Atlanta Interior Design Clients – How to Pick the Right Interior Design Firm
We hope everyone had a great July 4th weekend! We wanted to give you guys an informative, thought-providing post today. Although this blog is dedicated to providing our Atlanta interior design clients with information, tips, tricks, and general interior design advice, we wanted to take the spotlight off of us for a minute. We'd like to think we work well and are fortunate enough to have great clients who would choose our interior designers over any other interior design firm; however, we also recognize that certain firms may be a natural fit for certain clients. As with relationships, it's not just about the skills/talent - the personalities must also be a fit. When you're choosing out your next Atlanta interior design firm, make sure to ask the following questions:
Do I have to start from scratch? - the best interior design firms ealize you have cherished items, sometimes heirloom treasures, and will work these into the master plan. You should never feel you have to throw it all out - ask them if they offer interior design service for the entire house, or room by room as well. Some interior designers do require a full house investment, so ask. Many others will work with you by the room. It is still always advised to have a master interior design plan created so you have a blueprint of your progress. For each of our Atlanta interior design clients, we take the time to understand their interior design needs and plan the project accordingly. All of our Atlanta interior design projects are custom-made with the approval of our clients - for us, it's all about creating an intimate relationships with our clients to really meet their interior design needs.
Do you have a portfolio? - if not, how will you gauge the type of work the interior designer is capable of? If so, does it represent a broad range of modern and traditional interior design styles, indicating the potential to be flexible and meet your personal taste and style? Extensive interior design portfolios will give you a great idea of exactly what the interior design firm is good at, and in some cases, where there are opportunities for improvement. We show all of our Atlanta interior design clients an extensive portfolio highlighting all of our past interior design projects - this saves a lot of time and provides instant, tangible credibility for our interior design skills/talent.
Do you work with a budget? - everyone has a “spending plan,” whether it is $1,500, $15,000, or $150,000+. It is important to be upfront with this information so you both know the level of investment expected. Some interior designers have minimum project fees. Others will provide hourly consultations, with a typical minimum of 3+ hours. Budgets are absolutely critical for every interior design project - we clarify upfront exactly how much our Atlanta interior design clients are looking to spend before starting any kind of work.
Will you provide me with options? - each interior designer is different. Some work as dictators, insisting and telling you what you need. Other interior design firms are more diplomatic, and provide the best options with pros and cons for all, and guide you to a decision. Make a wise, informed decision here - this could mean the difference between an efficient, worthwhile interior design project versus a costly, overdone interior design project. As we started above, our policy is to work hand-in-hand with our Atlanta interior design clients to make sure we're doing the right thing for them.
How do you charge? - all interior designers have their own fee plans; many work on an hourly basis with a cost plus combination model. Others work on a project cost or square footage basis. Many interior designers will provide you with an estimate at the project initiation to avoid any unpleasant surprises later. Our Atlanta interior design clients enjoy our hourly-based cost structure because they can easily keep track of the work we do and know exactly where their money is going towards. Make sure to clarify this upfront our with your interior design firm.
Do you have a contract? - many interior designers work by contract or letter of agreement. This protects both the interior designer and client from any surprises and should confirm and clarify the scope of the project and all fees. It should include an estimate of the interior design project cost and time expected. We make sure to provide our Atlanta interior design clients with a detailed, thorough statement of work at the beginning of every interior design engagement.
How long will my project take? - while this seems like an obvious question, it's important that the interior design project has a deadline, especially if you're paying the interior design firm on a hourly basis. This varies widely depending on the size of the interior design project, but it can often be helpful to have an idea in advance of the time frame anticipated. This is also important to learn if the interior designer has enough time to devote to your project, and to establish realistic expectations. Since this is about the right fit, it is appropriate for the design professional to find out as much as possible, about you, your family, your tastes and preferences, your anticipated project investment, your expected time frame, and how you want to work. Allow the interior design professional you hire to do their job effectively. We really take our work seriously and make sure to establish deadlines and checkpoints to make sure our Atlanta interior design clients are with us every step of the way.
That is it! We hope the above information was helpful when deciding which interior design firm fits you best. We work with our Atlanta interior design clients to not only set the budget, timeframe, and design expectations, but to really educate them on why and how we do our interior design. We educate our Atlanta interior design clients so there are no surprises and they are in tune with us from the initial consultation to the finished masterpeice!
Four Must-See Tips for Kitchen Interior Design
The kitchen is one of the most important rooms in a house. From an interior design standpoint, this is where a lot of our Atlanta interior design clients want to focus on. It's not much of a surprise if you look at the facts - a remodeled kitchen can often return twice or more the cost of it's investment upon selling the house. It's a pretty big deal so we've put together this post on some fundamental concepts to apply when thinking about great kitchen interior design.
There are 4 basic kitchen layouts primarily used in interior design: “Fab Four”: the one-wall or single-wall plan, the “L-Shape”, the “U-Shape” and the increasingly popular “Island” layout. All of these layouts are based on the classic “kitchen triangle” of sink, stove and refrigerator.
Your budget along with the current floor plan and placement of plumbing and electrical features can restrict how creative you can be with any of the above layouts, but homeowners are often surprised how much flexibility they have when they choose the right interior design layout for their kitchen.
Interior Design Layout # 1 – The easiest to implement of these basic kitchen layouts is the “one-wall” or “single-wall ” design. This layout is based on placing the sink, stove and refrigerator with any counter tops against a single wall. This type of layout is very flexible and you can setup workstations in any arrangement you like. The only requirement is that the wall you use must be at least 8 feet in order setup all the equipment in place unless you use miniaturized appliances.
Interior Design Layout # 2 – This next one is very popular many homes with medium sized kitchens is the “L-Shape” layout. With this decorating or kitchen layout, can set up the appliances or equipment in the “L’s” corner while spreading out the countertop workspace on both legs.
Interior Design Layout # 3 – Another popular kitchen layout is the “U-Shape”. This is an excellent kitchen interior design for a larger floor plan. Here all the appliances and sink be can be wrapped around the “U” with each leg home for a triangle point: the stoveFree Articles, sink or freezer. This design allows for lots of counter space and prep area between each section.
Interior Design Layout # 4 – the final of these four basics of kitchen interior design is the “Island”. Here you basically take a standard “U-Shape” layout and expand it out with a separate workspace or “island” in the center. This layout is best for a kitchen that has enough floor space to workstations from becoming blocked or congested from too much traffic.
We hope this article has been informative for those of you looking to apply solid interior design concepts to your kitchen. Our Atlanta interior design clients often ask us to educate them on these same concepts, so it was a no-brainer for us to share this with all of you.
The Inside Scoop on Interior Design Salaries
Hey everyone! We've been getting a inquiries from our Atlanta Interior Design clients about what it takes to be an interior designer and how much they can expect to make doing so. Let's take the time to set the record straight, because there is a lot of hype and glamour around the interior design industry. While it's certainly a luxurious job that offers an unique blend of creativity, artistry, and consulting, the famous names you hear about in the media aren't indicative of your typica, everyday interior designers. While you can certainly make a fortune from interior design, especially if you market yourself and your brand well, it would be naive to expect a 6-figure salary and glamorous clients right out of school. Speaking for ourselves, it took us many years to establish and build relationships with our high-profile Atlanta interior design clients - as with 99.9% of things in life, nothing is achieved overnight except maybe lottery winnings.
When it comes to paying an interior designer, the rates are all across the board because it will all depend on the location of the job, on the experience of the interior designer, and many other factors that will play a part in the interior design salary.
There are base salaries that have been projected by researchers as just guidelines to follow but the salaries will vary. The interior design salary for a typical Interior designer would be around $36,674 but that all depends again on what you will define a typical designer as. If you are a well-known designer who has a done a lot of work that people know about then that will make you in demand which will make your interior design salary go up significantly.
There is also the difference between an interior design salary versus an interioir decorator salary. These two jobs are different in the aspect that the decorator is a person who will take a space and do the decorating of it but the designer needs to know all of the principles and the rules that surround that decorating which in turn will make their interior design salary a lot higher.
But if you really want to know the range of the basic interior design salary, it will range anywhere from $22,000 to $40,000 a year. This salary will fluctuate depending on the schooling and specialties that the designer may hold, the employer that they work for, the location where the job is, and the most important factor which is the reputation of the designer.
The interior design salary has potential to be a six figure income to the designer and usually when the designer has worked at a company for some time and has built up their reputation along with their client base, they will eventually branch off from the employer and open up their own design firm. They will then charge by the hourly rate which might bring their interior design salary down somewhat while they are just getting started but once they get their own company off of the ground and have to start hiring interior designers themselves, then their interior design salary will rocket through the roof and they will have a nice nest egg to sit on when they retire.
Being an interior designer or having an interior decorating career has its many benefits when it comes to the interior design salary but the main benefit of the job is the freedom and the creativity that the designer can share with his or her customers. The minute the designer lets the politics of the business and the greed of the money get in their way is the time that they lose the inspiration that started them off in the first place.
We hope that provided some great insight into making a full-time living as an interior designer. Our Atlanta interior design clients have treated as well because they understand the expertise and experience we bring to the table. Each our of our interior designers have impressive resumes and get paid very well for their services. If you're looking to make it big as an interior designer, don't hesitate to learn as much as you can and get some valuable experience under your belt - this all needs to happen before you start working for high-profile interior design clients, whether in Atlanta or other metropolitan cities.
Interior Design for Children
We hope everyone had a marvelous weekend here in Atlanta, GA. We had the luxury of servicing a new Atlanta interior design client with an interesting project - performing interior design on their children's room. While this certainly isn't the first time we've done interior design work for a toddler, it's been well over a year since our last one. Helping our Atlanta interior design client out with such an important project really got us thinking about the joys of our profession. In fact, we were so inspired by the project that we wanted to share some of our techniques for delivering successful interior design for children.
A good beginning point or theme for interior design for children is to start with any favorite activity or toy or even character of the child’s interest. Remember that many items of interest to children are topics that will change with time so try to take advantage of these interests and favorites with accessories and changes that will be easy to replace in the future as their interests and needs change. If a child has an interest or a particular activity that they are very enthused about and they have a special request that would make the design very special to them, go for it as long as the parents are as enthusiastic as the child is. Also, forewarn them of any possible headaches they might experience changing it in the future when it comes time to redesign the space in order to accommodate the child’s changing needs.
When choosing your color plan or schemes remember that interior design for children offers you unique opportunities to use bold or bright colors that would usually not be ideal for use in adult surroundings. Along the same lines, certain areas of the room would be more ergonomic to use as focal points then would in an adult’s atmosphere. For example, a chalkboard or toy box might capture a child’s attention more so then would a table or seating arrangement.
Another aspect of design that will vary from adult tastes when planning interior design for children would be the accessories that will be used to highlight and accentuate key features. Toys and collectibles make wonderful objects to use in this application. However, many times toys that are placed on display or for decoration are toys that the child would enjoy much more by being able to play with it rather then it actually being on display. You can solve this dilemma by either using old, unused toys that no longer captivate the child’s interests or even by purchasing duplicates and allowing them to actually use one version of the toy and letting them know that the others are ‘for looking only’.
Tying in interior design for children can be accomplished easily by purchasing one of millions of available bed treatments that is complimentary to the designs and themes used in the creation of the room layout as well as fitting in well with the accessories chosen. Many bed treatment packages come prepackaged with matching detailed sheets, a comforter, dust ruffle, and window coverings. These items can bring a room together in the greatest of all fashions and are an option in interior design for children that are obtainable by anyone looking to make a change.
Always remember when planning interior design for children that a child changes attitudes, opinions, and behaviors around every three years. Permanent changes of any type are a big no-no and practical, cost effective ones are ideal. A good furniture tip to remember when designing for kids is to buy reasonably priced, sound furniture that doesn’t break the bank. Kids are even harder on furniture then they are on clothes!
Well, there you go. Hopefully we've provided you with some great information on how to provide some great interior design for your children (or your neighbors/friend's children). While we love servicing all of our Atlanta interior design clients, there is something magical about doing a children's interior design that can't be put into words. We'll just say "damn, we love what we do!".
How to Brainstorm Great Interior Design
One of the most intriguing and fun aspects of being an interior design firm, especially in a big city like Atlanta, are the opportunities we get to leverage our artistic freedom. In our opinion, artistic freedom is different from just creativity - it's not only brainstorming the vision, but more importantly, having the capacity to mold and execute that vision into reality. Everybody in business these days needs creativity to really grow and sustain their competitive advantage, but with interior design, we get paid to actually bring that vision to life.
Now, just because we've got several years of interior design experience as well as educational degrees from design schools doesn't mean we don't struggle with "designer's block". Similar to "writers block", sometimes we run out of the creative juices needed to truly innovate and overdeliver for our Atlanta interior design clients. Although there are certain "run-of-the-mill" interior design concepts that we try to apply for our clients, how we differentiate ourselves as a premier Atlanta interior design firm is by going the extra mile to truly innovate and explore new possibilities. Sometimes, our inspiration comes from other top-notch interior designers or interior design firms, interior design magazines/publications, or even just great design in other industries such as architecture.
Below are some of the resources we use to get our right-brain churning (and you can use these too!):
Television - one of easiest ways to get inspired by interior design is to watch television these days. There are several shows that are focused on the step-by-step process of interior designing an entire house. When you watch these interior design programs, make sure to have a pen and pad ready to take notes. The interior designers they showcase on TV are certainly first-class in their quality and worksmanship, however, pay special attention to the creative process. Although they sometimes edit this part out of the programming for time's sake, any glimpses into their brainstorming session are pure gold. If you're constantly on the go and simply don't have the time to sit down for a half hour or hour, remember the lifesaving technology called DVR. To be honest, we've shamelessly used some amazing ideas we got from TV to astound our Atlanta interior design clients!
Books - although interior design is such a visual study, there is still plenty of valuable information to be gleaned from authoratitive literature. Books tend to have a very well thought out plan for implementing any kind of home interior design on its pages. As an added bonus, great interior design literature usually have more than enough photos and pictures to help get a good mental picture of the process. Once in a while, we turn to books to really deliver some solid, conceptual practices to our Atlanta interior design clients.
Magazines - these are our favorite kind of publications to go through. The pictures and artwork displayed here consistently inspire great interior design. Although they may never admit it, many industry-leading interior design firms collect large quantities of magazine articles and pictures and store them for inspiration and reference. One of the ways you can utilize magazines it to create a scrapbook with some of your favorite designs and articles. You could then separate them according to a specific theme or room type. One thing to be leery of is the price tag of some of the featured interior design - the decor they show you impresses but could take a big chunk out of your bank account. Many of our more affluent Atlanta interior design clients prefer we show them magazines to give them a visual idea of exactly what they want to do. Although this certainly makes our interior design project simpler, they have the rare luxury of focusing only on the design and not the cost.
We hope this informative post has given you some insight into not only how we get inspired to create innovative interior design for our Atlanta clients, but also how you can easily do the same and be proactive when it comes to your home. There is nothing we love more than brainstorming with an Atlanta interior design client who knows exactly what they want. It makes everyone's job easier and the outcome is truly an astounding peice of art.
The Meaning of Colors in Interior Design
Although we may not notice it everyday, colors bring meaning to life. This is especially true when it comes to interior design, where picking the right colors can make all the difference between eye-popping or simply just being an eye-sore. The first thing we do during our initial consultation with Atlanta interior design clients is to provide them a color wheel and point out some schemes that would really make the project "pop". For those of you who may be new to interior design and are looking for what the different colors may mean to you, we've created a quick introduction to the intricate, provoking, and beautiful world of colors.
At a very high level, there's some distinctions that you should be aware of: active colors (such as red, yellow and orange), passive colors (blue, green and purple) and neutral colors (white, black, gray, beige and brown). Each of these color groupings provide a different interior design feel. For example, warm colors tend to stand out; neutrals are well...neutral, and passive colors calm the atmosphere.
Now let's take a look at what each color means, as each color lends it's own distinct look and feel to an interior design project.
Red is for many the color of passionate love: a red rose, a red box of chocolates on Valentines Day, a red heart, but in South Africa red means mourning. Red is also the most common color found in national flags. Red is also the color of blood - red eggs at Easter symbolize the blood of Christ and good luck. Red is good luck also in China, where it is also used as wedding color. If you like red, creating an interior decoration with an Oriental theme is a perfect choice. For our Atlanta interior design clients, we've found that red is often an extremely popular choice.
Green is the color of nature. You find it everywhere: in trees, grass and even some fruits. It relaxes and inspires. In ancient times green was the color of honor and victory. In Ireland, this is still the color of good luck. Although we haven't found green to be extremely popular in our interior design work, it adds a nice change of pace for smaller rooms such as the playroom or den.
Blue is the most common color used in interior design - it relaxes and refreshes, it provides for a feeling of safety. This shouldn't be a surprise: as you know blue is also the color for police uniforms. If you choose blue for your home, you cannot go wrong. But blue is a cold color, so balance it with orange or yellow.
Purple is a royal color and when used properly, can produce a breathtaking interior design feel. In ancient times purple was difficult to obtain - the color was extracted from Purpura snails. This is also the color of inspiration, so if you are an artist, a room with purple accents might stimulate your mind. This color is also believed to help kids develop imagination, and because of this, it is often used for the design interior on children's rooms.
Yellow and orange are extremely warm colors. Within interior design, these colors are rarely used because they stand out and often clash with calmer colors like white. From a symbolic standpoint, they are usually associated with the sun and with tropical fruits (oranges, bananas, lemons). Both have a positive impact, however yellow could be taken as a symbol of jealousy. In fact, in Spain, executioners actually used to wear yellow. Kinda creepy to me, but hey....as with all colors, it really takes a meaning of it's own depending on the context.
Black and white are neutral. They are polar opposites of each other - life and death. Peace and war. Happiness and mourning. These colors are also both very elegant and, while you should not paint your walls black, you could choose black furniture to give your interior design a feel of opulence and strength. White is purity, kindness, peace and loyalty. As you can imagine, these colors are also very popular with our Atlanta interior design clients, especially the ones that value simplicity and modernism.
So there you have it. I hope you were able to read this quick introduction to colors and use it to visualize how you want your interior design to look like. We always provide our Atlanta interior design clients the option of having us suggest/recommend colors for their living spaces, or if they already know what they want, we simply design the rest of the room to fit their style. Either way, let this post remind you that colors are critically important in interior design, so don't overlook how they can change the mood of your home!
Types of Interior Design Blinds
This is a pretty important topic, so let's get into it right away. Bottom line - the types of blinds used in interior design are absolutely critical to the overall look and feel of your room. Having the right blinds really make your living space stand out and provides an extra "oomph" to visitors/guests. A lot of our Atlanta interior design clients aren't familiar with the intricacies associated with selecting the proper blinds, so let's take a second to review some of the different kinds of blinds used in interior design:
Venetian Blinds
Venetian blinds are probably one of the most popular types of blinds used in interior design. From our experience with Atlanta clients, we've found that venetian blinds are often the best fit for many different types of homes and architecture. They are manufactured using a range of materials from wood, aluminum, and PVC. Wooden venetians are ideal for complementing rustic, classic looks whereas the use of aluminum or PVC can create a modernist, elegant style. Often, venetian blinds are laid out horizontally with slats that can be adjusted to manage the amount of light and privacy. These blinds are typically adjusted with either a cord or a rod, although higher-end ones may have electronic motors and remote controls.
Roller Blinds
When you want simplicity in your interior design, look no further than roller blinds. Don't let the simplicity fool you - the style is strikingly elegant and can certainly astound when surrounded with the right interior design. One of the best aspects of rollers is that they come in a variety of different styles. The bottom of the blind can be anything from plain horizontal to curvy and sprinkled with castanets. Blind rollers are adjusted typically with a cord that allows the blind to be raised and lowered. This is a great, inexpensive solution that also meets the needs of our Atlanta interior design clients, especially the ones who are on a budget.
Roman Blinds
For those who are looking to really make a statement with their interior design, roman blinds are one of the most stylish kinds available. Constructed from loops of fabric, they provide an elegant look that is difficult to find with other blind types. In contrast to rollers they are raised in folds that loop the fabric and when lowered, hang like panels. There is a wide range of colors to choose from and there's no question you'll find some that will truly inspire you. Although our interior designers in Atlanta tend to prefer roman blinds versus other types, it really depends on the decor of the living space. It's important not to overdo it or else it may clash with the rest of the interior design.
Vertical Blinds
Vertical blinds are another type most frequently used in the commercial interior design space, although it is increasingly being used in domestic living spaces as well. Most of the time these are manufactured using fabric that can be managed to either provide blackout, flame retardant or light reflective properties. The best thing about vertical blinds is the fact that they are perfect for large and floor to ceiling windows. This is something that we recommend to our Atlanta interior design clients who own high/mid-rise condos - they really compliment those floor-to-ceiling windows and gorgeous views.
We hope you guys got a lot of information about blinds out of this post. While often overlooked, selecting the right blind can make all the difference in creating that extra "it" factor about your room. Take some time to consult with an interior designer and really find the type that matches your living space. We've been doing it for our Atlanta interior design clients for a long time now, so we'd like to think our eyes aren't "blind" to your needs.
How to Tell if Your Home Needs an Interior Design Makeover
We'll be the first to admit that being an interior design firm in a big city such as Atlanta lends itself to a "everybody-needs-our-services" mentality. The fact of the matter is, it's truer than you may think. Through our Atlanta interior design clients, we've found that everybody who has invited us over for an initial consultation hires us immediately over 90% of the time. Why? Because we are able to identify interior design opportunities and more importantly, help our clients visualize how wonderful and astounding their future home will look like.
Throughout our experience, we've also developed a keen eye for known "red flags", or in other words, how to tell immediately when somebody is in dire need for an interior design makeover. Here are some of those telltale signs:
1. Inadequate Lighting
Having the right balance of strategically-placed lighting can make all the difference in the world. Most of our Atlanta interior design clients have beautiful rooms and amazing furniture, but without the proper lighting, the "feel" of the rooms just don't quite make the impact it should. It's important to make sure the correct type of light is used effectively - it should reach every corner of the room in order to provide enough exposure to the entire living space. Sometimes that might mean having multiple lights in that room, whereas other rooms may just need a single large one. If you don't feel everything in your decorated room is getting adequate exposure, please do not hesitate to contact us for an initial interior design consultation - chances are, you don't know what you're missing!
2. Empty Backyard
One of the best things about the Atlanta weather are those sunny afternoons in your backyard. Whether you're grilling some meat, having a picnic, jumping into the pool, or simply reading your favorite novel, it's no secret that the backyard is an essential ingredient in the recipe for feeling "at home". Don't forget - the scope of interior design projects extend beyond simply the home; often, the surroundings are just as important. Some of our Atlanta interior design clients make the all-too-common error of dismissing their garden, backyard or porches. One of the way these areas can be spruced up is to add bird feeders and birdhouses. If you really want to impress and astound, adding a water fountain will take your backyard to a whole new level. These are just some of the innovative ways we've helped our Atlanta interior design clients - most of them now prefer to relax in their luxurious backyard rather than going out during those hot summer days!
3. Lack of "Oomph" Factor
Your home is somewhere where you will spend most of your life in. It goes without saying that making sure you're always pleased with the look and feel of it is very important. Sometime it's hard to place your finger on exactly what is missing from your home, but as long as you know it could be better, it would be a wise choice to bring an interior designer or interior design firm. Obviously the main reason for a makeover is to make your home look better than it was before. This doesn't always mean having to buy new, expensive furniture or additional decor. Many of our Atlanta interior design clients are worried about the extra cost associated with this. What they don't realize is that sometimes simply removing or rearranging can do the trick. Bottom line, every room of the house has to live up it its purpose. It has to look and feel like someplace you can't wait to get back to - comfortable, elegant, and well, homely.
Well, there you have it. If you are feeling the effects of one of these three "red flags", you should not hesitate to setup an initial consultation with an interior design firm. Most interior design firms, even in larger cities like Atlanta, offer free consultations - don't hesitate to hear some innovative ideas to making your home feel absolutely amazing!
Career in Interior Design – Is It For You?
After we do quality work for our Atlanta interior design clients, a lot of our clients often ask us - "How does one become a successful interior designer?". We decided to create this post to help educate them on exactly what it takes to become a successful interior designer.
Many people can have that dream of becoming an interior designer. This is because the idea that this is not a physically demanding job and plus, you can get a high salary with it. However, there are many things to consider if you want to pursue a career as an interior designer. Successful interior designers are artistic visionaries with the technical expertise to turn their visions into reality.
You must be detail-oriented and to be honest, a dedicated perfectionist. Remember that you are creating a design according to your client's specifications. If your client is not happy with your job, then you will not succeed in this career. You must always make sure that all your work is done with the utmost quality and attention to client requirements. .
To be able to start your career in interior designing, you must take formal educational courses for both the knowledge and certification. This is probably the first step in the lifelong journey of education within this profession. Due to the widespread popularity of the field, there are courses being offered in lots of universities and colleges on interior designs. For our local readers, there are Atlanta interior design schools that would give you the necessary training to successfully create an interior design career. From the courses in these interior design schools, you will learn to how to do the methods and principles needed to create a perfect interior design creation. You can also take other or additional studies to further enhance your skills and knowledge. Once you finish your studies, you can then choose to work as a freelance interior designer to build your portfolio, experience, and most importantly, your reputation.
Although freelancing interior design project may not always be stable, it's important to build your portfolio and grow your reputation. Treat every client as if they were the key to your success - they often will be. All of our Atlanta interior design clients have provided us with glowing testimonials for our work. Nothing beats word-of-mouth marketing, especially within a services-based field such as interior design. Do not underestimate the importance of your brand and reputation - this will make or break you.
Once you have got some experienced under your belt, you may start applying for official jobs in companies or firms. With the right credentials and background, there are a lot of companies looking to make use of your services. If ever you get employed in a company, show what you have learned and what you can do for the company. Make the company be aware that you are a gem for them to keep. The best way to do this is to consistently demonstrate your commitment to providing high-quality, creative work that makes your clients not only satisfied, but ecstatic. If you can manage this, then an interior design career will provide you with a lifestyle full of creativity, artistic freedom, and of course, financial compensation.
If you have any more questions on how to get started in interior design, especially in Atlanta, please don't hesitate to contact us and we'll be more than happy to provide you with some resources.
The Key to Successful Interior Design
One of the most important keys to providing successful interior design is a client brief. For each of our Atlanta interior design clients, we interview them thoroughly in order to create a detailed client brief. The client brief is critical because it outlines to the designer the exact parameters of the interior design project. This is the foundation for success in interior design - only with a high-quality client brief is the designer then able to provide a positive solution to their requirements.
In our experience when dealing with our Atlanta interior design clients, many of them voice displeasure with the quality of work from other interior design firms. When our interior design firm asked what their biggest issue was, the response was consistent across several clients - "They just didn't do what we wanted them to do". Clearly, the expectations of the interior design firm and the Atlanta client were not in sync. How does this happen?
Well, the biggest pain point is that most interior designers take what the client says at face value. They are often in a hurry and want to get the project started or vice versa. It's important to have a logical, step-by-step exploration process that is part of your interior design firm's policy. For each of our Atlanta interior design clients, we spare no expense in making sure we understand and document every last detail of their requirements. Not doing so it just asking for a dissatisfied client, which hurts not only your interior design firm's bottom line but more importantly, their local reputation as well. Because of this, we make sure to go the extra mile to meet every request of our interior design clients in Atlanta.
No matter if the interior design project is simple or complex, there must be a process in place at your firm to ensure that the clients expectations are understood and documented. The interior design project should then be tracked towards these requirements on a steady basis, so that expectations do not verge off the same path. To do this, an interior design firm should look into industry best practices or even software automation to manage this process well. In bigger cities such as Atlanta, interior design firms should have no problem locating partners/consultants that can help optimize their business.
Now that you understand the importance of the client brief and why so many other interior design firms fail at providing quality customer service, it is our hope that you will truly dig deep to create a high-quality brief. Our Atlanta interior design firm has always prided itself on going the extra step for our clients, but we have no doubt that it all starts with asking the right questions, no matter how insignificant or trivial they may seem.