Timing is Everything: When to Bring in an Interior Designer for Your Project
Embarking on an interior decorating, home renovation, or new construction project is exhilarating but can also be overwhelming. A crucial decision impacting your project's success is determining when to engage an interior designer. In this month's blog post, we provide valuable insights into the timing of hiring a designer, addressing common questions and offering guidance tailored to the 3 most common project scenarios.
Redecorating Project
If you're redecorating without structural changes, connect with an interior decorator at any time. Ideally, initiate contact before making decisions to maximize your creative freedom. BTD Studio recommends a Discovery Call to align goals, timelines, and budget before booking your consultation. Streamlining the process through our complementary Discovery Call allows us to gather important information ahead of the consultation. Most interior decorators will charge a fee for this initial consultation, where they will review the space first-hand and discuss the vision in terms of both style and function, as well as take photos and measurements.
In order to accommodate potential design and product lead times, we suggest planning for a 6-month buffer from consultation to completion for a seamless decorating project.
Renovation Projects
For large-scale renovations involving electrical, plumbing or structural edits, begin working with a designer 3-4 months pre-demolition. This timeline ensures ample time for preparation, design refinement, and communication with contractors. Renovation completion lead times will vary based on the project's scale, ranging from 2-3 weeks for a Powder Room to 8-10 weeks for a full kitchen. At BTD Studio, we recommend an 8-month buffer from consultation to the ideal start date for a successful renovation.
Building a New Home
Building from the ground up allows you a lot of freedom and flexibility to get exactly what you want in your new home, however it requires a significant amount of planning and lead time and demands early designer engagement to ensure that important details are not overlooked. Building a custom home usually involves working with an architect and builder for up to a year before breaking ground.
Designers bring perspectives often missed by builders or architects, addressing important details such as door and window placement, overall use of space and traffic flow, and customization optimization. Involving your interior design team early allows for in-depth exploration of your lifestyle, everyday needs, and design style and preferences to create a custom home that incorporates everything that you desire.
Design lead times for new builds range from 10-14 weeks depending on size, room count, the amount of built-in cabinetry millwork and other custom details as well as the overall intricacy of the design. Allow for an additional 2-3 weeks for revisions and refinement and build in plenty of time to source and procure the perfect finishes and fixtures. At BTD Studio we recommend a 10-month buffer from consultation to project start to ensure seamless integration with the construction timeline.
Maximizing Your Design Experience
To ensure maximum collaboration and project success, start your project off right by preparing for your initial consultation with inspiration photos, preferences, and a clear budget. Identify and communicate any non-negotiables or unique items early in the process to allow for these to be incorporated strategically into the final design. Do you have a specific piece of art that you love and hope to see in your new home or a record player that you use on a daily basis? Let your designer know about these details as early as possible so that they can ensure that those items are highlighted in the design.
We’re all about the details, and a well-thought-out design plan will give you the home of your dreams. We utilize various features and mediums to enhance the space and create a customized look through the use of lighting, mouldings, niches, colour, various materials, textures, and more.
We’re not just your designer, but your partner throughout your project. Communication is essential for a project to thrive, and this means involving all parties (designer, clients, trades, contractors, suppliers, and more) in design decisions, budgeting, and timelines. We value the trust that you put in us and in our vision. This can feel scary at times, but we keep our eye on the big picture and objective, so while this may require letting go of some of the smaller details and leaning into a bit of discomfort, know that we are working towards achieving the best results for you. Don’t worry, at no point will we ever disregard what you have asked for or what you need for your project – it simply means that you are letting the artist paint the canvas without holding their hand, controlling the brush strokes.
So, when is the best time to hire an interior designer? In short, it depends on your project needs but working backward from your ideal end date is a great way to figure this out, using the guidelines we’ve provided here. Whether redecorating, renovating, or building, seeking design help early ensures the best experience.
Remember the suggested timelines:
Decorating: 6 months from ideal project end date
Renovation: 8 months from ideal project end date
New build: 10 months from project start date
At BTD Studio, we want you to have the ultimate client experience, so maintain transparency, communicate effectively, and trust your designer for a stress-free and seamless design journey.