Happy New Year, Y’all!!! Can you believe it’s finally 2021?! I hope you enjoyed this Christmas season and were able to take time to reflect on what you’re thankful for, no matter how different this season may have looked for you and your family. Praying for a better and brighter year ahead for us all!
To kick off 2021, I wanted to share some insight on a question I’ve heard a few times: “So, what does an Interior Designer really do?” I thought it would be helpful to outline exactly what goes into an Interior Designer’s role to create a successful result for clients. So, grab your glass of Welch’s Sparkling, and let’s dive in!
The Role of an Interior Designer and Why It’s Important
I’ve heard a number of people mention that they assume an Interior Designer’s role focuses on decorating. And, yes, it’s true that Designers expertly put the pieces together when it comes to selecting fabrics, finishes, and accessories. But, there are actually a ton of other components that we handle outside of decorating! And, ya’ll, when I say a ton, I mean a TON! When it comes to remodeling and renovating a home, the Interior Designer wears many, many hats, and they are all SO important for a client’s project!
So, what are the top 6 things that you might not realize an Interior Designer does day-to-day?
1. Create Construction Documents and Ensure Compliance with Building Codes
This is one thing that many people don’t realize an Interior Designer handles, and it’s not a stretch to say that Interior Architecture is a major component of Interior Design! One part of my job is to prepare the construction documents by drawing the floor plans, dimensioned plans, electrical plans, lighting plans, elevations, and building sections. Once I complete these conceptual drawings, they are typically reviewed by an Architect, but these pieces are ready to be shared with Contractors for conceptual use. These serve as a Designer’s instruction for the building crew that details exactly how the interior should be executed and should appear. Also included with an Interior Designer’s drawings are the ADA and building codes.
2. Help Plan Your Budget Effectively and Manage It
Planning the budget for your home project can be challenging and tedious, but it’s one of the most important aspects of any design process or renovation. It’s a part of an Interior Designer’s role to talk with you about your goals and to help you create a budget that ensures what’s most important to you is accomplished. An Interior Designer also has key insight on the pricing for various products and materials across the board and will inform you of which items may be worth investing in or waiting for. It’s a part of my role to help you decide which purchases make sense for your project your budget.
3. Ensure Your Design is Functional and Efficient
One of the aspects of my role that I’m most passionate about is creating a vision where style meets function and purpose! Your space should be one that is enjoyed for years to come, and a big part of ensuring that it can be enjoyed is designing with function in mind. This is where an Interior Designer differs from a Decorator. It’s more than styling a beautiful space - it’s executing a design where simplicity, efficiency, and beauty all come together to fit your needs and style. It’s also ensuring that the way the room is navigated feels completely natural, livable, and sensible for the long term.
4. Serve as the Client’s Project Coordinator
A project coordinator is vital in almost every business, and that’s definitely the case when designing or renovating a space. There are many moving pieces and various vendors whose timelines all need to be tracked and maintained to ensure the project remains on schedule and successful. An Interior Designer wears the hat of the project coordinator in this case, making sure every piece of the project runs smoothly for you. Take a kitchen renovation, for example. The Interior Designer tracks the sink, backsplash, tile, Some of the items an Interior Designer tackles are: on-site check-ins, ordering products, tracking products, communicating between all vendors and people involved in the process, and receiving product shipments. There is truly never a dull moment between these parts of the project, and having an Interior Designer handle all of the many details makes the process so much easier to stay on schedule and remain stress-free for you!
5. Support the Client
On top of everything else, the Interior Designer is an ADVOCATE for the client. With so many moving parts and people, there’s bound to be something that comes up at some point with your project, and my job is to look out for YOU! Whether it’s something simple like a contractor having a question about the pattern of the tile during installation or something larger, the Interior Designer will be there to handle it so you don’t have to think about it. If a vendor informs us that a product is running late, we will quickly create a game plan to work around this while keeping the project on schedule. As the project coordinator, the Interior Designer can usually spot a problem before it ever arises, so they’re tackling it before anyone else may know it’s on the radar! Knowing you have this type of support on your side through an Interior Designer is a tremendous relief.
6. Professionally Handle the Final Reveal
Now, this item isn’t the case 100% of the time, but I couldn’t leave it off the list since it’s something I personally LOVE handling! Like I’ve mentioned, there are differences between Interior Designers and Decorators, which is great, since they both have their specialties. Some Interior Designers tackle certain parts of both, though! Decorators typically focus on furnishings, while Designers specialize in areas physically connected to the home itself. However, it’s so exciting for me to cross over into both territories and ensure that your space comes together foundationally and with finishing touches! Seeing your vision come to life from start to finish is so rewarding for me, and making your life easier is the best part!
Well, that’s the behind-the-scenes on all that goes into an Interior Designer’s role! I’d love to hear from you - were there any items you didn’t realize an Interior Designer handles? It’s a job that truly never stops but also one that I couldn’t be more thankful for! So, thank you for reading along, and I wish you a very Happy New Year until next time!
Sending Love from GA,
Sarah