By Naomi Findlay
Read to the end for your chance to win a $997 virtual interior design consultation!
We all want our house to look like the pictures that grace the cover of home magazines but justifying the spend of an interior designer to help us achieve that goal can feel unattainable. Well what if I told you that using an interior designer can save you money? Seems a little odd right given it’s an extra expense that you need to fork out on top of the largest purchase you’ll ever make in your lifetime. But wait, let me explain how in fact we can save you money and time and create a beautiful space for you to enjoy!
Avoid expensive mistakes. Fixing a preventable mistake can end up blowing your budget and it’s an interior designer’s job to recognise these errors before it’s too late. Combining your vision and our know-how is why a designer should be hired as early into a project as possible.
Take advantage of trade discounts. Simply put, we receive special pricing on all items to do with interior design including fixtures, tiles, paint, furniture, appliances and décor. So, all that stunning furniture and décor you have been pining over is now attainable and at a very significant discount from retail pricing. By doing the maths on trade pricing, it can give you a basic idea of how much money can be saved at the very least. It’s as easy and awesome as that.
Time is money. That old saying applies here for a couple of reasons. Whilst it may take you months to figure out which paint, tiles, fixtures and design you want, we already have an excellent working knowledge about all of these options and can get this sorted and confirmed relatively quickly. The project management aspects of a renovation can be equally time consuming and frustrating. It’s our job to take this on for our clients and make sure everything runs smoothly – we liaise with your builders and give them precise, documented instructions so there are no miscommunications and costly mistakes made. We also can help ensure you employ the best trades for the work you require at a reasonable cost, both saving you time and money. A good designer makes the entire process easier and faster so that you can move on with the rest of your life.
Designers don’t follow trends. Designers simply don’t follow trends and replicate magazines that tend to focus on a current trend at any given time. This means you won’t have to re-do the space the minute the trend changes. A great interior designer helps you to identify which purchases matter for the future of your home and can spot quality immediately, helping you to make investments in pieces that will be both timeless and durable. Additionally, a great interior designer should focus on a little-known term called space medicine. This ensures that your space is designed taking into consideration our physical environment and the space we have to work with. Harnessing the power of light, colour, spatial arrangement and of course functionality, is a key. Interior designers save clients the heartache and unnecessary expense of a badly designed space.
Recycle, recycle, recycle. I personally love to upcycle anything I can, and give it a new purpose. And if you don’t have the budget to replace everything or want to save some existing pieces for keepsake reasons, who better than a professional designer to accomplish that for you?
Upcycled desk ideas: from drab to fab for under $100
Maximise the value of your house. We are trained to see the potential in a property and are skilled at maximising that potential to maximise your investment. Having a smart and professionally designed, beautiful space, will only increase the value of your home along with the number of potential buyers. While you may end up paying an interior designer for their services and the cost of materials now, this ends up saving you money along the way and potentially making you a profit when you receive a higher bid on your home. Investing money into your home right now can pay off later.
Naomi Findlay is a renovation and interior design expert, author of the best-selling books Sell Your Property for More Money and The Start Up Guide to Renovating For Wealth, design expert on the TV series Changing Rooms as well as the producer and host of YouTube shows, Renovie and The Reno Show.
She created Design Decisions to allow allow everyone from around the country the access to a professional interior designer offering advice, a moodboard, design schedule with exact details on all items you require, all carried out online, from the comfort of your home, anywhere, anytime. We all deserve an amazing and beautiful space to live and work.
Win a virtual interior design consultation
For your chance to win a virtual interior design consultation with Naomi, worth $997, complete the form below by 11.59pm AEST on Thursday 9 July 2020 and ensure you’re following @naomifindlayofficial on Instagram
The prize includes a one-hour video consultation with Naomi, a moodboard, a physical sample box through the mail where applicable, a design schedule which specifies every last detail and can act as a shopping list for your trades, and more.
Open to Australian residents only.
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