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Successful interior design can either take years, or a single right touch to turn a dusty and dull space into a comfortable and stylish cradle.
It all depends on whether we know how to do it, or, in the most complicated cases, on whether we know exactly what we want.
Obviously, the best way to go is to hire an experienced designer and explain him what we want, but many people deny doing it because of the numerous interior design misconceptions spreading around for years.
At the end of the day, what makes you think that what happened to someone else is going to happen to you too?
For the purpose, we gathered and debunked some of the most common myths and misconceptions of interior designers:
Myth: Hiring one breaks the bank
Image source: Michael Molthan Luxury Homes Interior Design Group
How can you know that before you’ve asked? Your DIY project may end up costing the double of what you’ve spend by hiring a designer, so compare expanses in advance.
Designers will either way ask you about the budget you can afford, and they will provide options that don’t go beyond what you can spend.
Besides, you can always follow their work and change the things you don’t like, which is far less risky than doing last-minute changes on your own.
Interior designers were trained to predict what you need, but that doesn’t mean that you don’t get to share your ideas and to be included in the process.
The genuine value of good designers is that they design a solution before you’ve even told them what you like, and they know how to squeeze even the most whimsy ideas within modest budgets.
Myth: Designers switch few fabrics, and their work is done
Image source: Philip Nimmo Design
Due the fact that you’re not in the interior design industry, you can’t really estimate the challenge of making a room beautiful, safe, and functional at the same time.
What appears to be playing with paints and fabrics is in fact determining of your space’s requirements, adjusting to architectural blueprints, respecting building codes, standards, and regulations.
As you can see, interior design is nowhere close to being easy.
Your role is to choose a knowledgeable and accredited designer and to believe that what he had studied goes way beyond choosing colors form the color wheel.
Myth: It has to be a woman
Image source: Philip Nimmo Design
The mere fact that women dominate the fashion design world doesn’t make them the leaders of the interior design one too. They might be considered to be more creative and patient, but statistics still reveal that it is more often men who’re securing livelihood as interior designers.
Myth: You pay them to do things you could do yourself
Image source: Michael Molthan Luxury Homes Interior Design Group
That’s the biggest misconception of all. It’s true, many people are gifted with a good eye for color and form, and they can design their living space amazingly without anybody’s help.
Still, even if you’re one of them, there are a lot of valuable proponents which your designer can give you.
To start with, designers attend fairs and showrooms you have no access to. At the same time, they follow trends you have no time for, and they have access to professional help in case they get stuck with ideas.
Their degrees guarantee they know a lot about interior design, and they have the practice you lack even if you’ve designed amazing projects in the past.
Myth: They will get rid of your old belongings
Image source: Michael Molthan Luxury Homes Interior Design Group
Just because you give them unlimited access to your place for few days doesn’t mean that they’re going to misuse your trust.
In fact, they will be challenged to mix your old belongings with their new additions, and will either way consult you when it comes to throwing stuff away.
Customer communication is one of the essential skills they adopt while studying, so they’re trained to respect your opinion even when it doesn’t coincide with their own preferences.
Therefore, instead of imposing limits you don’t care about; try to believe in what they’re doing, and to integrate your own ideas with theirs.
Myth: Your home is small, and is therefore not suitable for professional design solutions
Image source: CDA DESIGN
How exactly does ‘small’ prevent ‘professional’? The most important service designers have to offer is to transform even the worst places into cozy havens, and to make the most of your limited budget.
Be brave, and leave your place in their hands – you will be amazed by what they can do with it!
Myth: They won’t consider your taste
Image source: Charles Cunniffe Architects Aspen
A home is supposed to reflect the personality of his owners, and designers know this very well. None of them will try to impose you pitch-perfect, false environments where you don’t feel comfortable to perform your daily activities.
Once again – designers won’t even mix what they want with what you want, and will learn your list of requirements before they start. In fact, they all need a clear image of the final result which they will ask you to approve in advance.
Myth: They are omniscient
Image source: Michael Molthan Luxury Homes Interior Design Group
The fact that designers know much more than average laypeople doesn’t mean they know everything, so expect them to ask a lot of questions.
They will make use of their knowledge to the extent you ask them to, but will fill the information gaps with your own ideas of what has or needs to be done.
Of course, every designer wants to be told ‘do anything you want’, but they know that such scenarios are never successful. After all, we’re all people and we have different perception of what is beautiful.
Myth: They are stubborn and inflexible
Image source: Sneller Custom Homes and Remodeling, LLC
Had they been like this, they would be out of the scene for a while already. You may think they are because that’s what design realities make you think, but no designer is that insistent when making his living money out of your project.
Myth: They live in the perfect home
Image source: Renocon Design
Yes, that’s what we all think about them. The funny thing is that designers are usually so busy designing other people’s places that they neglect the ones where they live.
Obviously, they have everything it takes to make their home dream-perfect (and many of them have!), but that’s not always the case.
The same as every busy person, they steal few hours from their schedule here and there to work on their own place. As you can guess, that’s not even close to enough.
Myth: Designers don’t care about functionality
Image source: Michael Molthan Luxury Homes Interior Design Group
Designers are not simple artists who care about appearances more than anything else. They are familiar with codes, laws, requirements, and complex room making techniques, which makes them the right people to optimize your space and to make it more functional.
Myth: You won’t have enough money to respond to their plan
Image source: LMK INTERIOR DESIGN
Once again, designers build conceptualized planes aimed to accomplish your goals without surpassing your financial restrictions.
In case they suggest something more expensive than what you can afford, you can always explain them the situation and ask for something more basic.
Besides, plans are not permanent, and you can change almost everything along the way, even before you’ve reached the final destination.