What are the Benefits of Engaging an Interior Designer
It’s time to grab a cuppa and get down to the nitty gritty….
Lets face it, the 21st century is the age of the internet and metaverse. It has allowed us to become social media influencers, critical thinkers and problem solvers. We have information at the tips of our fingers to know about anything! Just ask Google. So why wouldn’t we take advantage of the digital platform in order to tackle DIY projects?
Let me start by saying there are various levels of difficulty of DIY’s according to skills required, but like anything there are pros and cons. I personally thrive on learning new skills and setting myself challenges. Some of the pros and benefits for tackling DIY projects are a sense of achievement and satisfaction for ourselves. It keeps us motivated, helps with stress and well being. To help others, and allows us to spend more time with family, and saves us time and money. However, simple DIY’s such as repainting your dining room chairs, or learning to build your own bookcase don’t require formal training and qualifications.
What about more complex DIY’s?
You know the ones I’m referring to? Home renovations, selling your own home, tax returns, IT maintenance, electrical or plumbing work, car mechanics, or even building your own website as I have done with mine and will chat more about further on. We now even try to diagnose our own medical issues with the help of Dr Google which I personally find most horrifying. And the DIY list goes on.
Why does human nature intrinsically have this need to challenge ourselves to try the very thing that we aren’t qualified to do? Some of us are more naturally creatively minded than others and I’m sure is a driving factor. Could it also be we are driven by our ego, or our pride? Or just like professional athletes, perhaps we aren’t satisfied unless we are constantly testing ourselves and pushing our creative boundaries. Is it a culture or language barrier, or a lack of time/laziness to find a professional? Or perhaps we have previously had a bad experience and there is now a lack of trust within that industry. The pros mentioned in the first paragraph also have a flip side. What are the cons? Personal satisfaction can lead to frustration and demotivation. What was meant to ease stress actually becomes more stressful and can cause ill health. Saving time can become time consuming. Saving money can become more costly.
What are your Council Regulations & Industry Standards to consider?
It is wise to be mindful that the building and design industries have Australian Standards, legislations, governing bodies or Council Regulations to adhere to. And with a background in insurance, I can’t help but mention; does your insurance policy cover you for your DIY work in the event something should go wrong? My suggestion would be to seek clarification of your policy wording with your Insurer or Insurance Broker. Unless you have the required skills, knowledge, or qualifications, there is potential you may compromise the quality of your DIY work and progress, big or small, or your insurance cover.
What is your Return on Investment with DIY?
I would like to refer back to my earlier mention that I created my website. However, it was not without the professional guidance and expertise from my Creative Coach, author, educator and artist Ellie of Petalplum. I had initially factored into my business budget to outsource a Website Developer, however I ended up spending impulsively on other areas I felt were important in order to help establish my business which left me no more business budget. I also mentioned earlier that I thrive on learning new skills and challenges? Since I was taking a break from my BA studies, I decided that I had creative time up my sleeve and this would be my new challenge.
Did I save myself money? Yes. Did I learn new skills? Yes. Did it become frustrating? Yes. Was I more stressed? Yes. Did it save me time doing it myself? Definitely Not! Have I compromised quality? Yes. Would I do it again? Not unless I was fully trained and/or had specific qualifications! To put it simply had I not had Ellie’s expertise guiding me, the final result of this website would have been embarrassing and definitely not up to the quality or standard required to reflect my branding, nor my personal design standards.
Interior Design Qualifications
One of my proudest moments was receiving my Diploma Certificate.
As I progressed through my Diploma of Interior Design, I began to understand more that the value of an Interior Designers’ work is often overlooked and in my opinion is not valued enough. There can be confusion between the role of Interior Designers and Interior Decorators. Interior decorating is only a small part of our job towards the end of a project.
Interior Designers require formal training with a minimum Diploma or Bachelor qualifications to obtain certain specialised skills and knowledge all of which I outline on my Services page. Joinery is one of the major investments involved in Interior Design. Our understanding of joinery enables us to interpret all different design briefs in a professional and innovative way. Kitchens are the heart of the home. For a successful, and reliable result of a bespoke kitchen design, our intimate knowledge of joinery means our design is customised for a specific space with joinery details you may not have considered. Furthermore cabinetry storage solutions, task lighting, charging stations, open or closed shelving to name a few are all modern kitchen design essentials for a satisfying, functioning and streamlined kitchen that will add significant value to your property.
When do You Hire an Interior Designer?
Knowing when to hire an Interior Designer is like many other things in life. It’s a good indication if you are feeling a bit out of your depth. To maximise the best result for your largest asset, it is worth investing in our specialised skills and knowledge to help you avoid costly design mistakes, how to make a space functional, to pin point your design style and to have access to trusted Professionals.
Another good question to ask yourself - Do your expectations meet with the reality of the project?