So, several months ago, I was looking for potential interior designers to be working with us for a renovation to our house. The project involved moving walls and reconfiguring the floor plan for an additional bedroom, as well as a whole new kitchen. Pretty much every room was to be overhauled.
Luckily, I found Diva's Interior that helped me and my boyfriend renovate our place. They are one of the leading house interior design services in Singapore, and hiring them is one of the best decisions I made this year.
The interior designer’s role
The interior designer’s role is to come up with the ideas and concepts based on our needs and wants. They helped us see way beyond what we could imagine for ourselves. You do not even have to know what you want or how to get what you want before you call an interior designer. They help you figure that out. Interior designers introduce us to products and materials that will create a unique and custom look for their home. They are then able to draw detailed plans including millwork, tile layouts, and present them using technology like floor plans, elevations, and 3D renderings.
Interior designers are more of a one-stop-shop. They conceptualize the ideas, create plans, and often oversee the project through the construction stage. Right through to the decorating stage, where they order all the furnishings and install them for a complete finished look. Some interior design companies choose not to manage the construction phase, but most will have a support team of builders, architects, and subs.
Most interior designers will (and should) charge for that initial meeting since we are getting to work immediately with ideas and concepts.
Why I hired Diva's Interior
I used to be confused about builders, architects, and interior designers. Why do people resort to hiring a builder or managing the project themselves?
Well, it boils down to costs. I realized that hiring an interior design service in Singapore is the wisest option. They are experts through and through. The more professionals you bring in, the more you are paying in fees, and the less that goes toward your actual project. It is why you will find that some homeowners will make professionals do the work of others to save money. I have heard from many builders that their clients ask them to design and expect them to choose the countertop or cabinets or whatever, instead of calling in an interior designer.
They will also ask the builder to give them their opinion on whether they should move a wall or not. While some builders are experienced enough to help with some of these questions, it is not their area of expertise, and they certainly do not want to take on the risk. They have so much to do as it is and usually do not have time to do someone else’s job.
Knowing the cost and worth
However, as the client, you need to know what you have to spend on your project, and how best to use that money. For example, if you have $25,000 to renovate a bathroom. You need a builder to get the work done, but I would suggest calling in an interior designer first. You may have them create the drawings and select materials, and you and your builder can take it from there. However, in Diva's interior design studio, they strongly recommend including a couple of site visits to review plans first.
Skimping on the parts of the project can end up costing you in the end. Regardless of who you decide to hire, you need to have detailed plans on paper. Just saying something verbally, is first of all not binding legally. It is always open to individual interpretation, and people forget things. When it is properly documented and everyone signs off on it, that leaves little room for error. And even when errors occur, it will clearly define who is liable. It is easier to back-track when the error occurred. I cannot tell you how many horror stories I have heard about installations that go rogue.
Conclusion
When an interior designer is involved, their drawings will clearly state what we want, with detailed dimensions and elevations. They often will meet with the builder on the day that the item is being installed because we know that we are asking for something unusual.
The idea of a renovation is already very overwhelming, and there are a lot of decisions to be made quickly. Every decision impacts the next, and delays can happen if the process is not carefully managed. Reliable interior design renovation services work with you to ensure that materials and products are ordered on time. Again, they look at the big picture, down to the furnishings that we will be installing later. Most builders do not handle that.
If you are looking for an interior design renovation service in Singapore, I highly recommend Diva's Interior. Visit their website and let them help you today.
