Choosing the right interior designer for your needs

My studio is based in Sydney, Australia, but whether you're looking for an interior designer in Sydney or anywhere else in the world, you can apply these tips to your situation. I’ve broken this down into four key considerations: cost, availability, style and credibility.

Cost

First of all, it is important to be aware of how much money you are willing to spend, both on the project itself and on the designer. The cost of an interior designer ranges broadly, and there are a variety of ways that they may charge. Fee structures are commonly either hourly rates, flat rate fee or a percentage cost of the whole project. If you aren’t too sure how much you want done or have a limited budget, then the flexibility of an hourly billing structure could be best for you. A few hours with a designer you really admire and want to work with is preferable settling for an ‘affordable’ interior designer that you don’t feel confident in.

Availability

Since work has resumed after covid, the demand for designers and trades has greatly increased. Be aware that wait times may be longer than usual and if you are in a hurry you may end up compromising who you want to work with for the sake of getting the project done quickly. My advice would be to try and wait for the ‘right person’, even if it means putting some things on hold. Then you can be sure you will receive a design that really speaks to you and won’t need to be updated for a long time.

Style

In my opinion, being on the same page in terms of style is the most important consideration when choosing your interior designer. Everyone likes different things so it is unlikely you and your designer will agree on everything, but there needs to be a good overlap. Of course, designers create designs based on the client’s brief that is not to their personal taste all the time. But my belief is that if you design a space which you don’t love, don’t feel a passion for, there is something inherently missing. So to avoid your end design feeling like it wasn’t quite what you had hoped for, make sure you are familiar with previous work from your chosen designer and would be happy with your home potentially having a similar style.

Credibility

So you’ve found your dream designer. That’s great to hear! Before you jump straight in, be sure to enquire with previous clients of their experience with the designer. If you can’t speak directly with them, reading some testimonials can also be a great insight into the designer and how they interact with clients. The more comfortable you feel with your interior designer, the more trust you can place in them to create an incredible design for you. The best designs usually come from designers who haven’t had too many restrictions placed on them by clients and are allowed the creative freedom to push the boundaries a little.

I hope this helps you in your decision to find the right interior designer for you. If you think that designer could be Sunbeam Studio, please reach out to the team and we would be happy to assist.