What to Expect from Your Interior Designer During a Home Renovation Project
Make your renovation stress free by hiring an Interior Designer
You can have a flawless renovation with results to savour long after the build finishes.
It's rare to find a home that naturally reflects your personal taste unless you're building one from the ground up. That's why home renovation projects are so exciting! They're your opportunity to upgrade your home while making it reflect your style and taste. When you hire an interior designer in Edmonton for your home renovation, you'll find the entire process much smoother.
During your renovation project, you'll interact with many professionals, from the electrician to the contractor to the plumber, plus any other tradespeople involved in bringing your renovation to life. But do you know what to expect from each professional? Most people don't, especially when it comes to the two primary professionals involved in your project: your interior designer and your contractor.
The two roles are quite different, so knowing who is responsible for what will ensure you get the support you need and the results you're dreaming about.
The Many Layers of a Home Renovation
A home renovation project involves many layers of detailed planning, including, but not limited to:
● Development Plans
● Renderings, Elevations & Concept Drawings
● Finish selections including cabinets, flooring & wall tile
● Electrical and lighting layouts
● Space Planning and furniture Sourcing
● Millwork Details
● Plumbing and lighting selections
● And truly, so much more!
The good news is that you don't have to make all these choices alone. Working with an interior designer means you'll have expert guidance to translate your vision into the precise documented details each tradesperson needs to make sure the real-life reno looks as good as the plan does on paper—or in our case, as amazing as the detailed 3D renderings and ingredient specification sheet we create for you.
Contractors vs. Designers
One common mistake when hiring contractors and designers is not knowing who is responsible for which portion of the project. It doesn't make it any easier when some interior design firms take on the role of a contractor. Here at Savori Spaces, we're a completely independent design service. We're free to work with any contractor or trade company you've hired or guide you in your DIY project. Other designers who work as contractors have a limited pool of companies they network with, which gives you less wiggle room and choice.
One major mistake homeowners make when hiring contractors is assuming they have knowledge about design, space planning, and finishing touches. Your contractor may have good taste, but the design of your home is not their specialty. Both the contractor and designer roles are essential in a renovation, but their scope of work is very different. Here's an overview of the two roles and how each expert should be ready to provide you with a stress-free experience.
What Does a Contractor Do?
A general contractor or contractor is involved in project management. Their job is to find qualified subcontractors to get each phase of your project completed, along with pulling permits, overseeing inspections, and ensuring the finished renovation matches the designs. Hiring a contractor comes with management fees, which they need in order to complete their work. Still, it also frees up your time from hiring and managing each subcontracted company yourself (which takes a great deal of coordination and oversight and quality control).
Many contractors come from a trade background and have established relationships with reliable companies in plumbing, electrical, flooring, windows, painting, roofing, and construction. While the general contractor does not officially work for any of those companies, their strong working relationships mean they'll align with companies that offer quality and value.
What Does an Interior Designer Do?
Here at Savori Spaces, we don't pretend to be contractors. Our mission is to design flawless interior spaces based on your choices and taste. We view a home renovation like a gourmet meal, starting with the vision or “Meal Plan” Next, we go through the pre-design phase through documentation creating renovation plans, elevations, 3D concept drawings so no detail is overlooked and you are able to explore all scenarios. Once those critical details are defined, all the finish details such as cabinets, flooring and other materials complete the overall design.
Once we have the menu and ingredients in place, we craft the “recipe card” (a lengthy document with all your information, right down to the details of products we’ve chosen) and deliver it to your contractor. This helps keep everyone aligned with your vision. Every detail, from the colours of paint to the materials of the cabinets to the patterns of the tile, is detailed in the “recipe”
How a Guided Experience Keeps Your Project on Track
A guided design experience helps keep your project on track. Let’s look at an example of this in action. Painters can benefit from detailed directions on colour selection for each room or wall, along with which type of paint to use. This leaves no room for confusion between you and your painter or your contractor and your painter. If any questions come up along the way, we're always happy to provide clarity.
Your Edmonton Interior Design Company
The best interior designers in Edmonton create a satisfying experience for their clients. Savori Spaces is where tasteful interior creations begin. Our curated process means you can visualize your space in detailed renderings before the build happens. We then pass our carefully crafted recipes onto your contractor so your team of tradespeople knows what you want in every inch of the room. The result is a space you'll love to savour long after the renovation is complete. To start planning your renovation menu, meet with us and share your vision.
