When is the right time to get a designer involved?

Lean in for a second. I’m only going to say this part once because it pains me a bit to admit it:

The execution of your buildout is almost more important than the design.

I said “ALMOST”!

The fact is that as much grief as builders and designers give each other, projects that marry a great GC and a great Interior Designer turn out vastly better for the client. Every time.

It’s not a lack of conflict that makes a project work out, though. Sometimes we need to sharpen our skills with the help of our counterpart’s experience. Mutual respect between builder and designer is the #1 indicator of a successful job.

My favorite projects (and my clients’ favorite projects) are the ones where the builder and I work together to resolve pain points on a set of plans or features.  Let me give you an example:

On a new construction project, the clients came into the project with a set of plans that were left open to interpretation in several areas. One such area was the design of the staircase. {Sample insert to give them more of the setting/problem] Because I was familiar with the client’s desired style, and I knew it would be important to them for the stairs to lead to the common area without having that akward “down the stairs and out the door” layout, I knew just what to do (and I even kept it in budget.) Using a unique material from one of my favorite vendors, we built a beautiful banister that complimented the space and added a timeless beauty that they still love to this day. I knew that we could do something “out of the box” unique because I knew what my builder was capable of, and he did a beautiful job on the execution.

Another opportunity presented itself when I identified several awkward points on the design of the building exterior including the floors not meeting up between levels on the drawings and an area of the roofline terminating into a feature window.

Because building was already underway, we were unable to rewind and  eliminate the issue, but since the builder and I worked together so well, we were able to to add grace and finesse.

One more item from this same project: I noticed that the second floor drawings called for columns along the second floor open gallery. I knew that if we stepped the floor line back from the face of the columns and created arches between the columns, we could create a stunning dimensional architectural feature that you don’t usually see in homes, making the space truly one-of-a-kind.

So here’s the answer to your question”When is the right time to get a designer involved?“: It is never too soon to get a designer involved. Particularly where construction is involved. I would go so far to recommend even having that professional help you evaluate anew property, Architect or Builder.

After all this is what we Interior Designers do everyday.

I understand why some people drag their feet on hiring a designer:

• They’ve never worked with a Designer and just don’t know what to expect,

• They don’t know how much design services cost, and

• HGTV makes it look like the ID job is fun (it is!) and easy (it is not. SO MANY DETAILS - you literally have no idea until you do, and by then you’re thinking “why didn’t I hire someone to do this? This is like a full time job!”)

Waiting to hire a designer can be heartbreaking, because many times when the deicion is delayed, the designer is being asked to fix a major mistake that is blowing up an entire budget that could have been easily avoided by understanding the role of the ID in the first place.

What people miss out on when they delay hiring a designer is making the  seamless and efficient structural elements that make-or-break how much they love their new interiors, or a nightmarish Frankensteining of “must haves” with “I’m sorry, that beam HAS to be there to hold up the second floor”.

Here’s the reality: We - the experienced Interior Designers - have heard the complaints about certain builders. We know who is easy to work with and who puts their clients’ vision first.

We know who does pristine work, in what style, and who does it well. We also know who chronically runs over budget and what red flags to avoid.

Whether you are new construction, renovation, or just refreshing a room. A beautiful design means nothing if it is not well executed. Anyway you slice it, it is a large investment that is meant to support you for years to come, not only for the time that you occupy the space, but also at resale.

In my next post I’m going to give you an inside look at the process I go through to prepare for each new project, and how I make sure that the builder/architect/GC will be a good fit for my client before anything is signed on the dotted line.

See you then!