You’ve made the decision to design your residential interior. You’ve completed the first step.

The next thing to think about is to what extent do you want change. Do you want to remodel walls, floors, ceilings, add space, improve lighting, change the layout of space, open up space, close space, add windows, doors, tear down and start from scratch,  or stay with what you have with no construction?

  The guiding line here is that the room should be designed to best perform the functions for which it is used. What are the functions of the room? What needs to be done to make those functions pleasant and comfortable? What is the highest level of aesthetics that can be achieved in completing those tasks?

When that decision is made, you should ask yourself what is to be the flavor of the aesthetics of the room? What do you like and what ambiance looks like you? Do you want to stick with what you have liked in the past, or do you want to venture into a new directions and expand your horizons? Am you brave enough, secure enough, and mature enough to make and live in a different environment?

Next, how long do you want these changes to last? What level of quality do you want? What are the short and long term goals for redesigning this interior space? How important is your enjoyment of this space and what role does finances play in the project? Is social-economic status to play a role? Will this space become home?

When these decisions are made, put together a financial plan for what it will cost in today’s market and what you can comfortably afford financially. Be realistic. Don’t go back to what things cost in the past. Today is today. Today is not yesterday. You may need to be working with your chosen interior  designer before you can finalize this information, but you know what you can realistically and comfortably afford. Don’t expect more than you can afford or are willing to pay.

Then, you need to choose an interior designer with whom you can work. The most important factor in choosing an interior designer is that it should be someone who knows what they are doing and can produce results. This choice should be strictly business. Now is not the time to choose friends, neighbors, relatives, acquaintances, social status, business associations, trends, et cetera.  It should be strictly who can manifest the best results.

You will work closely with your designer and you should be professionally compatible, but it is not necessary that you like or become friends with the designer. The relationship should be one of professional respect and cooperation to manifest the best results possible and not to socialize.

Last, but not least, you merely have to sign the contract, make the deposit, let them do the job for which you hired them, and launch forward into a new adventure which results in beauty. Never, under any circumstances, deal with anyone in an interior design project who does not sign a contract.

Food for thought.