10 Reasons to start with a designer instead of a contractor
Designers are trained professionals that specialize in areas that contractors & architects do not.
- Designers have unique resources and we spend a lot of time acquiring them
Is your full time job seeking just the right door handle or the correct size light fixture for the space it will live? Will the sofa match the carpet? Will the table be the right size for the space? Do you want an authentic vintage piece & can’t find it?
- We have access & accounts to resources the general public does not
You know what you want & you can see it, or maybe have seen it but don’t know where to get it? Sometimes you find it, but it’s not within budget, then what? Maybe you need 10 of the same light fixtures & can’t source them but your designer can with their vendors & often times get you a better price.
- Contractors are not trained in the art of color, space, design & scale
You want a certain flavor for your new kitchen, that involves a lot of choices. Tile, counters, cabinets, hardware, plumbing fixtures etc. Do you want to trust your contractor to make those choices for you? Do you feel confident that between yourself & the contractor you have the training to pull that all together?
- Designers save you hours of time & frustration
When the layers start to build will you have the time to put it all together, then make sure it’s available, is the right size & will work with all the other moving parts? Will you then be able to translate all that information to the contractors?
- We save you from making expensive mistakes
The consumer market is based on trends, how better to get people to buy & change every few years? If you don’t have a background in design you will be forced to gravitate to the immediate choices put in front of you which will date your project. Are you capable of deciphering the undertones of the backsplash tile with the counter top & the flooring to make sure they all relate to one another? Is the project on trend or classic? Are you considering resale value?
- We have contacts & resources to execute visions
Designers by trade are exacting types which means they see a vision to completion (at least the good ones do). Which means we also know which tradespeople are good at what they do. We also know the quality levels of different products & where the budget is best spent.
- Customized finishes not out of the box
A good designer is creative & studied which means fresh ideas & concepts founded in training. When you want something that isn’t standard off the shelf does that have to translate into expensive & custom? Does it mean you can’t have what you want? Most of the time this requires specialization a contractor can’t provide or translate. Do you go to general practice Dr. when you need brain surgery?
- Proper budgeting & planning & time keeping
This is a foreign concept for most contractors & homeowners. A bid is given & then things shift & change often resulting in a higher cost to complete. If you use a designer to start with, select all the unknowns & make them exact then your numbers are reflected. Start with a plan, create the choices, then bid the job based on real numbers.
- Collaboration & advocacy liaison to contractor or architect
Do you speak multiple languages? Do you understand the sequence involved in building or renovation? Are you comfortable knowing what is going on & when things begin & what order you need them? Have former projects taken much longer than expected? Did you use a designer for those projects? A good designer isn’t about the fluff & pillows, they understand all of the above & work at keeping your project transparent, clearly communicated & sequenced.
- Integration of concepts & vision
A picture is worth a thousand words. If you start with a holistic approach to a project & incorporate all the elements with a proper drawing, with real measurements of space your options just got much broader. You also just eliminated the point & guess method of how it will actually function & look. Once you establish the real footprint/ floorplan then you can add the layers in & have a true idea of the project’s potential. You also then eliminate mistakes by providing your contractors tangibles you can both see.
