When to hire a designer?

If you’re starting to think about investing in your home—whether that means buying new furniture for your bedroom, giving your powder room a cosmetic refresh, or taking on a full gut renovation of your kitchen—hiring a designer might be one of the best decisions you can make from the very beginning.

Of course, you may say that this is just my opinion because I’m a designer myself and, naturally, want to sell my own fish. But believe me, that’s not why I’m saying this.

I’m saying it because, as a designer, I am more often than not brought into projects that are already underway. By that point, clients are frequently consumed by decision fatigue and in need of some miracle help to fix things that have gone wrong, reverse expensive decisions that can no longer be undone, or simply figure out how to coordinate multiple choices that were made without the benefit of seeing the bigger picture.

Most people assume that hiring a designer will add to the cost of a project—and I won’t pretend that it doesn't. But it’s important to consider how much that investment may save you in the long run.

Home improvements are usually expensive and deserve a good amount of planning and care. Mistakes can be costly and, in many cases, become something you have to live with for a very long time.

If you value your money, your time, and all the effort that goes into improving your home, do yourself a favor and find a specialist you trust to help you. It can be for a one-time consultation or, if your project allows, someone who can accompany you along the bumpy road of a larger renovation. And don't wait until you're already overwhelmed to reach out.

You may find that the cost of hiring a designer is more than worth it—and, in some cases, easily recovered through the access designers can provide to better pricing and trade discounts, or simply by helping you avoid expensive mistakes.

But there is another benefit that I think is often underestimated: having someone to think out loud with. (And no, your husband or wife doesn't count!)

As I often tell my clients, having an interlocutor—someone who understands your project, can listen to your ideas, challenge your assumptions, help you see possibilities, and occasionally talk you off the ledge—is priceless.

Home improvements involve hundreds of decisions, both big and small. Having a knowledgeable person beside you to help you sort through those decisions can bring not only better results, but also a lot more peace of mind.

And, in the end, that might be worth just as much as the beautiful home you create.
So, don't hesitate. Talk to a designer as soon as that first “What if we did this or that...?” comes up. I have a feeling you'll be glad you did.