Insight Design
Interior Design Studio
for all your renovation needs....
Bring Insight On Site
Where interior design is
created with quality of
insight and sympathetic
understanding
WHY HIRE AN INTERIOR DESIGNER
Whether building a new home from the ground up, last child is off
to college and want to redesign your home, have an older home
that desperately needs an update, etc... Whatever the motivation,
you've decided to embark on the process of refining your personal
space to reflect your individual style and unique needs.  You're
aiming for an end result that will announce.. ''Welcome to my new
dream home!''  but you may not actually have a good idea of what
to do or how to do it.

A new home or renovation project is incredibly exciting and but
deeply personal as it aims to improve the environment that many
of us view as an extension of ourselves.  If it wasn't so personal..
any house would do! and I wouldn't have spent 8 months visiting
homes for sale to find a home that still needed renovations to fit
our family's needs!  However, as satisfying as a project may prove
to be, it can also be extremely time-consuming, disruptive and
costly for the uninformed.  Faced with these challenges, you may
wisely be contemplating hiring an interior designer.  

So why should I hire an interior designer you ask?

When renovating a home, deciding where to start and how to
subsequently proceed can be overwhelming.  An interior designer
will help you visualize your anticipated surroundings and identify
your needs, provide you with a plan, elevations, specify all
materials (lighting, plumbing fixtures, flooring, colours, millwork
details etc) all approved by you the client.  This will allow you to
know exactly where you're going with the project so there is no
surprises and basically allow you to get quotes from different
contractors who will all price the same scope of work.  Attentive of
your lifestyle, taste and level of investment, an interior designer
will combine your overall budget and goals, and create a workable
plan to achieve them.

Hiring an interior design professional might be intimidating for
first-time clients.  You might be:

•        concerned about losing control of the project's budget or
the overall concept.
•        worry about the completed job not meeting their
expectations
•        believe that interior designers only work with huge budgets

Truth is, with three or four years of education  +  four years of
internship with ARIDO (Association of Registered Interior
Designers of Ontario), interior designers understand the process
and its corresponding result is ultimately about the client.  We aim
to create well designed spaces, ultimately bring comfort,
functionality and beauty in our designs that reflects the style,
needs and budget of our clients occupying that particular space.


HOW CAN I BE PREPARED BEFORE CONTACTING A
POTENTIAL INTERIOR DESIGNER?

Although designers have been trained to work with different styles,
some design firms concentrate on one style only.  Get informed! At
Insight Design we will work with all styles.  Which most of us
designers do.

Do your homework! This is a critical step!  Gather as much
information as possible. gather magazine clips, photographs,
internet pictures, sketches, list your likes and even dislikes, make
list of concerns, a wish list, etc.  Define the scope of your project,
and most of all determine a budget for your project.  Be prepared
to explain to your interior designer the style you want, the colors
you like and the activities that will occur at times in the space.  
Have pictures of furniture you currently own that you want to
keep.  Remain open to suggestions and ideas that you may not
have initially thought of .... designers can see other options and
will share these with you.  that is a huge benefit to hiring an
Interior Designer.... especially Insight Design!

HOW DO I DECIDE WHICH INTERIOR DESIGNER IS BEST
FOR MY PROJECT?


•        Make a list of potential interior designers.   
•        Ask yourself if you want an ARIDO member designer.
(Membership to ARIDO ensures a designer will bring a desirable
combination of education and experience, along with the highest
ethical and professional standards, to all projects)
•        what experience does the interior designer have? and is she
comfortable with a new challenge
•        what is the process
•        what is the fee structure
•        is the designer comfortable with the style you are requesting
•        talk about each other's design vision for the project.  You
should get a feeling of comfort with the interior designer.   You
and the Designer are looking for someone with whom you ..click''
and feel like you both can work together.
•        to ensure your gut instinct, talk about the designer's
portfolio and credentials.
•        Ask for and check references from past projects


There is no charge for this initial meeting at Insight Design if you
come to our office.  There may be a charge for this initial
consultation with other Design firms.  Check their policy.


WHAT'S INVOLVED WITH WORKING WITH AN INTERIOR
DESIGNER?


You've identified your preferred interior designer?  Great!

•        Discuss your budget!
•        discuss the scope of the project and the amount of input
you desire.  You might want to meet with the designer once a
week or every two weeks depending on the work involved.  
•        Discuss a proposal for design work, review all scope of work
and discuss a reasonable time frame for design work.

NOTE:  Good design does not happen in one TV episode.  IT
TAKES TIME AND PATIENCE!  If you want to be part of it... plan
ahead!  All design steps at Insight Design has to be approved by
our clients.  Discuss the process and time frame with your designer
ahead of time.  This should be included in the design proposal
contract.


BOTTOM LINE REGARDING FEES!

Fees can be defined in several ways:

•        An hourly fee where the payment is based on the amount of
time spent delivering a project (usually based on previous
contracts in the same nature)  or just plain hourly fee if you
require a certain amount of time with an interior designer's
presence.
•        A percentage fee based on a percentage of a project's cost
•        a fixed fee encompassing the entire service from concept to
the final outcome. Which is billed every week, every 2 weeks or
monthly depending on the contract.  (this is rarely seen in
residential projects)

People believe that an enormous budget is required to work with
an interior designer.

'' Potential clients frequently mistakenly believe they can't afford to
use an interior designer.  The reality is they can't afford not to.  
Clients need to consider the significant savings they reap through
trade discounts and calculate the value of the time they save not
overseeing labour and sourcing materials.  Any fees for
professional fees are certain to be far less that what they would
have to expend on these items alone.''  

quote from Martin Ciccone of Ciccone Designs


Tapping into the considerable resources of an interior designer can
be the key to ensuring that creating your ideal haven is
accomplished in a shorter time at a lower cost with minimum
aggravation.  With the assistance of Insight design or a
professional interior designer, your space is sure to truly reflect the
design sensibility that's perfect for your evolving lifestyle.