If you are considering remodeling or redecorating an existing home, or if you are building a new home, the space planning and design aesthetic is extremely important to your long-term happiness with the results. More importantly, it is vital to have an outside, objective, and professional perspective that can allow you to plan appropriately, choose items wisely, and prepare for future needs. An interior designer is professionally trained to create a functional and quality interior environment that resolves challenges presented within the designated space. Rather than only focusing on decorating, the interior designer understands building codes, can provide illustrations and renderings, and help the homeowner decide the ultimate goals with the space. In essence, the interior designer serves as the guide and mentor to the client. When working with a professional interior designer, there is an interview process that identifies the client’s needs and wants within the home space. The initial meeting allows the home owner to identify priorities and helps to determine if there is a good partnership between the interior designer and home owner. Once the scope of the project is determined, the interior designer can work closely with the home owner to determine best methods for working together. For examples, some clients want to be intimately involved in the entire process, from choosing all options to going shopping. Other clients prefer that the interior designer narrows down options and only provides a small sampling selection. Ultimately, it is up to the client to determine how the interior designer plays a role in the process or project.

Overall, interior designers can provide tips and ideas for better utilizing the space within your home. The following represents three tips that can help when deciding what to do with an existing space.

1. Choose something that you like doing in that room. Whether the room is for conversation, eating, or entertaining, decide the focus of the space. Then, take one item from that room and center the design aesthetic around that piece. It could be an accent pillow, piece of art, or a family heirloom that has been handed down for generations.

2. Mix and match. Do not feel like every color, texture, and style has to match within the room. In fact, if it does, the look appears more formal and less tailored. For example, mix the styles of lampshades, pictures, frame styles, and pillows.

3. Analyze the size of your furniture and accessories. Many people choose furniture that is too big and accessories that are too small. Think about the scale of your items and realize that smaller furniture can make the room feel larger.

While trends may be important when planning space and design, it is also vital to think long-term. Trends are extremely short-lived and the interior designer can steer clients toward a more classic approach that can last for many years. Instead of focusing on trends for the major pieces of a room, add accents that are trendy. Accents can easily be interchanged as trends change throughout the years. Finally, potential clients should realize that hiring an interior designer does not have to be a luxury. Interior designers can save money in the long-term by identifying key space challenges and resolving them before the space is completed. Although homeowners want rooms to be visually-appealing, it is vitally important that they are also useful. True beauty is a side effect of great design; focusing on functionality for each client naturally creates beautiful spaces. By asking questions and truly understanding the client’s lifestyle, interior designers can offer solutions that add to the functionality of their home while still incorporating a look that aligns with the client’s choices.