with an 8x10 rug versus a 6x9 rug. I can help them make educated buying decisions by showing them their rooms mocked up to scale. I can't write this one without referencing the "pivot!" episode on FRIENDS where they're trying to get a massive couch up a tiny stairwell ;)
9. You’ll (hopefully!) learn about design and why things work along the way, for future projects. While designing, I really try to educate my clients on WHY I chose something or why this item works over this item. I definitely aim to share my knowledge on design as we work on the house!

If you're a designer, what did I miss?! What has your experience been working with a designer? I'd love to hear! Whether you're near or far, I offer design services for you! If you're not local to Michigan, my two hour consultation package might be the perfect fit for you to get my eyes on your space and help you rethink certain areas of your home. If you're local, I offer consultations and full-service design packages. Email me to check my availability!
xoxo


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