8 Things Interior Designers Want You to Know
Get the scoop on certifications, project scope, working from afar and more
Laura Gaskill
December 6, 2020
Houzz Contributor. I cover decorating ideas, Houzz tours & the monthly home maintenance checklist. My favorite pieces to write center around the emotional aspects of home and savoring life's simple pleasures. Decluttering course + discount for Houzzers: https://www.lauragaskill.com/welcome-houzzers
Houzz Contributor. I cover decorating ideas, Houzz tours & the monthly home maintenance... More
Have you been dreaming of hiring an interior designer? Wondering if hiring a designer is right for you, or just want to know more about what the process is really like? We asked interior designers, Kate O’Hara of Martha O’Hara Interiors and Andrea Schumacher of Andrea Schumacher Interiors, to share their insights.
What Do Interior Designers Do?
The popular image of an interior designer toting around fabric swatches and paint samples covers only a small part of what these pros do. Interior designers can help you choose fabrics, furnishings and paint colors. And in many U.S. states, interior designers have design degrees and are also certified to offer additional expertise in building codes, construction standards, project coordination and more.
Here’s more they’d like you to know about what they do.
What Do Interior Designers Do?
The popular image of an interior designer toting around fabric swatches and paint samples covers only a small part of what these pros do. Interior designers can help you choose fabrics, furnishings and paint colors. And in many U.S. states, interior designers have design degrees and are also certified to offer additional expertise in building codes, construction standards, project coordination and more.
Here’s more they’d like you to know about what they do.
1. We May be Able to Work With You Even if You Are in a Different City
“A lot of Houzzers email us to say that they wished we were located in their city or state. What they don’t realize is that we work across the United States,” O’Hara says. Sure, we’re headquartered in Minneapolis, but we have an office in Austin, Texas, and we’ve worked on homes in almost every state. The process for working with people out of state is surprisingly similar to how we work with our local clients.”
So if you spy a designer whose work you love here on Houzz and see that he or she is based in a city far from where you live, don’t immediately assume you can’t work together. Some firms have offices in other locations, some designers are willing to travel to work on a project, and some are willing to work entirely long distance. If you are dying to work with a particular designer, it’s always worth inquiring.
Find interior designers in your area and browse their portfolios
“A lot of Houzzers email us to say that they wished we were located in their city or state. What they don’t realize is that we work across the United States,” O’Hara says. Sure, we’re headquartered in Minneapolis, but we have an office in Austin, Texas, and we’ve worked on homes in almost every state. The process for working with people out of state is surprisingly similar to how we work with our local clients.”
So if you spy a designer whose work you love here on Houzz and see that he or she is based in a city far from where you live, don’t immediately assume you can’t work together. Some firms have offices in other locations, some designers are willing to travel to work on a project, and some are willing to work entirely long distance. If you are dying to work with a particular designer, it’s always worth inquiring.
Find interior designers in your area and browse their portfolios
2. We Go Through a Rigorous Education and Training Process, Just Like Other Pros
Certifications are one way to check that an interior designer is qualified to take on your project, Schumacher says. “Another way to qualify an interior designer is to look at their education and make sure it matches up with what they do for a living,” she adds. Take into account both a design-related education and professional certification to get the fullest picture of your interior designer’s qualifications. Schumacher, for example, has a bachelor’s degree in interior design from Colorado State University, studied universal design at the Graduate School of Design at Harvard University and is an allied member of the American Society of Interior Designers.
Certifications are one way to check that an interior designer is qualified to take on your project, Schumacher says. “Another way to qualify an interior designer is to look at their education and make sure it matches up with what they do for a living,” she adds. Take into account both a design-related education and professional certification to get the fullest picture of your interior designer’s qualifications. Schumacher, for example, has a bachelor’s degree in interior design from Colorado State University, studied universal design at the Graduate School of Design at Harvard University and is an allied member of the American Society of Interior Designers.
3. We Can Use the Latest Technology to Help You Envision a New Space
“A designer should know AutoCad and other tools for space planning, codes and so on,” Schumacher says. These tools and specialized knowledge allow interior designers to look at your space in a way you might not have imagined. They can work up a digital rendering that is incredibly realistic, allowing you to visualize changes before committing.
“A designer should know AutoCad and other tools for space planning, codes and so on,” Schumacher says. These tools and specialized knowledge allow interior designers to look at your space in a way you might not have imagined. They can work up a digital rendering that is incredibly realistic, allowing you to visualize changes before committing.
4. We Can Pull Together an Entire Home — or a Single Room
“Our job is to work with your budget! While it’s true we do work on large whole-home builds, we also work on smaller projects and budgets,” O’Hara says. “Homeowners shouldn’t be scared to reach out to an interior designer just because they aren’t building a new home or refurnishing their entire home.”
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“Our job is to work with your budget! While it’s true we do work on large whole-home builds, we also work on smaller projects and budgets,” O’Hara says. “Homeowners shouldn’t be scared to reach out to an interior designer just because they aren’t building a new home or refurnishing their entire home.”
Shop for counter stools on Houzz
5. We Can Help Your Project Conform to Safety Standards and Building Codes
Certified interior designers are required to know current building codes and other laws that may affect design in the state where they practice, so they can ensure the safety of your project.
How to Work With an Interior Designer
Certified interior designers are required to know current building codes and other laws that may affect design in the state where they practice, so they can ensure the safety of your project.
How to Work With an Interior Designer
6. We Can’t Always Share Product Sources and Pricing Publicly
Wondering why your questions about product names and prices featured in a designer’s photo are not always answered? “We try to be as open as possible about our process, our design and our advice,” says O’Hara. But “as much as we would love to give people information about all of the furnishings in our photos, there are a few reasons why we don’t list the information publicly.”
First, she says, “a lot of our vendors won’t allow us to list any pricing online. Second, a lot of the products change over time — becoming discontinued or altered, changing prices, etc. — and it would be incredibly time consuming to update all 450-plus photos anytime something changes. Finally, we have to respect the privacy of our clients, who usually don’t want us announcing how much they spent on their furniture.”
Wondering why your questions about product names and prices featured in a designer’s photo are not always answered? “We try to be as open as possible about our process, our design and our advice,” says O’Hara. But “as much as we would love to give people information about all of the furnishings in our photos, there are a few reasons why we don’t list the information publicly.”
First, she says, “a lot of our vendors won’t allow us to list any pricing online. Second, a lot of the products change over time — becoming discontinued or altered, changing prices, etc. — and it would be incredibly time consuming to update all 450-plus photos anytime something changes. Finally, we have to respect the privacy of our clients, who usually don’t want us announcing how much they spent on their furniture.”
7. We Want to Work With Your Vision — and Expand it
Don’t expect a cookie-cutter approach from professional interior designers. They are there to listen to you, assess your needs and then create an original design that fits your space perfectly. “We love it when people come to us looking for something different,” O’Hara says. “Our designers work across the range of styles, and it’s always a treat to try something new. We don’t go into our work with preconceptions or a design agenda. Instead, our goal is to help our clients achieve their vision and to take that vision to its full potential.”
Don’t expect a cookie-cutter approach from professional interior designers. They are there to listen to you, assess your needs and then create an original design that fits your space perfectly. “We love it when people come to us looking for something different,” O’Hara says. “Our designers work across the range of styles, and it’s always a treat to try something new. We don’t go into our work with preconceptions or a design agenda. Instead, our goal is to help our clients achieve their vision and to take that vision to its full potential.”
8. We Can See Your Project Through From Start to Finish.
A qualified interior designer can oversee a team of workers, make decisions about moving interior walls, plan a kitchen or bathroom remodel, make a home wheelchair accessible and more.
“And,” Schumacher says, “an interior designer has the skills to help with furniture and fabrics — the ‘jewelry’ of the home.”
A qualified interior designer can oversee a team of workers, make decisions about moving interior walls, plan a kitchen or bathroom remodel, make a home wheelchair accessible and more.
“And,” Schumacher says, “an interior designer has the skills to help with furniture and fabrics — the ‘jewelry’ of the home.”
Tell us: Still have questions about interior designers? Share them in the Comments.
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Is there a person who can help me pick out colors for my Queen Anne house? I am afraid to do it on my own.
My experience with designers hasn’t been great. One designer had great ideas at our initial consultation but told me she was an “artist” not a business woman. I wanted to hire her, but she wouldn’t return my phone calls, so I guess I was rejected. Another designer 8 hours into the project she hasn’t given me a single usable idea. And of course I was paying her for her non-ideas. I would love to see an article about how to work with a designer.
As a Designer, I think you missed a very important item. Designers save clients money because, good ones, know what they are doing and prevent mistakes and waste.