How | Pfeiffer Interiors

How to Hire an Interior Designer

What Is My Role In the Design Process? Before contacting an interior designer, take some time to think about what you want and what you need. The first step in this process is to consider some questions that an interior designer will ask regarding your project:

For whom is the space being designed?
What activities will take place there?
How long do you plan to occupy the space?
What is your time frame?
What is your budget?
Are you relocating or remodeling?
What image do you want to project?
What is the approximate square footage to be designed (for commercial projects)?

Also, be sure to consider the positive and negative aspects of the space.

If you’re feeling overwhelmed, don’t worry. Your interior designer will lead you through the design process. Keep in mind the more information you provide, the more successful your designer will be in meeting your needs and expectations. You may want to reference other visual images (photos, postcards, corporate logos, magazine photographs) or environments that reflect your aesthetic and functional criteria.

The second step is to interview designers, becoming familiar with their differences in personality, style and business methods. Take this opportunity to acquaint the designer with your project ideas. Keep in mind you will be working closely with the designer and you will want someone that you feel will make the right choices according to your specifications and will listen to your ideas and concerns. Ask to see the designer’s portfolio and request a list of relevant experience and client references. During an interview, you may want to:

Inquire about the designer’s education, training, experience, professional affiliations and other credentials.
Ask about other services the designer can provide and what can be done to help you optimize your understanding of the cost of the project.
Discuss project duration or deadlines and what the designer’s availability is for taking on the project within the desired timetable.
Establish parameters for updates and on-going communication between you and the interior designer.
Discuss the designer’s fee structure.

Overall, look for educated and accredited interior designers who can demonstrate their creativity and talent.

The third step is to hire the designer. Once you’ve interviewed several designers, take time to compare their estimates. Don’t base your decision on price alone. Keep in mind that differences in each proposal reflect variables such as level of service and quality of merchandise. After the designer is hired, you need to address specific project needs and goals. You will share ideas and the designer will lend insights and observations to your ideas to identify the overall scope of the project. During this process, your design professional will:

communicate concepts and help you understand the design process
articulate your ideas, and prioritize your ideas
help you to visualize the finished product.

The more input you provide, the easier it becomes for an interior designer to respond with additional ideas and to create spaces that will meet your aesthetic, functional and budgetary goals.

Are Contracts Important? Contracts are very important because they allow both you and the designer to define the scope of your project. A contract allows you to specify who will be responsible for what, how long the project will last and what the budget limits will be. It is in your best interest to have a signed contract before any work begins or any money is exchanged.

How Much Is This Going to Cost? It depends on what you want. There are many variables including the size of the project (one room or whole house?), quality of products selected (custom or prefabricated cabinets?), and the timeframe in which the project needs to be completed (two weeks or two months?). Developing the budget is a partnership between the client and the designer. As the client, you should have an active role in developing the budget. If you’re unsure about costs, your designer can help. Be honest with your designer about your budget. A professional designer assesses your needs and helps you determine where to spend and where to save, prioritizing expenses while creating an interior that is within your budget. Also, remember that not everything has to be completed at once. Your designer can develop a long-range plan, consult with you to establish a list of priorities and determine a time line for accomplishing your project.

What Does an Interior Designer Do?

An interior designer is professionally trained to create a functional and quality interior environment. Qualified through education, experience and examination, a professional designer can identify, research and creatively resolve issues and lead to a healthy, safe and comfortable physical environment.

Interior designers provide various services including:

consulting services to help determine project goals and objectives
generating ideas for the functional and aesthetic possibilities of the space
creating illustrations and renderings
developing documents and specifications relative to interior spaces in compliance with allocating, organizing and arranging a space to suit its function
monitoring and managing construction and installation of design
selecting and specifying fixtures, furnishings, products, materials and colors
purchasing products and fixtures
designing and managing fabrication of custom furnishings and interior details
designing lighting and specifying

Frequently Asked Questions About Interior Design and Designers

What is the difference between an interior designer and an interior decorator?

Interior designers are professionally trained in space planning. In 18 states, they must pass a strict exam and be licensed. While both designers and decorators are concerned with aesthetics, style and mood, interior designers have comprehensive training and command skills that may include an understanding of:

flame spread ratings, smoke, toxicity and fire rating classifications and materials
space planning for public and private facilities
national, state and local building codes
standards regarding the needs of disabled or elderly persons and other special needs groups
ergonomics
lighting quality and quantity
acoustics and sound transmission

A decorator works only with surface decoration – paint, fabric, furnishings, lighting and other materials. Because no license is required, upholsterers, housepainters, and other tradespeople also claim the name “decorator.”

Do interior designers do more than make spaces attractive?

In addition to the aesthetics of a space, an interior designer creates a space that is functional, efficient and safe and enhances the quality of the working and living environment.

Are architects and engineers ultimately responsible for most of the jobs that interior designers perform?

No. Increasingly, buildings are designed not as completed objects, but as “shells” into which tenants and others create their own design. Think of the numerous examples of completed exteriors with incomplete interiors such as shopping malls, restaurants, office buildings, hotels and apartment complexes. Interior designers focus on and specialize in the planning of the interior elements of a building’s design.