subject: How To Hire A Great Interior Designer And Avoid The Duds! [print this page] Interior Design is a growing field and is churning out more and more professionals in the industry. One thing to remember is that a design student who graduated with a C receives the same diploma as the student who graduated with an A. So how are you supposed to know that you are picking the "A Student" expert and not the "C Student" Dud?
Step 1: ResearchLook For Referrals: Your first step is to ask friends, family and coworkers if they personally know any interior designers. You can receive honest and, hopefully, an unbiased description of any interior experts they know. What would be even better is if you know someone that has personally hired a designer, allowing you to use their home as a point of reference for their style and expertise. If your peers are lacking in the referral department, the next step would be to research interior designers online and see if there are any available reviews about their work. Referrals will assist you in making a primary list of interior designers to research further.
Look for an available portfolio: If you have a list of interior designers or have found interior designers online, the next step is to see if they have an available portfolio displaying their work. By seeing their portfolio, you will obtain an idea if their scope of work encompasses the project you would like them to assume. NOTE: Not all work is displayed on online portfolios. If their work is good, they may be worth including in the "Step 2" portion of "How To Hire a Great Interior Designer and Avoid the Duds".
Step 2: Interview - Interview them over the phone: When you have a narrowed list of interior designers, pick up the phone and get to know who this person is. Ask about their education, prior general experience, prior experience with projects similar to yours, their availability, and anything else you feel may be necessary for your project to be a success. This will allow you to see if they are a good fit for your project. Being able to talk to them will also allow you to see if you get along. Compatibility in project ideas and personalities is important, as this is the person you will be working with to complete your vision. In essence, you are partners through this project. You want to find someone that will take what you have, enhance and improve where possible, and accept your decision when necessary.
Ask for a portfolio: Interviewing them over the phone will allow you to request a more extensive project portfolio and request any additional information that was not made available during your research phase. This would be the time to ask if the interior designer has any current or finished projects that you can see in person.
Meet face-to-face: You may still be on the fence between 2 interior designers. The next step would be to invite them over and have them physically walk through the space they will be working on. Through this walk through, they can provide you with their ideas and designs for your project. This will allow you a chance to ask questions, tweak and obtain ideas, and gain an overall feel for the interior designer.
Step 3: Go With Your Gut - You've done your research. You've received referrals and seen their portfolios. You've talked to each interior designer at least twice. Now it is time to choose which one is most appropriate for your project. Based on what is most important to you, be it quick turn around, friendly personality, number of available contractors, go with your gut feeling.
