Heather chose an overarching theme to keep in mind for all things Metta Home this year: Change. Changes in work, in life, whether small or big- change is always happening. Each monthly blog post will have a different topic while keeping the idea of positive Change in mind.
Both your mindset and money are two huge factors in beginning a new interior design project. Your mindset meaning knowing what needs to change and how to understand the design process, and money meaning how you decide on and implement a budget for a project. It can seem hectic at first glance but hiring an interior designer can help ensure things go smoothly.
A sunny kitchen renovation designed by Heather. Renovations can be scary, but not with Metta Home.
Change Your Mindset
Are you tired of looking at your kitchen or living room (or any room)? You know it needs a change but you don't know how to make it all happen. The changes could be small fixes or more long term projects -or a combination of both. This can seem overwhelming, but deciding what needs change is the first step. On the other hand you could already know what needs to get an uplift and have many ideas, but do your ideas make sense together? You may need the help of a designer to make it all cohesive.
Once you've decided which areas in your home are ready for a change, get your mind thinking about what you want to be different, specifically. This will help you start to think of the costs that will be involved. Next up is finding an interior designer. You can then work with them to come up with a more specific number based on the information you give them.
Check out this before and after of a studio basement Heather designed. A massive transformation!
Money Matters
Calculating an investment upfront and delivering straightforward information about money on both ends (client and designer), will make for a more efficient design process for all.
You should always start with a comfortable investment for a project in mind, but something to know is the need for reserve funds for if anything goes differently than planned. A change of plans is common not only in design but in life! Having a designer in those moments makes everything a little less daunting. Heather of Metta Home can excellently roll with the punches. As a designer she is always having to deal with last minute changes (sometimes multiple times a day) but she knows exactly how to handle it and who to call for help. The acronym F.O.H. (Friends of Heather) is an inside joke about how Heather has a friend for everything- a contractor, a plumber, an electrician, a handyman, etc. She has a team you can trust. Know that if Heather trusts someone, you can too. This ensures no one's money will be wasted.
During the preliminary planning one thing to consider is the designer fee. This will take up roughly 10%-30% of your total investment depending on the designer and the scope of work needed. Something else to keep in mind is most designers won't be able to take on projects under a certain budget. You are paying for their creativity on top of their time and trusted resources. Heather spends a solid amount of time getting to know her clients and hear exactly what they envision for their space, while implementing years of her own experience in interior design. She listens closely and pays attention to the little details at all times. She catches things you wouldn't even think of- exactly the type of person you would want to work with. That being said, It can be scary to spend a lot of money on anything, but trusting a designer to know how to spend that money wisely is key.
Trust is a Must
Something that applies to both sides of this equation is trust. Trusting your designer will make the biggest difference! Sometimes letting go and putting the trust in a designer is all you need to get the project going. That's what they are here for. Keep in mind, anything you are struggling with, the designer has gone through many times before, and has a system in place to handle any design issue.
Trusting someone else with the interior design of your home may feel scary, but what's even worse is putting in a lot of time and money into a project and having it not end up how you intended it to. Interior design projects started without the help of a designer also have a way of ending up quite costly, and on top of that could evoke a feeling of bitterness, which nobody wants. A designer will also make sure that the look of the space is also cohesive with the emotion it gives off. What you can trust in Heather is that everything that needs to get done will get done.Heather always follows a timeline to ensure that no one's time is being wasted, including her own. Time is money, people!
If you follow these guidelines on how to open your mind to change, decide on a realistic budget, and find an interior designer you can trust, know you will be much happier with your future design projects. For inquiries on hiring Heather Martin for interior design work or consulting, head to our instagram @metta.home or email us at hello@metta-home.com.
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