If you are going to make reforms and are thinking of hiring a professional, we explain when it is advisable to do so. When thinking about the reform of a house, we will often approach the feeling that we do not reach everything and that we encounter problems that need an immediate solution. The best advice is to always turn to a professional who will manage the entire project to avoid worries and unpleasantness. It doesn't matter if the project is big or small; their advice will make the final result perfect: attractive, functional, and within your budget. We have talked to Silvia Trigueros -the owner of Silvia Trigueros Studio of interior architecture and decoration- and Miguel Muñoz -Interior designer at Miguel Muñoz Interiores- and both professionals are clear. When we ask them which cases it is convenient to resort to an interior designer: always!
- When you want to save on your renovation
Many people feel intimidated about using an interior designer. One of the reasons for this is the common misconception that working with an interior designer is expensive. However, the average fee can be between 10-and 15% of the total project budget (although this can vary between professionals). This amount, in most cases, also compensates additionally for the savings in materials and other chapters of the work of the interior designer, who knows the market, the value of each piece or the coatings and can get more advantageous prices. The work execution project is more or less fixed, but the issue of materials can be very variable; it depends on the client's tastes, priorities, and purchasing power. For example, some prefer to invest in furniture and others in items such as taps and fittings. Whatever the case, an interior designer can also advise you on how to save.
"Most people are wrong about the investment involved in hiring an interior designer. On the contrary, working with such a professional can significantly reduce your project's expenses. Indeed, the interior designer's fees are initially added to the total budget. Still, then we are the ones who are in charge of trying to save on the rest of the work, in addition to being the ones who travel around looking for the best and most economical materials for each project," explains Miguel Muñoz.
- When you want to achieve a unique and different space
"In a reform, whether integral, large or small, we must use an interior designer whenever we want to get a unique space and seek to get the most out and functionality to the room," says Muñoz. "The interior designer will help you achieve a space that fits your needs, with special emphasis on the distribution, materials, and lighting. These are the most difficult aspects for most people to define and specify," says Trigueros.
- When you don't have time
The interior designer will save you a lot of headaches. On the one hand, you will not need to look for the necessary professionals to carry out the renovation yourself. If you have to ask for licenses and have an architect or technical architect, they will take care of contacting these professionals. They will also coordinate the work, orders, and deliveries. On the other hand, you will not have to go through stores or suppliers to locate the materials you need: from coverings to sanitary ware, faucets, or fabrics, including lighting mechanisms and appliances. They will take care of the selection.
- When you are not very clear about what you are looking for or how to get it
Hiring an interior designer begins with a first contact in which you will meet to talk about what you want to do. The professional will understand your lifestyle, tastes, and needs. It is essential because everything will revolve around these variables. This first contact is critical," says Trigueros. Depending on conditions, tastes, lifestyle, type of family, budget, etc. We make an exhaustive study to present the best project, which is pretty much closed from the beginning. Our most excellent satisfaction is that the client is happy with the reform when it is finished, and there is still no furniture. That is the key that defines our work: you have understood and succeeded with what they needed: distribution, walls, lighting...", he points out.
- When you want to capture a decorative style that fascinates you.
Think about what you want to achieve with the reform and collect photos that you can show to the interior designer as a guide. Nor is it superfluous that you look for the professional you think has a style that fits what you are looking for. "Reading decoration magazines, searching online, or attending interior design and decoration events opens the range of possibilities of choice. This way, you can see how we work and identify professionals who may be similar to what you are looking for. Photos of our projects are also often online and give you a pretty good idea of what to expect in terms of style. Another source is the recommendation of someone who has already worked with us," says Silvia Trigueros.
- When there are different opinions about the reform
For Trigueros, "interior designers also act as independent arbitrators in those cases in which a couple of different family members cannot reach an agreement. Our mediation, respecting everyone's opinion and opting for the most functional and aesthetic solution, makes some decisions more bearable, which, amid the chaos that a building site usually becomes, the client may not visualize in the same way we do".
- When you have complex spaces to distribute, you want to make the most of them.
Sometimes, your home has a complicated distribution that you want to redo to better use all the meters. An old house, a protected one, another with excessively high ceilings, attic or too low, are examples of situations where an interior designer's help and a good eye can do a lot for you. Both Silvia and Miguel have a long career behind them and have encountered all kinds of situations. In this sense, although the creative capacity of these professionals is essential, so is their background, since sometimes the solution to a problem is technical and not decorative.
- When you don't need to worry about anything at all.
"An interior designer takes care of all the details, which means that your project is in good hands and that all the work can be delegated to him. Let's say you can forget about the struggle of a construction site," says Miguel Muñoz. "On the other hand, his vision is fundamental to complete a decoration," he points out. "We respect the client's taste, ideas, needs, functionality, and budget. Even if they want to keep elements of the old décor, if he is convinced that he wants a piece of furniture or a finish, we respect that because he is the one who is going to live in that house day by day," Silvia concludes.