How could an interior designer help after I have bought my house?

Once you’re settled into your new property your attention will begin to focus on turning your house into a home. You may not have thought of asking an interior designer for help when you’re moving home – or perhaps you’ve toyed with the idea but never taken it further. Maybe you felt it would be too expensive or that a designer would impose their ideas on you. A good professional interior designer listens carefully to their clients, taking in information and then using their expertise and judgement to deliver interiors that surpass expectations. An interior designer can provide a professional overview when you’re making the numerous decisions you will inevitably be faced with as you start the move to a new home. Sad to say, the whole experience can quickly turn from being exciting to overwhelming. Not just finishing touches!

A lot of people think of interior design in terms of finishing touches – the curtains and the cushions. However, interior design is not just about making a place look attractive – it’s a thoughtful and intelligent process that considers lighting, texture, colour, function, and the flow from room to room. Atmosphere governs the way you feel in your surroundings and it’s also conducive to function. One of the most difficult things to achieve is balance in the overall scheme and, all too often, items are chosen independently without the realisation that some need to act as a foil to others. The final result can end up as not only disappointing, but also costly to put right! Your interior designer will ensure this does not happen, because they keep an overview of the whole scheme and see how the different elements will work as a whole.

How do you want your home to look and feel?

Your interior designer will ask you about style options. Are you a traditionalist? Do you prefer contemporary design? Or a mixture of both? Could a contemporary look suit an older property? How will a traditional approach work in an ultra-modern property? How do you intend to use the space?

Your interior designer will help you plan room usage and create layouts. This will help with lighting design – an area all too often overlooked, but it’s of critical importance to the look and feel of the end result. Do you want decorative pendants, hidden architectural lighting, or a mixture of these? What technology do you want, in terms of AV, heating, security?

Creating the right mood with colour and texture

Mood can be created by the appropriate use of colour and texture. Which colours do you like and which colours will work in the home? Where is the natural light coming from and how will that affect colour and texture?

One of the ways in which texture can be introduced is through flooring – whether it’s hard, in the form of polished wood and stone, or soft, in the form of carpets and rugs.
When you’re using a professional interior designer you’ll know when you’ve achieved the right effect – the new house has become your home.

The original article was published by County Homesearch on their website in June 2018: link to the article