Written by Catherine Seagrave

I love interior design - I guess that’s a given! I really am in my happy place browsing Instagram and Pinterest, soaking up all the photos of beautiful inspirational interiors.

I love imagining how I can incorporate the Scandi look into my home, or the wood panelling trend up my stairs, and the next minute I’m falling in love with the full on maximalist look. I skip from look to look, and in my own home  become completely wracked with indecision - so much so that I haven’t changed my living room in over 10 years (I do still love the sage green though!).

So I can completely understand how it can feel an overwhelming task to design your own home. Where do you start? How do you make it all come together? Will it cost a fortune? How do I incorporate my partners' very different style with my own?!

Thankfully as an interior designer I am much more skilled at helping you than I am at giving advice to myself! We are able to help you define your style, and design your home to fit your personality, lifestyle and budget. Incredible design doesn’t happen by chance and using a professional means your space is carefully planned and curated, making the most of your space and your money. 

Although once considered the preserve of the rich and famous, that’s not the case any more. In fact interior designers can actually save you a great deal of time and money and stress! If the thought of hiring a designer seems daunting or even a little intimidating, you’ll find that we are actually a very down to earth and budget friendly bunch. So how can an interior designer help you?

@yas.wyatt.home

Identify your style

You’ve searched images online for months, bought the odd few bits and pieces and maybe even attempted a moodboard. In theory, you should be ready to tackle your redecorating project - but in reality it doesn’t somehow come together. Decisions can seem overwhelming and you lack direction and in the end motivation to finish the job.  An interior designer can quickly identify what you are trying to achieve, even if you don’t know what it is yourself! As a customer of ours said recently “somehow, from just chatting to me, they came up with the most amazing ideas which were all suited to my style and taste, despite me not even knowing what I really wanted”.

Help with planning

There are many steps to creating your dream home, and making decisions in haste might not bring the results you had hoped for. Pressure from builders about finishes, and paint colours chosen quickly for decorators can leave you flustered and not making the best decisions. These early stages of planning are crucial and an interior designer can help lead you through so you are prepared and know where the project is going. Identifying your needs and style, and developing a budget early on, will ensure the project is well thought out from the very start, and you get a workable design that really enhances your day to day living.

Let us be your design friend and help you create a room you’ll love! See our affordable interior packages here.

@welcome_to_no.1

They save you money in the long run

Have you ever bought a sofa that looked great in the shop, but found it was far too big once you got it home? Have you ever painted three or four times because the colour wasn’t what you expected (I’m thinking of my mum here and her shocking pink dining room mistake!!)? Although there is a cost to using an interior designer, in reality it might well save you money as you will avoid making costly mistakes and having to do things twice. And if you’re on a tight budget, a designer knows how to get the best value out of what you do have to spend and will help you understand where every penny is going.

@design_at_churchview

@my_midcenturymakeover

And they save you time

Just as using a designer can benefit you financially, an interior designer can also save you time. A task that might take you days could be perfected by them in just a few hours. Most of our customers are busy people working full time and juggling family commitments and they just don’t have the time to sit down and spend hours planning a room. A designer has a bank of knowledge and knows where to go for the things you need, saving you endless amounts of time researching products and prices. 

@thehouseofdickenstocks

Help solve problems

In addition to simply designing a beautiful space, an interior designer can help you solve problems and come up with unique solutions. Whether it’s converting an awkward corner into an office space, or finally finding a way to store your kids toys, a designer will come in with a fresh pair of eyes, and give you ideas you would never have thought of on your own.

Help make effective use of space

The most obvious reason to hire an interior designer is to design your space. But the best designers will be able to identify the potential of your space and its inherent pain points immediately, and then provide you with creative solutions. A large house can look congested and awkward if not designed well and conversely, a small house can look spacious and airy if planned correctly. The magic lies in how effectively space is used. Making even the smallest corners of your home work hard and be functional, makes a big difference. And storage is a big factor - and it always works best when it’s planned into the scheme at an early stage.

Have a chat with us and find out how we can help you. Book a discovery call with us today!

@deco.dwelling

They bring expertise and knowledge 

An interior designer has a trained eye that can immediately tell you if there is something right or wrong with your space. They can see your home with fresh eyes, and bring years of expertise and knowledge to make all the difference to your home. If you’re aiming to bring those inspirational Pinterest photos to life, an interior designer’s trained eye is going to help you get that result. And an interior designer can lead you through the many small decisions you need to make - decisions that will make all the difference, like the correct rug size, furniture layout, art selection, accessories and how best to arrange them. 

@our_rosemont_home

@design_at_churchview

They can act as a mediator

Quite often we find that couples have very different interior styles and opinions about what they want for their home. This can be tricky to navigate on your own and brings decision making to a stalemate!! Asking for an objective and neutral view from an interior designer can help move your project forward again, and maintain a level of harmony at home. 

Do you and your partner have different ideas? Click here - let us help you create a room you’ll both love!

@thehouseofdickenstocks

Removes the risk

And finally, customers often say to us “we just want to get it right this time”. There’s no question about it, doing things yourself does mean taking on a lot of risk, with no guarantee that it will come out the way you anticipated. Using an interior designer helps reduce this risk of things going wrong, removing the anxiety and instead making the process enjoyable and fun.

@thedailynest

If you’d like some help turning your house into a home, get in touch. At the Living House we are creative, budget friendly, problem solvers that love a chat!!