At What Stage Should I Hire an Interior Designer?
Not sure when should you bring in an interior designer or for how long they’ll be needed? Read this expert advice
Would you like to hire an interior designer but don’t know where to start? Baffled by lead times and supply chains, and not sure at which stage you should bring a designer on board? To help make the process easier, we quizzed three professionals to answer the key questions.
Professional advice from: Yoko Kloeden of Yoko Kloeden Design; Bhavin Taylor of Bhavin Taylor Design; Claudia Dorsch of Claudia Dorsch Interior Design
Professional advice from: Yoko Kloeden of Yoko Kloeden Design; Bhavin Taylor of Bhavin Taylor Design; Claudia Dorsch of Claudia Dorsch Interior Design
“If you’re carrying out building work, it’s really important to bring in a designer well in advance,” Bhavin Taylor says, “as we’ll need plenty of time to design the space and prepare any specs the builders may require.
“There’s nothing worse than getting a client enquiry and being told the builders are being held up because they’re waiting for something,” he says, “as it can be very difficult to provide the best responses when immediate answers are needed.”
“There’s nothing worse than getting a client enquiry and being told the builders are being held up because they’re waiting for something,” he says, “as it can be very difficult to provide the best responses when immediate answers are needed.”
What if I decide I want a designer later in the process?
Realising you need the help of an interior designer once a project is underway isn’t a disaster, though, and it’s never too late to contact a pro.
“We do have a handful of clients who come to us to rescue their projects after they appoint a builder,” Yoko says. “These projects have their own challenges. Your selection of finishes and furniture, fixtures and equipment [FF&E] will be limited by lead times, you might experience decision fatigue and are not able to spend as much time as you’d like on it.”
But it isn’t the end of the world, she stresses. “We welcome these projects, as they push us to be creative with time constraints and allow us to see our design being built as we design.”
Find an interior designer near you today.
Realising you need the help of an interior designer once a project is underway isn’t a disaster, though, and it’s never too late to contact a pro.
“We do have a handful of clients who come to us to rescue their projects after they appoint a builder,” Yoko says. “These projects have their own challenges. Your selection of finishes and furniture, fixtures and equipment [FF&E] will be limited by lead times, you might experience decision fatigue and are not able to spend as much time as you’d like on it.”
But it isn’t the end of the world, she stresses. “We welcome these projects, as they push us to be creative with time constraints and allow us to see our design being built as we design.”
Find an interior designer near you today.
What should I discuss in our first meeting?
Coming to an initial meeting armed with a budget and some visual ideas can help to set expectations early on. “The main thing I’d say is to have an initial idea of what you’d like the designer to achieve, an idea of which spaces you need help with, and how you plan to use each of them,” Bhavin says.
He also stresses the importance of knowing your budget. “Unfortunately, things are a lot more expensive now, so it’s good for clients to be open-minded about this, and to take on the advice of a designer about what can and can’t be achieved.”
You might also like How to Plan a Renovation When Prices Are Rising.
Coming to an initial meeting armed with a budget and some visual ideas can help to set expectations early on. “The main thing I’d say is to have an initial idea of what you’d like the designer to achieve, an idea of which spaces you need help with, and how you plan to use each of them,” Bhavin says.
He also stresses the importance of knowing your budget. “Unfortunately, things are a lot more expensive now, so it’s good for clients to be open-minded about this, and to take on the advice of a designer about what can and can’t be achieved.”
You might also like How to Plan a Renovation When Prices Are Rising.
What kind of timeline might I be working towards?
This depends on the scale of your plans. Claudia works on projects with varying timescales and levels of involvement. “I’m working on a three- to four-year new-build project, involved from [the] planning [stage],” she says. “Other projects, though, might just require interior styling – doing one room and helping with window treatments and paint colours. That mix [of timescales] helps us to fit in bigger and smaller jobs.”
Bhavin generally suggests “a minimum of four weeks-plus, depending on the size of the project”.
Yoko, meanwhile, says, “We typically undertake a full refurbishment of an entire house or one entire floor – most commonly the ground floor – or a house extension. To complete a full design package, including detailed drawings, takes a few months – up to six months or more.”
This depends on the scale of your plans. Claudia works on projects with varying timescales and levels of involvement. “I’m working on a three- to four-year new-build project, involved from [the] planning [stage],” she says. “Other projects, though, might just require interior styling – doing one room and helping with window treatments and paint colours. That mix [of timescales] helps us to fit in bigger and smaller jobs.”
Bhavin generally suggests “a minimum of four weeks-plus, depending on the size of the project”.
Yoko, meanwhile, says, “We typically undertake a full refurbishment of an entire house or one entire floor – most commonly the ground floor – or a house extension. To complete a full design package, including detailed drawings, takes a few months – up to six months or more.”
What might hold things up?
As well as project size, other factors can affect timelines. “It depends on a client’s response time at each milestone, and response times of external stakeholders,” Yoko explains. “The latter could be a planning authority (ie, if the project needs Planning Permission, you’d need to take into account eight weeks to get approval) or external professionals working on the same project, such as architects, lighting designers and structural engineers. The more parties involved, the more coordination time is required.
“If you tender the project, you would need to take into account the tender response time from prospective contractors, too,” she adds.
As well as project size, other factors can affect timelines. “It depends on a client’s response time at each milestone, and response times of external stakeholders,” Yoko explains. “The latter could be a planning authority (ie, if the project needs Planning Permission, you’d need to take into account eight weeks to get approval) or external professionals working on the same project, such as architects, lighting designers and structural engineers. The more parties involved, the more coordination time is required.
“If you tender the project, you would need to take into account the tender response time from prospective contractors, too,” she adds.
Do certain elements require more planning?
A design project will involve many different aspects, and an interior designer can help to bring all of these together to ensure more detailed elements get the level of forward planning they require.
“When we create the design concept and present finishes, we present both hard finishes and furniture/fixtures at the same time,” Yoko says. “The biggest benefit of hiring an interior designer as opposed to a traditional architect is that interior designers consider furniture and soft furnishings from the outset.
“Lighting is a good example,” she continues. “You have to consider what needs to be illuminated and what’s worth illuminating. That requires us to understand what activity happens in each room and to incorporate the location of furniture. Then we can suggest if the purpose is best met by mains-wired or plug-in lighting, what type, and the aesthetics.”
A design project will involve many different aspects, and an interior designer can help to bring all of these together to ensure more detailed elements get the level of forward planning they require.
“When we create the design concept and present finishes, we present both hard finishes and furniture/fixtures at the same time,” Yoko says. “The biggest benefit of hiring an interior designer as opposed to a traditional architect is that interior designers consider furniture and soft furnishings from the outset.
“Lighting is a good example,” she continues. “You have to consider what needs to be illuminated and what’s worth illuminating. That requires us to understand what activity happens in each room and to incorporate the location of furniture. Then we can suggest if the purpose is best met by mains-wired or plug-in lighting, what type, and the aesthetics.”
What about supply chain issues?
It’s worth talking to your designer to get an idea of lead times and see if there are any delays that might need factoring in. “Supply is a huge problem right now, and one that’s out of a designer’s control,” Bhavin says.
“Of late, once I’ve had a design signed off, I generally suggest to my clients that we should try to place the orders for as much as we can as soon as possible and store items (if they have the space), or try to delay the delivery. There’s nothing worse than when work is being carried out and an item that’s needed is out of stock, so it’s best to be prepared.”
It’s worth talking to your designer to get an idea of lead times and see if there are any delays that might need factoring in. “Supply is a huge problem right now, and one that’s out of a designer’s control,” Bhavin says.
“Of late, once I’ve had a design signed off, I generally suggest to my clients that we should try to place the orders for as much as we can as soon as possible and store items (if they have the space), or try to delay the delivery. There’s nothing worse than when work is being carried out and an item that’s needed is out of stock, so it’s best to be prepared.”
What else should I know about product lead times?
Different brands can have different timelines, Claudia says. “We now check as quickly as possible, to focus our design work on long lead items. We steer clients towards making decisions earlier. If the timescale is tight, they can’t order a certain brand. You might be looking at 20 weeks for certain popular bathroom sanitaryware brands at the moment, for example.”
Some sofas have one-year lead times, she says, so “most people would be looking for an alternative”. If you’re making a sofa in the UK, eight weeks is normal, but it could be a lot more. “They might not have the foam or springs, or the fabric you want is out of stock,” she says.
To make life easier, think more about reusing, recycling and upcycling what you already have. “Here, a designer can be really helpful,” Claudia says, “putting things you already have together, or helping you buy lovely antique or vintage furniture that looks good with modern pieces.”
Tell us…
Have you ever hired an interior designer? How far ahead did you need to plan the work? Share your experiences in the Comments.
Different brands can have different timelines, Claudia says. “We now check as quickly as possible, to focus our design work on long lead items. We steer clients towards making decisions earlier. If the timescale is tight, they can’t order a certain brand. You might be looking at 20 weeks for certain popular bathroom sanitaryware brands at the moment, for example.”
Some sofas have one-year lead times, she says, so “most people would be looking for an alternative”. If you’re making a sofa in the UK, eight weeks is normal, but it could be a lot more. “They might not have the foam or springs, or the fabric you want is out of stock,” she says.
To make life easier, think more about reusing, recycling and upcycling what you already have. “Here, a designer can be really helpful,” Claudia says, “putting things you already have together, or helping you buy lovely antique or vintage furniture that looks good with modern pieces.”
Tell us…
Have you ever hired an interior designer? How far ahead did you need to plan the work? Share your experiences in the Comments.
All three designers agree that the earlier you can involve an interior designer in your project the better.
“We are lucky that most of our clients come to us when or just after they purchase the property,” Yoko Kloeden says. “Being involved earlier in the bigger picture enables us to suggest layout options [a homeowner] might never have thought about, and optimise and rebalance budgets. It also gives us the ability to select suppliers with longer lead times.”
“The earlier the better,” Claudia Dorsch agrees. “We’ve engaged with clients when they were searching for a property to purchase. I’ve also gone to viewings with long-standing clients. You can give an estimate on costs and what work makes sense.
“A lot of the time, we also speak to clients before they hire a builder,” she continues. “Again, we can help them think about their budget. Most of the time, people are unrealistic, especially at the moment with costs going up. A designer will also help to stop clients getting sidetracked by less important decisions.”