Have you used an interior designer?

[Akeevah]

We are building a brand new 3000sq ft house. I’m okay with interiors but I’d love an interior designer to get that wow factor.

Have you used one? Are you glad you did? How does pricing work? What did it cost? If you don’t mind me asking

No. My problem with them is exactly that stagey 'wow factor'. You can always tell it was interior designed.

If you want to, though, your architect practice will almost certainly have someone on their staff who does interiors. Are you looking for someone to help with layout issues, or just decorating? Do you already have furniture, or are you buying new contents for the house?

I’ve not used one (mid renovation atm) and wouldn’t. I imagine that they’d be several degrees worse than architects- wanting to make grand statements with someone else’s money. We have a family friend who used one and her house looked like a celebrity’s(she did have a huge budget) and I’m not convinced she even likes it. I just don’t know how someone else thinks they can design interiors that you like better than you can.

It varies according to the designer and the level of service you require. Cheaper designers often charge a fixed fee for a concept design for each room. For detailed designs and project management etc, you might be charged by the hour or as a percentage of the overall budget of the project.

It's often suggested to budget around 20% of the total build cost but many higher end designers won't take on projects without substantial budgets. The concept design process can be useful in terms of bringing ideas to the table you may not have thought of, but I believe the 'wow factor' should be in the build itself - that's the job of a good architect, which unfortunately are few and far between.

Yes! And my home is not at all “celebrity like” - think scandi-boho with a lot of wooden stuff and IKEA.

I used someone from Fiverr who offered “design my house using IKEA products” for a very reasonable fee. Mainly it was to check that some items I wanted would fit the room but she also came up with some nice ideas that I hadn’t thought of. Also there’s no reason you have to get ikea stuff - they just offer that option as it’s internationally available, and I could also suggest other local stores with websites and she chose from those too.

I also used someone else (local) to help advise on lighting and light fittings and she was great. Again I used things at the more modest end of the price range (one £100 light fitting for the middle of a room and the rest were way less than that) but she helped me find the way to get things that fitted both my taste and my budget.

No, because I am one. Or was.
Should that therefore be "yes"?

A couple of my friends have. Whilst I like the put together-ness of them, they are very much of their time so now look slightly dated in a way that a more higgedly piggedly look as you've acquired things over a period just doesn't.

DM has used the same one a few times. The woman will consult by the hour or the day. One thing she’s done very effectively is help DM with arranging furniture acquired over time in new ways, then she will source the piece that brings the room together.

There is a wide range of interior designers, and the point is that it is a tailored service so you choose one who can deliver the aesthetic you like/ want at the budget you set (though if your budget is v. Low there are some who won't want to do the job.) A good interior designer will optimise the space - often in ways you hadn't even thought of - and will give you something timeless that has space to evolve and isn't trend-driven (unless that is what you want.) I would suggest maybe reading a few issues of House & Garden (their online offering is also excellent, and free) and seeing whose work appeals. Some of them also work with The Expert which is an online consultation. Also, some will work on just some rooms - for instance, you might only want to employ them for the reception rooms.

A professional and sympathetic interior designer will help you think outside the box and make the decisions that will make your house perfect for you.
I recommend you contact melbabeetham.com

Yes and my experience doesn’t align with some of the PP.

I’ve always been very clear I’m not starting from a blank slate: I have furniture and art that need to be incorporated into the plan.

I’ve been very pleased. Broadly the fees were about 20% of overall decorating/furnishing budget.

I have, twice. Total pain in the arse. The first did a decent job on the actual design but managed to take 4 months to decorate the fucking sitting room. Fucked up the timing of all the various trades etc, measured incorrectly.
Second one even worse. Fucked up the design as didn't get the builder to check where the plumbing in the bathroom was and therefore what would work. Ended up scribbling an entirely new design on a piece of paper the day the project started. Not what I wanted as I had specifically asked for separate bath and shower, now she says it will only work with a shower over the bath.
Didn't plan for enough lights. Bought wrong size shower fixtures. Finally chose a disaster of a builder who walked out on day 4.
Now I stick to Pinterest 😂

We used the free John Lewis one and jr was brilliant

It can also be helpful to get your interior designer, lighting designer, landscape designer etc on board early in the design process so they can review and input. If you're having an outdoor kitchen, separate gym with wet room or other facilities outside of the main house, ensure these all work together in the overall plan