By Joyce Clegg, Allied ASID – Daydream Designs LLC
Now that you’ve made the decision to hire a designer, how do you find the RIGHT designer? And by “right” designer, I mean the person who can best channel your ideas, someone with whom you communicate well, someone who’s company you enjoy. Because the fact is, there’s a finite number of ways to find a professionally qualified designer. But YOUR designer is the one that works with you well.
First, finding a qualified designer. The first place to look is the American Society of Interior Designer website, or www.asid.org. The women and men on this list are here because they have met certain criteria for calling themselves “designer”. Education, years of experience, etc. This helps insure they’ve got the expertise and resources to accomplish the task. And, there can be no complaints filed against these designers, either within this organization, or through the legal system. That’s a pretty good weaning process right there. It will certainly get you on the right track to finding a “qualified” designer.
The list can be broken down by location, so you can find someone close to you, or close to the home you want them to work on, if the two are not the same.
Now, to find the “right” designer. The right designer will be someone who responds to your inquiry within 24 hours, because that means she will be prompt and respectful of your time. And when they do respond, they will answer the questions you have asked, and not just talk about themselves. They are friendly and knowledgeable. They don’t make you feel rushed to decide or make you feel pushed in any way. This is YOUR home; you should feel like she is willing to work for you, not the other way around.
But the most important element the right designer possesses is the ability to listen. Listen to your ideas, listen to the way you describe your home, your furnishings, your family, your lifestyle. They don’t just talk about themselves and their past projects, they talk about you and your home. After all, that’s the reason you called, right?
You should expect the designer to delineate for you what she CAN and CANNOT do. For instance in a remodel, can she do the drawings for the contractor? Or do you need to hire an architect? That often depends on the scope of the work, but a good designer will tell you, she won’t claim to be able to do what she can’t.
When you hang up from that first conversation with her, did she put you at ease? Did you feel heard and that she answered your questions and addressed your concerns? Do you feel the two of you made a connection and were on the same wavelength? Did you feel good about her? If the answer is yes to these, and you felt good about it, then you have found what you seek!
Joyce Klegg
Allied ASID
Daydream Designs llc
www.daydreamllc.com
303-589-8936 (cell)
303-379-9858 (fax)
CAPS, NKBA Member
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One Comment
Thanks for tips. I would expect that I should loosen up my budget on this because I think hiring a very good designer would really cost you a bit. But in this case, I have no second thoughts of hiring one.