As with most industries, there are a few misconceptions, stereotypes and frequently asked questions about interior design. Here are 5 myths we commonly encounter on social media, the wider internet and through our clients.
1. "Interior design is expensive."
This is perhaps the most common myth about interior design we hear - that interior design is only for the mega-rich who don't have the time but have the budget to pay someone else to sort out their home or property but actually, interior design is just like any product or service. There is no threshold for interior design! We can complete small, one-bed apartments to sell, with cheaper furniture, manufactured curtains/blinds, and polyester-filled cushions, we can supply a full quote for a large 5-bedroom property to live in, with ornate and even bespoke furniture, luxury accessories, soft furnishings handmade with selected textiles and decorating work as well as everything in between!
At Inspired Show Homes we also offer various payments including rental for an agreed-upon period, purchasing and rent-to-buy options. This lets you take on as little or as much as you like and gives you the option to reuse your interior in a new project or hand it back once the show home/property has sold.
2. "Interior design is a lot of hassle."
Having an interior designer complete your home or project is the complete opposite of hassle! We can take over the whole project and keep you updated along the way so all you have to do is approve of the designs and final product. We will measure the property, source furniture and accessories, co-ordinate textures/patterns/colours and styles, take delivery of all the items, install the interior and hand the keys back over to you at the end of the project! Learn more about our interior design quotation process here: https://www.inspiredshowhomes.co.uk/show-home-interior-design.
More generally, an interior designer allows you to focus on other parts of your show home development or kick back and relax while we get your home looking exactly how you want it to.
3. "I don't want someone else deciding what my house will look like."
So while we can do everything, you are free to be involved as much as you like. At the end of the day, it's your home and we want our clients to be as satisfied as possible! We encourage you to get involved and really enjoy working with clients who know what they want as it actually makes our job easier. In any quote we keep you updated along the way and don't move onto the next stage without approval, but if you have specific pieces you want us to use or a style you would like to incorporate, we will gladly do so.
4. "I don't need an interior designer, I know exactly what works and what doesn't."
There are many people who have an eye for design and know exactly what works and what doesn't, which is brilliant, and having a client get involved with their project is wonderful because having them be happy is ultimately all we're aiming for. However, there are also many people who aren't sure what they like and dislike, haven't been inspired yet or don't know how best to use a particular space in their property. That's where we can help! We can create accurate floor plans and visualisations like 2D graphics and 3D renderings to give us a better idea of how to design the property to take advantage of light, walkways and other important factors. They also allow you to get an idea for the final product. We don't just create a visual picture for the design, though. We also offer delivery and installation with all of our quotes meaning you don't have to order or take delivery of items or install anything, giving you ultimate peace of mind.
5. "I don't need an interior designer, I can buy furniture myself."
This is true, however, we have over 25 trade-only suppliers of furniture, soft furnishings, wallpaper, textiles, accessories, artwork and lighting. We can also work with "high-street" and "customer-facing" suppliers to work out a better price for anything you need for your property. We know how important your time is, and passing the work onto us frees you up to work on other projects if you're a property developer, or your work or family in the case of a private home interior design project.
Finally, because we offer various flexible payment options, you can spread the cost of your complete interior. This is especially useful if you are a property developer and have several projects in the pipeline - you can purchase your interior and move it from property to property. Or, if you have just one property, you can rent the interior and we will collect it at the end of the agreed-upon period or whenever you sell the property!