Faced with the daunting task of bringing flair and marketability to your home and don’t know where to start? You’re definitely not alone. Enhancing interior spaces is easier said than done. And when it comes to achieving that picture-perfect finish, a qualified interior designer is worth every cent.

Let’s face it, most home renovators don’t come with design qualifications, in fact, many may not even know the current trends for interior spaces. Are finger tiles still all the rage? Does my kitchen have to be green? What’s the best position for windows in this room? The questions are endless and there’s a lot that can go wrong without a little (or a lot!) of guidance.

With that in mind, we’ve taken a deep dive into the many ways interior designers make life easier for renovators. But first, let’s clear up a common point of confusion …

What’s the difference between an interior decorator and an interior designer?

Interior decorators choose decor, furniture and colours with the aim to enhance rooms, usually to bring them in line with a certain theme. Interior designers, on the other hand, go way further by considering not just what goes into the room to achieve a certain style, but the entire functionality of a space. They even navigate construction requirements and collaborate with builders and architects on joinery, space planning and more. It’s a rather big job!

So in short, when it comes to creating a comprehensive plan of how you want your home to function AND look, an interior designer is the guardian angel you want in the picture.

8 Reasons Why An Interior Designer Is Worth It

Still on the fence about whether to outsource your home’s interior design? Take a look at these reasons why other renovators rave about them (even the ones who were sceptical at first!).

And for more insights, check out our interview with the Lead Designer at Home at Elm regarding exactly what interior designers do.

You get a cohesive finish

Interior designers are trained to bring spaces together that look as good as they function. It’s a skill that not all of us have and something that makes a huge difference to the overall cohesion of a house. From upstairs to downstairs, inside to out, a great designer follows a vision right through a home for a truly stunning result.

You can save money (yes, really!)

There’s a common perception that if you hire an interior designer, you’ll end up spening more money. This isn’t necessarily true. Sure, you need to pay for the designer’s time, but by hiring one, you also reap the rewards of trade discounts, smart solutions and some seriously savvy shopping. You also save a lot of money by avoiding costly mistakes.

One renovator in an online community thread said, “Where we’ve used designers, they’ve saved us (and clients) more than their fees both in clever solutions and in discounts through preferred suppliers.”

Saving time

Shopping for furniture, tiles, equipment and all the other bits and pieces that go with a home re-design is seriously time-consuming work. A designer takes it all off your plate, only requiring consultation with you to make decisions and talk things through. If you are working full time as you renovate, this is one of the biggest advantages of outsourcing and a massive sanity saver.

Faster decision-making

If you find that simple decisions take you a really long time, a designer is going to be an enormous help. Aside from the fact that they need to work to a schedule, they know exactly what to look for – what colour, shape, texture and design. They’ll know the best choice out of nesting tables and a coffee table, for example – or whether to go with wallpaper or paint. They basically take the guesswork out of purchases and decision-making, speeding things along and keeping you on track with your project. A lot of us need this extra push!

Overseeing trades

Whether you’ve got kids to wrangle or a consuming job that you can’t take a break from, you’ll welcome having your interior designer on hand to help organise and direct trades, keeping everyone on task and the project on track. Professional designers are used to dealing with trades, know all the lingo and know what to look out for, which is very reassuring, especially for first-time renovators. Some of the trades designers work closely with include tilers, painters and carpenters among many others!

Increase the value of your home

Looking to sell? Obviously, you want to add the most amount of value with the least possible outlay – an interior designer is a huge help with this. With full knowledge of spatial planning, curb appeal, market trends and functionality, an interior designer knows where you get the biggest bang for your buck. This means you’re less likely to make a mistake spending money on the wrong elements.

Accessing materials not available in stores

From artwork to tiles, fittings to fixtures, great interior designers are very well connected. While the rest of us are limited to what we can find online or in stores, a designer often has access to trade-only accounts and those gorgeous unique pieces nobody else can find. Love that!

Eliminating renovation stress

As renovators ourselves, we know that one of the most stressful parts of the process is not knowing what you don’t know! There are constant roadblocks along the way that always lead to someone muttering, “If I’d just known that beforehand!”A good interior designer saves you from these roadblocks by foreseeing issues, solving problems and knowing the path to success.

Trust us, you’ll be thankful you have one on your team!

Going for a Hamptons aesthetic? You need to see our compilation of must-haves for Hamptons-style kitchens.