Are your home’s furnishings and decor in desperate need of updating? If so, perhaps you’re wondering what the next step should be. Should you hire an interior designer to help you accomplish the renovations you desire, or should you take your chances with making all of your own interior design choices? Consider your answers to the following questions before you make your final decision:
How Much Time Have You Invested in Learning About Interior Design?
Professional interior designers have made a substantial investment in learning about interior design. They have studied interior design courses, and most likely hold either a bachelor’s degree or a diploma in the subject. If they’ve been practicing for some time, they have developed considerable experience in seeing what works and what doesn’t.
If you haven’t already spent some time figuring out the basic concepts of interior design, you risk wasting substantial sums of money on furnishings that are less than ideal for your space. Can you live with the consequences of your choices turn out to be mediocre? How about if they turn out to be awful? Do you have money budgeted for dealing with mistakes? Depending on the overall budget for your project, it may be cheaper to hire a pro than it would be to fix the mistakes you’re likely to make along the way.
Do You Need Help With Design Tasks That Seem Challenging or Impossible to You?
Some aspects of interior design might come to you easily, while others might seem more challenging. If your project consists completely of things that seem easy to you, it’s likely that you could handle the project on your own. Things like selecting wall art and choosing to scatter cushions can be easily accomplished without the help of a professional.
On the other hand, if there are aspects of the project that seem downright scary to you, hiring a professional might be the way to go.
If you are willing to invest some effort in honing your skills, it is possible that you might reach a point where you don’t feel so intimidated – in which case you might still be able to perform your own work.
On the other hand, if you need help doing a job that requires significant expertise, at that point, it is probably wise to consider hiring a professional interior designer. For example, if your kitchen is too dark, and you aren’t sure whether you should add a skylight, choose different window shades, install all new lighting, redesign your windows, or try some combination of the above, it might be the ideal time to consider hiring an interior designer.
How Much Time Do You Have Available to Spend on Your Decorating Project?
Successful interior design doesn’t happen by magic. It takes a substantial investment of time and effort for it to come together. Do you have many hours to allocate to your redecorating project? If not, you’ll either have to be prepared for the project to take many months, or you’ll have to consider hiring a professional to do the work you don’t have time for.
Are There Any Truly Outstanding Interior Designers Available to Work With You?
No doubt, you’re painfully aware of that old cliche: Good help is, indeed, extremely hard to find. This is true of interior designers, the same as it is true of help with just about anything else.
Complicating the situation even further, it’s typical to find that talented interior designers need to be booked many months in advance because their calendars are already filled with appointments. So even if you’re able to find the right person, patience may be required before you can get started with your project.
Working with the wrong interior designer isn’t likely to turn out much better than a choice to DIY would. A typical home renovation is costly, and it would be a mistake to settle for working with the wrong interior designer just because you’re in a hurry. This type of work needs to be done properly the first time, or it could end up costing you heaps. If you have any misgivings at all about the person you’re entrusting to do the work, it would be wise to keep looking for another designer.
These are some of the questions you should consider asking yourself as you decide whether or not to handle your own interior design work. Many Australians do, indeed, successfully decorate their own homes; yet many others are happiest when they leave the decorating to a competent professional. In the end, it’s up to you to decide which approach is the way to go in your particular situation.