You can bank on an expert to make your home special

Yorkshire Post - 2nd January 2008 - Life & Style Section: Homes

Interiors

It neednt cost a fortune to employ an interior design expert to make a sparkling start in your home for 2008. Jamie Hempsall explains why.

Most people assume that using an Interior Designer to help with this will cost a small fortune and is only the preserve of the wealthy elite. Jamie Hempsall dispels this myth and advises how to get the best from your specialist.

In my experience, some clients have a seemingly unlimited amount of money, but the majority have much tighter amounts to work with. Both budgets are equally challenging and enjoyable: it doesn’t necessarily follow that the more it costs, the better it will be. A white Gap T-shirt is just as good as an Armani one when worn with the right accessories and the same goes for interiors.

When spending money on interiors it is vital that you get it right first time and do not make any mistakes, as this can be very costly and time consuming. You may be paying a fee, but ultimately a designer should you money, by avoiding pitfalls and steering you in the direction of quality products at reasonable prices, which are often not even available in the Retail market.

A good interior designer will spend time understanding how you live in your home – how it has to work on a number of very different levels. From children and dogs trampling muck from outside to those adult, sophisticated times when peace reigns momentarily throughout your castle. They will use this knowledge to produce designs that give you the maximum space for you and your families’ needs not an “Ideal Homes” showroom never to be touched or untidied!

A useful idea at any time is to amass clippings from magazines of pictures that you like and that inspire you. It need not be an arduous task, just rip as you read (although only magazines you own!), keep a box file and put them all away until you eventually need them. It can hours of time and allow a good insight into what really inspires you.

A designer should also increase your leisure time as nearly everyone is ‘time poor’ - with hectic lives, families and careers to manage, so something has to give. It is not always practical, or possible, to trawl the shops and department stores looking for that inspirational lamp, fabric swatch or piece of furniture. Your time is valuable and, unless this is something you have burning desire to do, then it might be money well spent handing the responsibility over to a designer who can do it quicker and more effectively.

There are a number of ways that Interior Designers charge for their services these days, but typically they will include a design fee, which can be just a few hundred pounds for one room, This investment will allow you to tap into their wealth of knowledge and skill, ensuring you focus on getting it right and adding those touches that can only be gained from experience. Think of the way a photographer can take the type of picture that you always wish you could, in the same way an interior designer often holds the key to a coherent scheme that will maximise your living space, make the most of your budget and allow you to get on with your life.

Jamie Hempsall is an Associate of the British Interior Design Association. He can be contacted via his website www.jamiehempsall.com