HOW TO KNOW IF AN INTERIOR DESIGNER IS RIGHT FOR YOU

October 4, 2022

Finding the right interior designer is a lot like picking out your first hot date on Match.com. Once you’ve established “your type”—i.e. your sense of style and budget—you’ll look through your matches to narrow down “the one,” or the designer who understands your needs, communication style, and dream space.

To find those lucky contenders, ask your community or do a Google search about interior designers in your area, picking out a few matches whose “profiles,” or design portfolios, speak to you. Now that you have a few eligible contenders, these are the three main questions to ask yourself when choosing that perfect person.

What’s the scope of your design?

What do you need from your partner? Are you looking for someone to repaint your master bedroom and pick out beautiful furniture and drapery? Or do you need a team of experts to make structural changes to your space, remodeling your kitchen or knocking out walls to connect your living and dining rooms?

If your needs sound more like question number one, you may just be looking for interior decorating services. But if your space needs structural updates, then you’re looking for full-service interior design—that’s us. Inspired Interiors is a design-build-furnish firm specializing in gut rehab, which means we know how to roll up our sleeves and rebuild your space into a fun-meets-functional paradise where you can work, live, and love.

What level of expertise do you need?

Who’s your ideal partner? You already know you want a talented interior designer, but how qualified would you like them to be? Plenty of newer players in the business charge similar rates as designers who have been licensed for decades, so you may prefer to put your money toward someone with the qualifications to back up their work.

The award-winning Inspired Interiors design team is NCIDQ certified—think of that as a lawyer’s bar exam, but for interior designers—and recognized by the American Society of Interior Designers. That means we’ve been educated on how to make a space truly livable, from designing around your plumbing and electrical systems to devising an aging-in-home plan. Big news for us: The state of Illinois just passed legislation allowing interior designers to stamp their own design plans without architects' approval. This further sets us apart as design professionals who understand how to not only make spaces look drop-dead incredible, but also how to ensure their functionality and safety.

What role do you want to play in the design process?

What’s your communication style in this relationship? Do you want to be involved in every decision about your design project? Do you already know how you want your space to look and what brand-name furnishings you want to order? If so, you may be looking for an interior decorator or designer with an hourly rate, a sort of liaison to offer their two cents, then let you take the reins.

On the other hand, if you’re sick of cookie-cutter interiors and want to hire someone who understands your vision—but handles every step of the design process so you can do your real job—Inspired Interiors is the match for you. After getting to know you and collaborating on an action plan, our team will take charge of your orders, manage the construction, and design your space so you wake up to an environment that feels uniquely you. If that sounds too hands-off, it isn’t: We’re known for our fluid design style that’s tailored to each client. We’ll make a connection with you and take care of everything—just hand over the keys.

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