Decorating Your Home With An Interior Designer

Decorating your home with an interior designer may sound daunting, especially if you've just moved house and costs are increasing, but have you thought about the benefits?

Hiring an interior designer to help you decorate your home can actually save you money and alleviate the worry and stress when having to make those costly decisions that you will be living with for quite a while, i.e. choosing the right furniture to suit the room, creating a lighting plan, flooring and finishes to name just a few.

Perhaps you aren't sure what to expect and what's expected of you.  I never thought clients would feel nervous before I arrived and the sort of feelings that would come up.

"What if my home isn't grand enough"

"I hope she doesn't judge my taste"

"What am I going to get out of this and will I feel pressurised to use her services"

Let me put your mind at rest, right from the start.  As designers we are not there to judge.  We see your home with a fresh pair of eyes and look at the good points it may already have,  as well as how we can enhance it and make your home work better for you.

Consultation Day

Expect to block out 1 to 2 hours in your diary, this really depends on how many rooms are involved.  Typically we will do a walk through of your home (if you are comfortable with this).  Clients really benefit from this as they get a chance to pick my brains on other areas of their home that they may want help with.

You will have filled in a short design questionnaire which allows me to find out a little bit more about how I can help you and prepare before our consultation.  You may want to take notes at this stage or perhaps you have already prepared a few questions.  If not don't worry as I always do a follow up via email of our consultation and everything we discussed.

What I Bring Along

What I bring along to a consultation.  

Paint Colour swatches - to get an idea of the colours we discuss, it won't be in depth unless it is a paint colour consultation, (which is much more involved) but it will be enough to get an idea of how colour looks in the room.  We will discuss tips and techniques to enhance the room. 

Measuring Up

If it has already been discussed that you would like a floor plan with a furniture layout design service, I will take measurements of the space and any window measurements if necessary for window treatments.

Fabric & Wallpaper

Fabric and wallpaper pattern books are available if you request them.  Normally I prefer to asses this after the consultation but it can be a good idea to learn which patterns and textures you are drawn to.

Furniture & Accessories

Furniture & Accessories Brochures

We can have a look at styles of furniture and accessories that would complement your room and to display the style of furniture or accessories to use.  

You are under no obligation to purchase these, it's just a quick way of showing you different styles I may be talking about.

Portfolio

Generally images can be found on my website and social media of previous work, although not everything is displayed as a lot of my clients prefer not to showcase their designs as they want it to be original to them, and I respect their wishes.

DETAILS

It's all in the detail and so it is really important that I listen more than talk as I need to find out from you, how you want your home to look and just as important, how you want it to feel.  

I take into consideration everything that you tell me.

QUESTIONS

As the consultation goes on, we will cover how you and your family use the space, which may seem obvious at first, but taking into account how you and your family live and occupy the space will give me an idea of space planning along with the finishes and materials to use, especially if you have pets.

On The Spot Designing

I like to get hands on and if I feel I can make a difference to your home, i.e. your furniture layout, I may adjust the room there and then (on your approval of course) to let you see how it can work with a few simple adjustments.  Changing a few things here and there really makes the difference and may be something you never thought of doing.

Ending On a High

At the end of our consultation and I must say, the most exciting for me, I never get tired of seeing how much clients have loved it.  They are excited and raring to get going on their project themselves or if they want some more input from me, I can at this stage draw up a design fee based on their needs.

It really makes me happy to know that they have got something useful out of the consultation which they can implement into their design straight away, with confidence and a plan of action.

What They're Saying

Heather your sense of style has been a great inspiration to me. As you know, I can’ wait to put things into practice. I feel that I can confidently venture on my own now, although I may need your assistance in the future. I can get nice things for a room, but I can’t quite finish a room off, that is definitely your expertise.AngelaHolywood“I recently had a virtual consultation from my home in the Midlands with the very lovelyHeather Interior Design.We spoke at length about colour palettes and furniture that would best suit the cosy barn conversion I had just moved into. Her knowledge and expertise have helped me create a home I am proud of. I would recommend her services to anyone who is currently needing inspiration for their dream home!AndreMidlands, UKREAD MORE TESTIMONIALS SIGN UP