There are usually two reasons people will ‘go to town’ on a property’s interior, and they neatly illustrate the answer to the question, “is interior design worth it?”
The first is a new purchase. Picture it: you’ve just found your ideal new home, and everything is absolutely perfect – apart from the decor. You want to put your own stamp on it and make it yours, but, clearly, it will involve a huge overhaul inside.
The second is growing tired of your existing home. When you’ve lived somewhere for a number of years, it’s not unusual to grow bored of the decor. And, sometimes, a lick of paint won’t suffice; everything needs changing in order to make it feel like a new home.
So, what do you do? Is interior design something you can undertake yourself, or should you call in a professional?
We think there are lots of reasons the latter is the choice to go for, but we appreciate that the idea of calling on the services of a professional might feel a little over-indulgent and expensive.
So, with that in mind, let’s ask what are the benefits of an interior designer, can interior designers save you money, and what are the pros and cons of hiring an interior designer.
You’re too busy
Let’s be honest – modern life is ridiculously busy for most of is. With work, siblings and partners taking up virtually every ounce of time you have to spare, the prospect of getting your hands dirty with interior design will probably be at the bottom of your list.
A bit like you probably wouldn’t undertake the plumbing in your house, the same goes for your interior design. By instead paying a professional to do it for you, you’ll have no worries about the project getting in the way of the things that really matter in life.
An interior designer is a great mediator
If you’re going into this interior design project with your partner, you’re almost guaranteed to disagree on one or two aspects.
In fact, it’s inevitable. Interior design is such a subjective topic. You might love the choice of wall colour in the living room while your partner might hate it. These disagreements are common, but not always easy to overcome.
This is one of the main reasons so many people turn to Google and search for ‘interior designer near me’ – they want someone who can mediate the design process and come up with a solution that suits every occupant of the house.
You’ll discover how to combine styles
The best interior designers know how to combine styles in order to create the best possible outcome.
Worrying about the cost implications of hiring an interior decorator might lead you to stick with one style for your home, because it’s the only style you know how to work with.
Get some help from an interior designer, and they’ll open you up to a whole new world of possibilities.
They’ll come with quality trades in hand
How much does it cost to hire an interior decorator? What about the electrician, and the plasterer?
Interior design is all about the sum of its parts – and there are usually lots of constituent elements and therefore trades that are required.
Without the help of a professional interior designer (although, you could hire interior designer student help, if budget is tight), you’ll have to find individual trades yourself, and that can be a costly, risky process if you don’t know who or what to look for.
You’ll gain access to specific furniture – and more
Picking the right furniture and fabrics for your interior design project isn’t easy at the best of times, but when all you have to choose from is the standard stuff in high street stores, you probably won’t create a particularly unique space.
Interior designers usually have access to specific furniture and fabrics that can’t be easily found on the high street. They may even have deals with the manufacturers or retailers that can help save you money on stuff that is far less likely to be found in the homes of your friends and family.
It’ll be custom – not flat pack
Flat pack interior design results in rooms that look similar to those on brochures or within the homes of friends and family.
Who wants that?
You want individuality in your home, which is why choosing the right interior designer is less about looking at the interior designer price list (although, of course, that’s important) and more about their ability to create custom designs that won’t be found anywhere else.
You’ll probably save money
Although not guaranteed, interior designers are pretty adept at saving homeowners money.
Contrary to what you might have been led to believe, interior designers aren’t out to grab as much money from clients as they can. The best will want to deliver value, which means an amazing finish that’s cost-effective for the home owner.
Their ability to save money stems from a few things. Firstly, they’ll have connections to trades that might lower the cost of each constituent element, but their ties with brands and wholesalers might also put you in front of deals that you simply wouldn’t find anywhere else.
They’re usually great at finding bargains, too. The rise of upcycling (where old furniture and non-furniture items are renovated for modern use) has inspired countless interior designers to look beyond their standard list of suppliers. And it could save you a heap of money in the process!
Wrapping up
Is it really important to hire an interior decorator or designer? If you want the absolute best outcome for your home – yes.
If you’ve read our list above and have been nodding throughout, hiring an interior designer is definitely for you. It’ll cost, of course, but as we’ve hopefully demonstrated, it’s also likely to save you money and – most importantly – time. And the latter isn’t something you can put a price on!