It's been a long time since Alberta's homesteading days. Not many people these days are going to tackle the job alone with a saw and a pile of logs. In fact, it takes an entire team to create the beautiful new homes we've come to appreciate nowadays. Of course, you have the carpenters, the drywallers, electricians plumbers and painters - but one of the most important members of that team is the interior designer. Here's why:
Designing vs. Decorating
In casual speech, interior design and decorating are often used interchangeably. While this is fine for everyday chit-chat, when you get serious about building a home you need to have a full appreciation of the difference between the two. Decoration encompasses a lot of useful skills, but it's only a small part of what an interior designer does.
Interior design embraces every part of the building process that has an impact on the nature of the finished space. This includes the furnishing and colour selections that decorators pick as well as many additional factors.
A room is more than just furniture and paint - designers understand the way that lighting, surface finishes, trim, and a host of other choices influence the final product. You can learn more about the difference by visiting the Interior Designers of Canada website.
1. Designers Are Experts
As noted above, proper interior designers are highly trained professionals, not just people with a good eye for colour and a knack for picking furniture. Certified professional designers are educated, highly experienced, and participate in ongoing education programs to keep their skills sharp.
Because interior design is a multidisciplinary art, designers are uniquely positioned to provide solutions that simply can't come from any other part of the building industry. For this reason, they tie together wide-ranging expertise with an aesthetic sense that many other professionals lack.
2. Designers Save You Time And Money
If you're thinking of the services of an interior designer as a dubious luxury item, it may be best to think again. A designer-accompanied build is often included in the price of a home. Your experience will be second to none when a designer is part of the core team involved in the process.
Think of them as the wedding planners of the home building industry. Designers provide a supervisory role to many of the other professions and trades involved in making your dream home a reality - much like a wedding planner’s job is to oversee the photographers, caterers and musicians at your wedding.
Also, like planners, designers are able to assist in keeping your project on schedule and under budget. The best designers deliver cost-effective value whenever they help build a home.
3. Designers are Well Connected
A good interior designer will have an extensive contact list of reliable and trustworthy companies, from drapery companies to furniture and accessory suppliers, and will be able to coordinate them to get the job done as efficiently as possible. While this is something you can do yourself, shopping around for the best prices on dozens of items and services all at the same time can become very time-consuming and frustrating. An interior designer can take care of this for you.
4. Designers Tie The Entire Project Together
To expand on the designer's broad perspective in the home-building process, consider this: your designer can become a strong advocate for your vision.
Designers are adept at exploring your options, understanding your desires, and assembling plans that will create an ideal home for you.
With insight into every aspect of the building process, designers are able to make seemingly minor changes during construction that pay off in big ways when your home is complete.
5. Designers Make Spaces More Functional And Appealing
Wasted space is the bane of any homeowner. Unusable or under-utilized areas in a brand new home built to your specifications are doubly frustrating. Designers make sure this doesn't happen. They assess every metre of your new home to verify that it's contributing to the finished whole.
Functionality is just part of a designer's job, though. They provide solutions that aren't just useful; they're also attractive. Designers don't believe in "it's ugly but it works." They are dedicated to finding elegant solutions that will look as good as they perform.
6. Designers Deliver The Latest Trends
You should also consider the way the homebuilding industry evolves over time. Certain features, fittings, and styles come into favour while others fall by the wayside. If you're committed to building a home tailored uniquely to you, you want to make sure you get close to the cutting edge.
Your interior designer will make sure your home is visually appealing, with design elements that won't look dated in just a few short years. You'll also enjoy the full benefits of the latest and greatest innovations in building techniques, equipment, and furnishings - everything from luxury appliances to energy-efficient glazing. This all translates into a home that's worth bragging about.
7. Designers Add Value
Hopefully, you're coming around to the point of view that an interior designer is a major asset on your home building team. If you'd like to hear one final advantage they deliver, consider the long-term value of your new home. A house built with a designer's care will age well and appreciate faster. This can translate directly into money in your pocket if you decide to sell your home in the future.
The NuVista Difference
At NuVista homes, we've been in the building business long enough to understand exactly how important interior design is. That's why our team works with a number of designers in developing our home layouts. When you work with us on your new home, you'll get the full benefit of design expertise right from the beginning.
Our staff will walk you through the numerous features that have already been designed into your home and help you select areas for further customization.
When you invest in a new home build, you deserve to get your money's worth. You'll go a long way towards achieving that goal by working with experienced builders and professional interior designers.
All of the benefits listed here are strong arguments in favour of the designer, but the finished product - a fine and functional home you can take pride in - is the best argument of all.
*Originally posted August 18, 2016, updated October 25, 2018.
