According to Statista, the number of new homes being built in Australia is going to continue to grow year after year, as more people are desiring customised solutions for their home life; whether that be incorporating the latest technology, creating a floorplan that works for their family, or a home that is built using modern materials that produce a more efficient and environmentally friendly home.
If you’re building a new home, the first person you will usually consult with is an architect. The architect’s role is to create the design for your project, using specialist construction knowledge and skills to design a home that is functional, safe, sustainable and aesthetically pleasing. When do you consult with an interior designer for your new home build? As soon as the architect has completed the base plans for your house.
Nine out of ten people will design a house, get it passed by the necessary council, then determine the internal design. And this is where we begin… here are my five reasons to work with an interior designer when designing your new home build.
Reason One to work with an interior designer – Inspiration
We love working with clients that know what they want, we also love working with clients that are seeking inspiration. You are building your dream home now, but we do this for our clients every day. We already know the market, we don’t have to start researching, as we’ve already done that, as well as being frequently presented with new collections or supplier options. It’s this lived experience and plethora of suggestions that we can bring to the table to inspire your design and ensure you really are creating your ideal space.
As your interior designer, we can design a ‘wish list’ for your new home. By presenting to you an ‘ideal’ design, we can then work together to prioritise elements of your home, utilising your budget correctly from the start, ensuring that there is no ‘waste’ (for example not planning for something important, or having to ‘re-do’ something that didn’t work). During this presentation you may discover that we have already exceeded your expectations about what timeless design can be achieved within a new home.
Reason Two to work with an interior designer – Working With Trades
When you’re designing and building a new home, you will require a variety of different skilled tradespeople to complete the project, some of you may not have even heard of before. Tradesmen/contractors preference is to work with a designer rather than directly with the client. Why? Clients often change their minds or aren’t really sure what they are doing. When they are working with an interior designer, they know that they already have very detailed drawings, specified finishes, precise measurements. Every part of their role has already been carefully considered and planned, which (favourably) can save you money by working with a designer. We design every detail, and most importantly liaise with all trades on behalf of the client.
We have our Trusted Trades; people that we work with regularly that we have built strong relationships with over the years. They understand how we work, what we like, what we expect, and we have already verified the quality of their work, confident in an excellent outcome everytime. Without working with an interior designer that you can trust, that trust then has to be put into your own selection of a wide array of tradespeople, and the management of those relationships. Even if your builder is taking responsibility for that on your behalf, they are of course not designers themselves, but experts in their own field, so you may be surprised that you don’t achieve the desired high-end finish you expected.
Reason Three to work with an interior designer – Perfected Processes
The major pitfalls when building a new home often come from a lack of knowledge, as people in general can only do one thing at a time. It’s like ticking a box: the architect has created the design (tick), start building the home (tick), then this is often (when someone hasn’t engaged an interior designer) when things can become overwhelming, as they’re now faced with a lot more than they expected or accounted for. There is a need for a very concise process to be adopted.
In interior design, the most important thing is the process. With the correct processes in place, the project will run smoothly, on time, within budget. Without processes you are leaving yourself exposed to potentially blowing budgets by delays, re-doing things, not factoring in key considerations as part of your planning. (The Importance of Following a Design Process).
Reason Four to work with an interior designer – Quality Assurance
Designing and building a new home is something that a lot of people will only ever do once or twice in their lifetime, so it’s important that you do it right the first time. At MSID we believe in quality; quality design, quality workmanship, quality products. We never cut corners, and are not saying that you will either, but if you don’t have an interior designer you are going to be asked many questions from your builder. Questions you may not have ever considered (what skirting boards do you prefer, what paint finish do you want, have you selected door hardware) or even thought of, and then panic decisions are made. Often you’re not prepared to make decisions on all of the little things, these finer details that make the ‘big picture’. Don’t sacrifice quality by default or through inexperience.
Reason Five to work with an interior designer – Cohesive Outcome
When you’re working with an interior designer you are essentially getting a package deal, we handle everything. You are working with somebody who can produce for you a cohesive design outcome, because everything has been thoroughly thought through before hand, and expertly managed during the process. If you want to find out more, I’ve already written a blog about how to achieve a cohesive outcome from design choices.
This is your ‘dream home’, don’t let it become a nightmare. If you are interested in working with us as your interior designer for your new home build, then please reach out to us by contacting us online or calling the studio, we’d love to hear from you.
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