Do I Need an Interior Designer for My New Custom Home?

When planning a custom dream home, some of our clients prefer to choose designs, finishes, and room layouts themselves. Others will ask us if they should rely on an interior designer to guide them through the process to ensure that all their design objectives are met.

As a custom home builder, we tell our clients that either way can work, depending upon how confident they are in making big-ticket decisions. In other words, you don’t need to hire an interior designer if you are building a custom home, but doing so can ease the stress of making and tracking the many decisions involved in building a custom home. If you’re still on the fence, read on to decide which approach works best for you.

What is an Interior Designer?

Interior designers are professionals trained to create visually appealing, fully-functional designs for rooms and other spaces. With respect to custom home building, they are usually independent contractors or agency-affiliated designers who assist clients by creating layouts and spatial designs that bring home interior visions to life.

Whether it’s selecting colors and finishes, or placing furniture and choosing décor, interior designers offer a unique skill set that assists you in creating safe, functional, beautiful spaces.

What is the Role of an Interior Designer?

In the custom home building process, an interior designer serves many roles. While your builder will assist you with floor plan and home layout selection, an interior designer guides the selection of finishes, fixtures, and other design elements that  ultimately make your house feel more like a home. Once construction is finished, you may wish to enlist the designer’s services as you begin to furnish your new space.

An interior designer’s expertise encompasses the selection of appropriate, stylish, and functional window treatments, light fixtures, flooring, floor coverings, artwork, furniture, and more. Their training ensures that the elements you choose seamlessly pull your décor together, resulting in a cohesive look.

Should you choose, your designer can also coordinate the ordering, receiving, and installation of new items for your new custom home, helping to safeguard against botched deliveries and stylistic mistakes.

Benefits

As a home buyer, partnering with an interior designer may provide you with these benefits in the end:

Stress Reduction

Under any circumstances, decorating a custom home can be stressful. Forming a design plan on your own creates added responsibility that requires considerable research and time, which could elevate your stress level at a time when it is already high. An interior designer shoulders the weight of design responsibilities, narrowing selections from a broader range of design trends so that you aren’t overwhelmed by endless choices.

Visualization

Although most home buyers already have a vision for their home’s interior, many lack confidence when choosing design elements to bring that vision to life. A professional designer helps you make selections confidently, resulting in a more worry-free design process as your dream home comes together.

Industry Knowledge

As with professionals in other fields, a credible designer thinks outside the box, offering clients solutions that prove both logical and aesthetically pleasing. Their professional training equips them to spot potential problems with layout or design before it becomes too late to make needed adjustments. Professionals also have industry contacts and sources to which you may not otherwise find access.

Time-Saving

If the process of building a custom home already leaves you feeling stressed, assuming the added responsibility of designing your home’s interior may be better left to a professional. After all, you’ll be making big-ticket decisions that could haunt you for years! An interior designer researches on your behalf to help you make informed choices based on your functionality and style objectives— saving you valuable time.

Money-Saving

Some custom home buyers feel hesitant to invest in interior design services, as they’re already overwhelmed by the amount they’re spending on their new custom-build. While that makes sense, many home buyers end up saving money by partnering with an interior designer.

A professional designer provides valuable insight that can help you save on materials and avoid costly design mistakes. Interior designers also have a knack for knowing where your design dollar investment will provide the most bang for the buck.

Disaster Avoidance

There will be times when the window treatments or flooring you love won’t look good in a space. To the untrained eye, these design faux pas may not show up until the house is finished. At that point, you will have invested a lot of time, money, and energy to install something that you can no longer stand.

An interior designer’s professional perspective can shield you from design disasters by helping you make informed decisions as you make interior selections, resulting in a consistent design that you will love for many years to come.

When building a custom home, hiring an interior designer is not a requirement, but it can make the process go more smoothly. At Sheffield Homes, we build custom and semi-custom homes, and are dedicated to providing homeowners with outstanding service and quality construction that transcend the mainstream. Founded in 1978, Sheffield Homes will guarantee a finished product that exceeds the most stringent expectations. As a local custom home builder, we proudly serve clients in Northern Colorado and the Denver Metro Area. Give us a call!