Behind the Scenes: What a Designer Actually Does for You

Overview: A blog discussing the experience of working with an interior designer and the advantages it offers.

Design Can be Overwhelming

For many people, designing their home can be overwhelming and feel beyond their expertise. It's common to finally decide to invest in your home after saving, only to feel confused and unsure of where to start. Often, when I mention that I'm an Interior Designer, people express their struggle with making all the decisions needed to create a cohesive design. Many want their home to reflect their personality but aren't sure how to achieve that or blend different tastes and preferences. Despite this, many are hesitant to hire a designer. Today, I aim to alleviate some of that anxiety by giving you an inside look at what a designer actually does and how it can be beneficial.

A Designers Job

Many people are unsure about what a designer actually does. Essentially, designers are problem solvers. Most homeowners seek out a designer because they face a challenge in their home that requires assistance. This could involve a kitchen that's too small, a living room with insufficient seating, an outdated room, or a bathroom in need of renovation. Homeowners often ask friends or turn to Facebook groups for recommendations, then reach out to one or more designers to discuss their needs. If they find a suitable match, the designer will visit the home to explore the space further. During this visit, the designer might offer ideas or suggestions, but typically they take notes, possibly photographs, and engage in a detailed conversation about your lifestyle, how the room functions or fails to function, your desired outcome, and your preferred style. After the visit, the designer will create a proposal outlining the scope of work discussed, including the cost, solutions, and a timeline for completion.

After the initial meeting, the designer is focused on finding solutions to your problem and determining how to implement them. If you mentioned that your kitchen feels cramped, they explore various possibilities to improve the situation for you. This might involve expanding into an adjacent room, removing a wall, or simply reorganizing the current space to enhance its flow and functionality. Designers listen carefully, assess the situation, and devise a solution that better suits your needs. Often, these ideas are ones you haven't considered, as designers are trained in space planning and room functionality, and they understand what is feasible within a given space.

Creating the Concept

Once the proposal is approved, it's time to begin the work! At this stage, a designer will develop conceptual ideas, select potential fabrics and finishes, and create a more detailed plan for your design project. These ideas will be presented to you for discussion to ensure the designer is aligned with your vision. Following this, the sourcing and detailed planning phase begins. The designer will start locating items that meet your requirements, whether it's furniture pieces for a living room or cabinet and tile selections for a bathroom. These elements will be compiled into mood boards and visuals to give you a feeling of the completed space. During this period, you will often be shown samples and may even go shopping for items.

Once all designs and items receive approval, the procurement process begins. The designer takes charge of ordering all your items, managing a significant portion of the project for the homeowner. This significantly reduces the workload and stress for homeowners, as orders often come from various suppliers. The designer monitors all timelines, backorders, and delivery details, so you don't have to worry. If multiple items are being ordered, they will likely be sent to a storage warehouse that inspects them for damage and stores them until everything is ready for delivery and installation. Without this service, imagine all your items arriving at different times while you're still painting the room or replacing the flooring, leaving you with nowhere to store them! This is a major advantage of working with a designer.

Ready for Install

After your home has completed the work you were having done, you and the designer will arrange a date for the delivery and setup of all your items. An additional advantage is that you won't need to assemble the furniture or move it around, and they will also take all the packing materials with them.

The final stage of the process is staging and accessorizing, provided you've hired your designer for this service. This is when all the exciting items that reflect your personality and enliven the space are introduced. These elements will unify the entire design! Some designers will stage the area and then allow you to choose which items you'd like to retain. And there you have it! You now possess a stunning space that addresses your previous issues, allowing you to relax and enjoy.

Although it doesn't completely remove the stress of having construction or work done in your home, it provides peace of mind knowing that someone else is managing it for you, and many decisions are no longer your responsibility.

What a Designer Actually Does Summarized

So, let's recap all of the amazing things a designer can actually do for you and how it's beneficial.

• Creating unique solutions for your space to enhance its functionality for you.

• Developing a unified design plan for your space, where every item is thoughtfully chosen to meet your needs and harmoniously complement each other. No need to guess if items coordinate well.

• Assisting you in developing a well-informed budget and determining what is achievable based on your needs, while ensuring adherence to that budget. This approach prevents impulse purchases or incorrect buys that could significantly exceed your budget. Having the whole design decided before hand can really help with staying within the budget, rather than buying as you go.

• Locating and sourcing all the items (furniture, tile, paint, cabinetry) that you might not have known about. A designer has access to an extensive database of places to find unique items, offering far more options than standard retail suppliers. Consider all the time you'll save by not having to conduct endless searches on your own!

• Limiting choices and only being presented those that align perfectly with your desired outcome is incredibly beneficial. This approach is useful because when confronted with countless options, it can often lead to feeling overwhelmed and result in decision paralysis.

• Ensuring that the scale of the items fits your space is crucial. Purchasing a couch that's too big may lead to unexpected expenses. Additionally, all artwork will be appropriately sized!

• A designer will serve as your go between with any tradespeople involved. This means they won't be interrupting you with questions while you're busy working or managing your household.

• Managing and organizing the logistics for the items required to finish your project can be quite demanding. Sourcing from various suppliers for a single room consumes valuable time that you could spend elsewhere.

• Managing the delivery and installation of all your items so that they all happen at one time, instead of doing it in separate stages and multiple days.

• Finally, serving as a trusted advisor for a significant project in your home, which typically involves numerous questions and represents a substantial investment.

While hiring a designer might seem like an unnecessary expense or a task you can manage yourself, you can see there are numerous advantages to having someone with expertise assist you.

FAQ's

1. How many designers should I interview?

   1. Sometimes you find your perfect designer at the first phone call, but sometimes it takes a few interviews before you find someone you click with. This person will be part of your life for several months to a year on average, so you want to make sure you are really comfortable with them. They'll be in and out of your home and on occasion asking personal lifestyle questions to make your space a better fit for you.

2. I love DIY and this still seems like something I don't need?

   1. Lots of people love to do the work themselves and are very good at it! You have to ask yourself though (and be truthful), does this project fit into our busy lifestyle and will I have time to devote to it? Do I typically start a project but then have a hard time finishing it? Am I ok with a project dragging on much longer than I thought as we balance life needs with project needs? Sometimes what sounds good by doing it yourself and like a money savings can actually wind up costing more by purchasing the wrong items or impulse buying, leave you with aches and pains from the labor and turn into a never ending construction zone as you try to work around your work schedule and only have time on the weekends.

3. Will the designer focus solely on their style?

   1. Sadly you can come across a designer who doesn't listen as well as they should to their clients and tries to talk you into a design that isn't what you wanted. Stand your ground and make sure that the final result is something that you love, not what they love. At the end of the day you are the one who lives there and not the designer. Designers might have reasons for certain things they are proposing and it's good to listen to those reasons, but if you still feel strongly against it - say so. And if that fails, it might be time to find a new designer.

Author Bio:

Heather West is the founder of Designs by Heather, a Saint Johns / Jacksonville area / and virtual residential interior designer that helps busy, established homeowners achieve stunning, personalized, one room to full home transformations.

Known for her authenticity, creativity and integrity, Heather brings 20 years of experience, winning Best of Florida, and a degree in Interior Design to each project. Whether she’s providing her Curated Home Package, or Room by Room Package, her work reflects her passion, and desire to give her clients the best design she can.

Heather and her work have been featured in Best of Florida 2025, Voyage Jacksonville, Rentblog, and Redfin. When she’s not working, you’ll find her spending time with family, reading or traveling (she loves to explore amazing hotel lobbies).

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