Four items to bring along for your first meeting with an interior designer [1 minute read]
Renovating a new property can be intimidating. Most of us will do it less than five times in our lifetime. It is normal to rely heavily on interior designers to advise, especially for our first property. However, it is also important to be prepared, so that the first meet up will be fruitful. We propose four items home owners should bring along for their first meeting with every interior designer.
Floor plan (must-have item)
Floor plans are a requirement. They contain crucial details such as measurements, types of walls in the property (including those that cannot be hacked), types of doors and windows and more. However, it does not say if you had opted for doors, flooring or sanitary fittings, which are common for new BTOs. If you have those information, write it down on the floor plan, so everyone is on the same page (literally), when discussing design ideas.
Reference Images
Reference images are images of spaces that you find attractive to look at. It is easy to create a mood board for each of your functional space (living room, bed room, bath room, kitchen etc) using Pinterest these days. We recommend that you select photos based on your gut and how they make you feel. Try not to over analyse. Practical aspects of the design, such as cost and whether it is feasible to build, are collated separately. The main purpose is to have a sense of what types of spaces will make you happy and comfortable to live in.
Specific requirements
No detail is too small. List them all down. It is best to consider these upfront and incorporate them into the design to minimise adjustments later on.
Do you have pets?
Do you intend to have (more) kids?
Do you plan to sell after five years?
Do you host social gatherings often?
Is there a need for a home office?
Do you require a lot storage?
What is your timeframe and estimated budget (do cater 10% of your budget for contingencies)?
Are there pieces of furniture that you intend to keep? If so what are their dimensions and how do they look?
Do you have hobbies that may require space (e.g. bicycle storage, display of shoe collection)?
Actual site photos or videos (where available)
This applies mostly to resale units where conditions can vary greatly. Take multiple photos and videos of the existing space. Decide which can be salvaged and which you wish to revamp completely. For new units, take photos of details not represented by the floor plan, such as piping, window length etc.
Having these items will go a long way to helping the interior designer understand how to design your home. It is up to him or her to consider all factors, and create with a design that optimises form and function.
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