Choosing an Interior Designer
Designers specialize in different areas of interior design; residential or commercial. Go with a designer who has experience in the type of project you are looking for and always ask for referrals. Any good designer will be accredited by a professional or tertiary organization; and should demonstrate creativity, talent and resourcefulness. Face-to-face meetings are a necessity and a friendship and an honest relationship will help avoid potential conflicts in the future.
Portfolio. We cannot stress this enough. Get the designer to talk you through their portfolio and make sure it isn't just a pretty selection of apartments they've styled; they must show a deeper understanding of construction, sourcing and spatial awareness. Shop around different studios for styles. More often than not if you're unsure of what particular theme to go for, what a designer chooses to show you on your first walk-in will have an effect and hopefully guide you in the right direction.
Stories of designers quoting an initial price but the client being presented with a much-inflated bill by the end are commonplace. This is mainly due to the construction side of things; plumbing, cabinetry, and other aspects of carpentry all rely on variables which can change unexpectedly. The usual suspects for a higher bill are high-end fabrics, materials and woods; as well as expensive extras like audio-visual systems, kitchenware, home offices, custom product design, and historic renovation projects. Even background elements such as ceilings, storage needs, walls, floors, plumbing and most importantly in Hong Kong, air-conditioning, can add significant costs.
Sometimes, unexpected situations such as knocking down a wall to find a termite nest are what pushes the price up. These cost money and time to repair and are unfortunately difficult, if not impossible, to spot in the design stages. The best you can do is to get your quotes on paper, and signed by both the designer and you. Read the small print for extra charges or supplementary fees; but usually most design fees are accounted for in the initial quote and are rarely added in at the end.
Designers have their own suppliers; so get them to do the running around. Not only will you save yourself the leg work but you'll also avoid getting ripped off or antagonizing the designer. Just make sure you give him or her a clear idea of your budget and limitations, unless you want a mini Guggenheim for a kitchen.
