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What do interior designers actually do?

A qualified Interior Designer has hollistic skills and they range from spatial planning and floor plan layout including furniture placement, custom joinery design, kitchen and bathroom design, lighting design and electrical plans, selection of interior and exterior, colours, materials and fixtures.

 

Interior Designers inherently have the ability to envision a project and understand how to bring it to fruition. They’re skilled at all phases of a project: 

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  • Early stages of identifying a client’s needs and desires;

  • Developing a budget;

  • Fleshing out a workable design; and

  • Construction, delivery and installation.  

 

If you’re working with a professional Interior Designer, it is unlikely that you will end up with a beautiful design that simply isn't feasible or a piece of furniture that won’t even fit through your front door.

How can hiring an Interior Designer can save me time?

We all need more time! 

 

Not only will you save time by engaging a professional to do the leg work for you, an experienced Interior Designer knows in what order things need to be done and can anticipate any obstacles that may come up throughout your project.

 

Interior Designers can also avoid many delays on site by having detailed plans, selections and specifications prior to commencement of your project.  One of our most valuable roles an Interior Designer plays is to liaise with builders and trades to keep things on track and plan for things you may not consider such as the locations of power points or whether you would like two way light switching.

What services do Interior Designers offer?

There seems to be a common misconception that the role of an interior designer is merely aesthetic, such as choosing a few colours or cushions, or as my friends like to call it ‘a pillow fluffer’!. However, there is a broad spectrum of technical knowledge that comes with being an Interior Designer.  By engaging an Interior Designer, you’re able to tap into that knowledge to get the most out of your space, therefore we are definitely worth the investment!

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Some of the specific services Interior Designers offer include:

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  1. Spatial planning and ensuring all spaces are functional;

  2. Conceptual drawings and 3D renderings of the proposed space;

  3. Documentation drawings including floor plans and internal elevations;

  4. Custom joinery design;

  5. Lighting design and specification;

  6. Material selections and specifications;

  7. Colour consultation;

  8. Furniture layouts and specifications; and

  9. Project managing when it comes to construction and project delivery.

I want more functional spaces.

Interior Designers will not only bring their expertise and knowledge to a project, but also a fresh set of eyes. Designers will be able to identify the potential of a space or its inherent pain points immediately, and then provide creative solutions including custom made storage solutions.

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It may take a neutral party (i.e. your designer) to confirm that, in fact, all of the furniture you inherited from your in-laws doesn’t work very well! Or neither does that stained sectional sofa! Additionally you might be surprised that a beautiful vintage table you haven't been sure what to do with could actually swoop in to steal the show as a bathroom vanity. Hello, chic up-cycle.

I don't want to deal with the builder and trades, can you help with this?

Building or renovating is stressful! 

 

Especially when you are inexperienced or trying to juggle your career, family and everything else in between.  There are a lot of important decisions to be made to ensure a successful outcome amongst all trades.

 

Having a detailed set of plans and specifications before any construction commences is essential for the seamless execution of a new build or renovation project.  An Interior Designer can provide all documentation and a good designer knows ahead of time what the builder and trades need to know to successfully complete their jobs.  They speak the same construction language and can provide the detail they require to execute your project to a high standard.  


A designer will be able to build a stronger bridge between you and your architect or builder early on and can identify design gaps in your overall plan. This is crucial in managing time and money.

Are you associated with major industry suppliers to get trade discounts?

Interior Designers have access to trade only resources like furniture suppliers and tradesmen which means your project will be finished sooner and to a higher level of detail.  One of the big advantages of using an Interior Designer is their wide network of resources and contacts that can add value to your project.  


There are many things available to designers in the building and construction industry that are not available to the general public in terms of connections, resources, and general merchandise. By culminating these resources, Interior Designers can help to make your space look more cohesive, unique, and functional.

Can you help me make decisions that will ultimately increase the value of my home?

Ultimately an interior Designer doesn't just add aesthetics, they add value too!  All the beautiful ideas are incredibly smart, practical and make the most out of the space that you have.  Whether its adjusting layouts, aiding a complete renovation or modernising a dated interior. 

 

A Interior Designer can give you a professional assessment of your specific situation, that will lead to a solid plan of action. The order of things in a design plan is key in determining what can be repurposed or should be edited. This will not only affect your budget but help you to spend it more efficiently.  A designer offers an extra set of eyes and these eyes are trained to see and notice things that you may not.

I want a custom designed space, something that no one else has.  I want the ‘WOW’ factor!

Your home not only needs to function in a way that suits the way you and your family live, it needs to have that ‘wow’ factor! 

 

A good Interior Designer can deliver this as we are trained to think differently, spatially and to see the overall picture that our clients often cannot.  Thinking outside of the box is what designers do all day long!

 

Interior Designers provide attention to detail from proper lighting and furniture placement, to fabric choices, colour palette and fixture options.

 

Upon completion, your newly designed spaces will look beautiful, be cohesive and more importantly be personalised to include your treasured items along with any new pieces that have been selected.

Can you help with selecting colours and finishes?

The colour palette is one of the most important design decisions you’ll need to make when building, renovating or decorating your home. From paint colour to fabrics and finishes, colour can have a large effect on how your home looks and feels.

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Interior Designers will always present you with a mood / sample board so you can see how all the elements work together. This is such an important part of the process as it makes it easier to understand how everything will come together in your space if you can see it mocked up beforehand. If you’re cooking a chocolate cake, how much easier is it if there is a picture to accompany the recipe? Interior Design works the same. 

I want some custom made cabinets to suit my home.

While there’s no denying that custom joinery can be expensive, it’s very often an investment worth making, giving you a seamless design that fits your home’s style and dimensions perfectly, and ultimately adding to its value. 

 

Interior Designers are passionate about the possibilities and benefits of custom joinery design. Whether it’s a custom kitchen, in-built bookshelf or study area, custom joinery allows freedom to use an existing space to its advantage and it allows greater freedom in creativity and materiality as well as functionality.

I don't know where to start, can you help?

As an Interior Designer, I can give you a professional assessment of your personal situation that will lead into a solid plan of action.  A Interior Designer offers an extra set of eyes and these eyes are trained to see and notice things that you may not.

We have a set budget, can you work with that?

An Interior Designer knows how to manage the expenditure to suit the budget of each and every client.  An experienced designer knows where to find all the products required for a project and can provide all the necessary details and information for managing the budget.  Interior Designers follow a well-documented process to ensure a project remains on time and on budget providing certainty for our clients.

Are you able to do all the drawings, documentation for our design project?

Good drawings put everyone on the same page!

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Whilst your builder may be well equipped to undertake all of your structural requirements, design drawings convey your distinct sense of style and ensure that desired inclusions are planned ahead and included in your building cost. 

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Part of an Interior Designers job is to document all aspects of the design from floor plans and elevations, right through to furniture and finishes schedules.  No project is too small for documentation as all client briefs are converted into a carefully considered designed response, aticulated through design drawings and schedules.  This is to inform you and your builder of all the critical aspects of your project, leaving nothing to guesswork.

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Good documentation also enables you to obtain accurate building quotes at more competitive prices. This is because all of the necessary information for all the trades involved is contained within detailed drawings. The construction process itself also goes much more smoothly without unnecessary and costly delays caused when tradesmen have to stop to ask or figure out what is intended with your design.

I don't know what my style is, can you help figure this out?

If you're not 100% sure on your personal style, how you want your home or space to look or you only know what you like (or don't like) when you see it, then it definitely sounds like you need an Interior Designer!

 

Interior Designers work closely with you to firstly define your personal style and then communicate effectively with a variety of inspiration channels to decide on the design direction before anything else. Interior Designers are skilled at harnessing what's going on in your head and turning it into a beautiful and cohesive design that you not only love the look of, but feels like you. 

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