How an Interior Designer can Help You with Your Renovation
Written By: Michelle Murphy (Michelle Murphy Interior Design)
When starting a home renovation project, one of the first questions that probably comes up is, how much is it going to cost? Well, there are many factors to determine a project budget, but bringing in the right professionals can certainly help. Contractors and renovation companies are usually the first professionals a homeowner will likely contact about their renovation project. Both can help you determine what work can be done in your space and for what budget. Another professional that can help with budget numbers, project scope and so much more is an interior designer.
Interior designers create beautiful, functional spaces for the users while considering their well-being, safety and use of the space. By understanding human behaviours, implementing best practices and professional training, designers create safe and highly functional spaces for the end users. Professional interior designers have a lot of knowledge on spatial awareness, flow and productivity in a space. For example, when starting a kitchen renovation, an interior designer can help you not only decide on the beautiful finishes to include, but also on how your family uses that space. Designers ask a lot of questions about you and your home to better understand your behaviours and flow. They take all of that into consideration when planning how the kitchen will be laid out.
A professional designer can let you know what’s attainable in your budget in terms of project scope, finishes and products. Designers are also aware of how to keep costs down by keeping for example, plumbing relocation to a minimum. Contractors and designers can work hand in hand to support you with a practical budget based on your finances and scope of work. They will guide you through each phase of the project and help you understand where your money is well spent. A designer can also provide good cost saving options to stay within budget which is also great to have if a surprise arises during renovations. For example, if you are doing a basement development and the contractor finds out that there is an electrical issue that’s not to code, it could end up costing more money than expected. A designer can then look at the scope of work and help you figure out where to save that money elsewhere. Maybe finding a similar tile that’s a little less money or deciding to work with some more of the existing furniture, rather than all new, to keep costs down.
Another detail that can a designer can help with is visualizing the space. A lot of homeowners struggle with visualizing how a space will look once renovated. Interior designers can help portray what a space will look like through visual aides such as mood/concept boards, vignettes, sketches and 3D renderings. Designers will help you envision what the new space will become and show you the flow to make sure it’s what you are hoping to get. A designer can also produce construction documents or drawings for building permits which can be very helpful when renovating. These can be used to submit for permit approval or for contractors reference on site.
Interior designers have an eye for style! Designers stay on top of trends and new innovations in the industry to have the most knowledge on everything needed for your project. They can select a color palette, finishes, materials and products for your space that will give you a beautiful, cohesive look, perfect for you. They consider your style, your home’s style, budget, durability, and more to give you the best design concept for your space. Interior designers will source all these items and bring samples to you for review. They have a wide database of good suppliers to work with so they can select what’s best and create a beautiful design. Have you ever felt overwhelmed with the options? Designers can help narrow down options that are good quality and on budget. Colours can be a huge stressor when trying to determine what items will work together based on undertones, the lighting in the space and so much more. Designers take care of all the little details for you. Once selected, these finishes can be shown in the visual aides to help you see how the space will come together. Designers can work with contractors to purchase and schedule deliveries to make sure everything is arriving on time based on the project schedule. Most contractors and designers get good pricing on finishes, materials and products due to good relationships with vendors and volume purchasing. This can be a great benefit to homeowners, receiving better pricing than if they went and purchased on their own. If designers are handling purchasing for you, they can also handle any delays, shortages or other issues that arise, saving you time, money and the headache of resolving these issues.
If any issues arise on site, contractors will connect with interior designers to make sure any changes made will work for the design. The client will be advised of solutions to any said issues, rather than having to deal with those headaches themselves. For example, when installing kitchen cabinets, maybe the contractor realizes that one of the cabinet boxes is not to size. The contractor can connect with the designer to discuss what options are available and determine what will work best for your space.
Designers and contractors can work as a team to support the clients and advocate for them, so that their space is just as they’d dreamed it would be.
Renovation projects can be time consuming, expensive and stressful. If you have the right team on your side, you can avoid all the craziness of a project and just focus on the wonderful outcome. If you’re ready to start your next renovation in Calgary, consider reaching out to professional such as Home & House Renovation and Michelle Murphy Interior Design. We can bring your space to life on time and on budget!
