Tips for First Time Interior Design Clients: Go with Your Gut and Don't Expect Miracles

Well it's been a minute since our last blog post. Towards the end of 2017 we just got a little lost with our social media in general. So we thought it was definitely time that we wrap up this series of posts!

If you haven't been following this series go give the other posts a read, we promise they aren't too long but are full of tips you need to have before hiring a designer.

Now lets move on to today's post:

GO WITH YOUR GUT

The number one question we get at the start of a project is “How long is this going to take?” Well how long is a piece of string? Really the answer to that question is entirely based on how quickly you, the client, are able to make decisions? Time can get lost in the process from hemming and hawing over one source vs the other. A three week design can quickly turn into 12 weeks if there are constant revisions to the design. Being wishy washy is not your friend in the decorating process. There will always be another blue scatter cushion, or four, or forty thousand (!!!) for you to browse, but if you like the third one your designer presented, I say LOCK IT DOWN. Put a ring on it! Let go of the anxiety and fear that something better is around the corner because trust me there are new products being launched every single day, and just as quickly as one comes on to the market the one your designer spent hours souring is getting sold out, and then you might need to settle for something that doesn't quite fit. This type of paranoia can halt a project in its tracks, leaving you overwhelmed and under-decorated. Follow your instincts every time, and your designer will keep you on track to bring together your favorite pieces in a smart and savvy way.

DON'T EXPECT REPLICAS

I can't tell you how many times a client has shown me a picture and said "make my room look like this". It is unrealistic to expect a designer to copy and paste a design you have seen for several reasons. Firstly, that room you have fallen for is the intellectual property of another designer, and just because it has found its way on to the pages on Elle Decor or the like does not give anyone the right to copy the design. Secondly, your designer will most likely not have access to the same exact suppliers and manufacturers as the picture you are coveting. And lastly, your particular space is most likely a completely different shape to the original design, with entirely different lighting which means an result that is far from what you envisioned yourself having. Leaving you disappointed and slightly deflated by the final outcome of your space making your designer a sad panda :(.

So are you ready to hop on the design train? Destination: "I love my new space because I trusted my designer". Trust the Lo-Ki Interiors team to help you realise your home's potential. Click here to book a consultation.