Why Do I Need an Interior Designer?

It seems like there is a lot of mystery surrounding interior designers. People are either confused as to what an interior designer actually does or why they need one in the first place. So to answer the question of why you need an interior designer, let’s look at several statements. Consider how you might identify with one or more of these.:

  1. My home just doesn’t feel quite complete and I can’t pinpoint why.
  2. My home doesn’t match my style…wait actually, what is my style?
  3. My home isn’t practical or functional for my life anymore (was it ever?).
  4. I am too busy to figure out how to feel at home in my home.
  5. I can’t figure out how to mesh my style with my husband’s.
  6. I’m terrible with picking out paint colors.
  7. I get so overwhelmed with all of the options for buying things for my home.
  8. Shelf styling? What’s that?
  9. I just want to live in a place that feels like me and I’m bored of all the options I see.
  10. I’m building a new home.

If you find yourself identifying with one or more of these statements, you could benefit from an interior designer. Here’s how a designer can save the day (or your life…not to be dramatic or anything):

“My home just doesn’t feel quite complete and I can’t pinpoint why.”

An interior designer is an artist, and your home is his or her canvas. The designer is trained in composition, balance, spacial awareness, color theory, and all of the other principles of fine art and design that allow an artist to re-work something they see into a complete and finished masterpiece. But that’s not even the cool part. An interior designer is also a people-person, meaning they get to know you, and are able to create their masterpiece (your home) based on what they’ve learned of you. This is the part that makes a room feel complete and right….to YOU.

“My home doesn’t match my style…wait actually, what is my style?”

Remember what I said above about interior designers being artists? Every artist has a style, and they know how to identify others’ styles. A designer can help you identify the right mix of styles that you like most, and then they create really cool rooms within that style that you end up loving.

“My home isn’t practical or functional for my life anymore (was it ever?).”

Your home should function well for your lifestyle and should be a tool in helping you live the life you want. If you have kids now and your home isn’t designed in a way that makes sense anymore, a designer can help re-work rooms to make them great for kids while keeping with your personal style. If you really want to entertain guests, but your home lacks a good space to gather, an interior designer can help with space planning to make your entertaining dreams a reality. If you’ve tripped over one too many pairs of shoes in your laundry room/mudroom/entryway, maybe it’s time to hire an interior designer to help you figure that conundrum out (your stubbed toes will thank you).

“I am too busy to figure out how to feel at home in my home.”

I really feel ya on this one. We are all are too busy in the world today (but that’s another article in itself)! However, if you’re reading this, I’m guessing you are beginning to realize the impact design has on your mood and your life and you’re like yeah, I’m busy, but this is important. Interior designers are experts at creating a certain mood or feel through their designs, and just by the nature of the job, they have to be hyper-organized. You hire them to be the artist and the project manager, so you get the end product of a home that feels right, without the headaches of everything that goes into making that happen.

“I can’t figure out how to mesh my style with my husband’s.”

This is a common problem, but yes, there’s an answer….hire a designer! With such a wide range of knowledge pertaining to the elements of each type of style, a good designer will be able to draw on similar elements across styles and bring them together in a way that looks cohesive. We love doing that. It’s where our creativity shines.

“I’m terrible with picking out paint colors.”

Another common one, but easy fix. Some people can see way more colors than the average person, and there are a lot of interior designers who seem to have that gift, so don’t feel bad if you don’t have it. They can help you pick out paint colors for your room based on what you like, how you want to feel, the type of light in the room, and the furniture and decor in the room. They can also help you choose colors that flow well from room to room to room. This is particularly important with open concept homes.

“I get so overwhelmed with all of the options for buying things for my home.”

Interior designers have a giant catalog of items in their head and they are particularly skilled at knowing which items from their vast library will work for your room. Sounds a little like magic, right? But no, it’s just experience, ongoing research, and years of building relationships with tons of vendors. It can be exhausting trying to shop for and procure all the items for your home, let alone making sure those items are the right style, size, material and quality for your home. An interior designer can do all of that. Totally worth it.

“Shelf styling? What’s that?”

People underestimate the power of styling (kind of like decorating), but styling is the final piece of the puzzle…the part that makes a home feel like home. An un-styled room can feel a bit incomplete and impersonal, and a poorly styled room can be just downright visually chaotic. Simply put, styling is about thoughtfully incorporating decor and meaningful accessories into your room to add warmth, personality and visual interest. It’s the last thing people think about doing, but the first thing people notice when it’s done well, so it’s very powerful.

“I just want to live in a place that feels like me and I’m bored of all the options I see.”

This one is a bit like the shopping one, except people who fall into this category have exhausted all of their options when it comes to buying items at retail, and they want to take the items in their home to the next level. Maybe they want to find a unique accent chair and they aren’t finding anything that speaks to them at retail, or they want a really amazing piece of art to hang above their mantle and they want a designer’s help and resources to find that special item. Designers are privy to a wide selection of products that are only available to the trade, including options to customize pieces that are available in more limited capacities via retail. Hiring an interior designer opens up a whole world of options to you, and they are able to navigate it for you.

“I’m building a home.”

If you are building a home, whether through a large building company or a small builder, you need an interior designer. An interior designer works with the architect and the builder to specify all of the interior components of the home, as well as furnishings and decor. If you don’t hire an interior designer for this, all of this work falls on you, often resulting in tons of stress, wasted money, and a home that still doesn’t feel like you. So for this one, the bottom line is, interior design is hard – hire someone so you don’t have to do it. You will get a better end result and you will avoid costly mistakes and an immense amount of stress.

Wondering when to hire an interior designer for your new build? The time is now. Read our post on why sooner is better when hiring your designer for your new home build.