Working with an Interior Designer is probably every homeowner's wish - but many get scared off by visions of big bills and big attitudes. We here at Kia Designs Ltd realise that this can be the biggest decision since buying your home and we want you to be completely comfortable every step of the way. Many consumers are somewhat intimidated by the thought of hiring an interior designer. They worry they'll lose control of the design, or the budget, and that the finished room may not be to their liking - we hope to put your mind at rest.
What are your business hours?
Isn't it just too expensive to engage an interior designer?
Why hire an interior designer?
I've seen people on the TV end up with rooms that they don't really like. How do I stop this happening?
When do I hire an interior designer?
What happens at the initial consultation?
How am I billed?
How long will it take?
Who sets the budget?
If I reveal my budget won't that just encourage the designer to spend the lot?
Why should I choose Kia Designs over In-House Designers at High Street Stores?
Do you provide full building and decorating specifications?
What's the smallest job you'd consider taking on?
What's the largest project you'd consider taking on?
Do you do interior design for commercial projects?
What furniture companies do you work with?
Are you insured?
What are your business hours?
Our business hours are Monday through Friday, 9:00am - 5:30pm. However, each client's schedule and needs vary, therefore we also will be happy to schedule appointments with you at times that are a better schedule fit. We strive to offer schedule convenience and flexibility. Weekend appointments are always available.
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Isn't it just too expensive to engage an interior designer?
Any professional service costs money. Whether it is too expensive will always be a matter for the individual. It is important to weigh the savings against the costs. Having a designer do the leg work frees up your spare time to enjoy as leisure or dedicate to earning money in your job. An interior designer also has access to fabric, furniture, lighting and accessory suppliers who supply only to the trade. This, in turn, gives the client access to a much wider selection. It means you get what you want in a shorter timescale and you are likely to be happier for longer with the result.
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Why hire an interior designer?
10 Reasons To Work With A Designer
Decorating looks easy - until you try it yourself. Your little "weekend project" stretches on for months. You realise you can't return that sofa that looked so perfect in the store. Before long, you and your spouse are no longer on speaking terms. Here's what an interior designer offers:
1) The ability to solve problems.
Whether you're plagued by a lack of storage, a featureless room or poor traffic flow, our interior designer is an expert in understanding colour, scale, light and space - concepts that can be hard for even the most talented amateur to get right.
2) The expertise to prevent costly mistakes.
Most people decorate only once or twice in a lifetime. There are lots of things that are hard to know unless you've encountered them dozens of times before.
3) Access to a much wider range of resources.
There's a world of fabric and furnishing designs available just "to the trade". Not only do we have access, but we will instantly know who specializes in what you are looking for - thus saving valuable time.
4) A Rolodex worth millions.
Any design is only as good as its execution, and we know the best workrooms, carpenters and painters, so we have the connections - and the clout - to make sure the job will be top-notch.
5) Guidance through the decision making process.
Perhaps the toughest aspect of decorating is selecting from the multitude of choices available. We know our sources well enough to edit down the options and offer seasoned advice to steer you through the process.
6) Better quality and longer lasting style.
We won't succumb to trends that you will tire of in no time but will create a timeless look you'll enjoy living with for years. Instead of relying on solely off-the-rack items, we will also add custom details and paint finishes that will make your house an individual masterpiece.
7) Help with setting priorities.
We will give you advice on how best to spend your money now - and plan for future phases of the decorating process. If you're on a budget (and who isn't?), you need us to help allocate your money to get the biggest bang for your buck.
8) Arbitration with your significant other.
Sometimes the role of the designer is more marriage counselor than designer, but it's an expected part of the process. If there is a disagreement about an approach, we can be the third party without vested interest.
9) The power to advocate with tradespeople, showrooms and manufacturers.
We set a high standard, and because we work with these resources regularly, we have more leverage to get things repaired or replaced. Long standing business relationships help resolve disputes in a professional manner.
10) The power to get the job done!
How often have you given up halfway through a project or neglected those last few niggling details? It's our job to follow through on every aspect of the decorating process and make sure that all the elements have been completed to your satisfaction.
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I've seen people on the TV end up with rooms that they don't really like. How do I stop this happening?
TV interior designers are working to the producer's timetable (and budget) and to a large extent their client is really the TV company, not the home-owner who has bravely offered up their living space. Treat the television shows as entertainment and take what inspiration you can from them. When you start your personal relationship with the interior designer of your choice it will be a collaborative process. At no point should you feel it is beyond your control.
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When do I hire an interior designer?
Involving your designer in the earliest stages of a project can be a real money saver. A professional can look at a floor plan for a yet-to-be constructed house or addition and spot potential problems involving traffic flow or furniture placement. Your eight-foot sofa may not fit in a room with a door in every wall, or you may discover too late that you can't close the door to the laundry room if the dryer is open.
Hiring a designer is the first step in avoiding costly decorating mistakes. Choosing the right professional and supplying her with as much information as possible are the keys to getting the most for your money.
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What happens at the initial consultation?
The initial consultation enables our interior designer to evaluate the project, present a portfolio, discuss terms and determine whether the project is a good fit of capabilities and services. It also may be possible to make valuable suggestions based on first impressions of the space. This gives a client time to evaluate us as the designer to determine capabilities, comfort level and compatibility. Basically put a face to the name and see whether we can work together.
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How am I billed?
Our fees are clearly set out on our services page. These are required at the signing of the contract. Once items such as furniture or building works are agreed on you will be billed for each item - nothing is ever purchased without your consent so you are always in control of the budget and the overall design.
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How long will it take?
Each project is very different so a complete house renovation can take up to a year where as a room that just needs a few pieces to bring it together and a touch of paint can take a few weeks (however remember a bespoke sofa or rug can take up to 12 weeks so patience is as always a virtue!). We are very flexible at working to your own pace, so if you want to start with one room and slowly move through the house throughout the year we are completely happy to do this.
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Who sets the budget?
You of course set the budget however due to our expertise we can help you set a budget if you're not sure on how much things may cost - people can wildly underestimate how much a bathroom fitter will cost or how much laying a hardwood floor may be. These are the unseen costs that can be scary when redesigning so we make them as clear as possible right from the beginning. If you are unsure please just give us an email telling us about your project and we can give you a rough idea of previous budgets and results.
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If I reveal my budget won't that just encourage the designer to spend the lot?
The designer needs to know the budget in order to begin sourcing appropriate materials, furniture and accessories. Don't confuse the word "budget" with the phrase "life-savings". Decide how much you can really afford to spend on the project you have in mind and make sure the designer knows that figure at the very first meeting. It is generally useful to allocate portions of the budget to different areas of expense, e.g. "x" for the furniture, "y" for the curtains, "z" for the design fees.
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Why should I choose Kia Designs over In-House Designers at High Street Stores?
There are a number of well known high street stores that offer an in-house design service. Fees vary from one store to another. The potential downfalls of using a high street store are : the sales assistant will undoubtedly earn commission on every item that is sold to you. Therefore, the more they sell, the more they earn. Sales assistants have targets to reach and this will almost always be the background priority for them when putting a scheme together. You will of course be restricted to materials only sold by the store themselves and, lastly it is possible that the sales assistant will try to sell lines which are not doing so well or end of lines "because they are more cost effective".
The benefits of using an independent designer are wide ranging. Kia Designs Ltd are able to build a scheme around almost anything. We are able to visit your home, take detailed measurements, check the orientation of the room and build a scheme around any existing pieces you wish to keep. It is near impossible to design a room you haven't seen! If you have fallen in love with a beautiful picture, a vivid wallpaper or garish but beautiful material but do not know how to use it to its best advantage, least of all what else to match with it, we can help you in making the right design decisions to suit your "must have" piece.
We can offer many different furniture options and are able to negotiate excellent prices with our independent suppliers ensuring that we can pass much of the savings on to you. If you have found an item of furniture already please let us know, we can often negotiate a better price than you would be able to. Bespoke items can be extremely expensive but this is not always the case. We are able to order bespoke furniture sometimes at little more than the cost of off the peg furniture. These will make your room feel special and fit the space perfectly, a bit like a handmade suit. Exclusivity is never out of fashion !
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Do you provide full building and decorating specifications?
Yes. We provide you with detailed drawings which contactors will need in order to carry out the work and, as such, are valuable documents. Every detail of the project is in these drawings and specifications and you can use these to brief your own decorators and builders.
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What's the smallest job you'd consider taking on?
If you want some bright ideas for your downstairs loo that's absolutely fine. We'll give it as much creative consideration as any other project!
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What's the largest project you'd consider taking on?
We look at each project and it's requirements individually so there really is no size limit to proposed projects. Larger propositions will require more time at every stage and we will work closely with clients to find out their requirements so we can bring the job to a successful conclusion.
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Do you do interior design for commercial projects?
We welcome enquiries for commercial projects and are happy to come up with proposals for individual cases.
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What furniture companies do you work with?
We work with thousands of furniture and fabric companies, this allows us to offer our clients such a bespoke service with exclusive and unique finishings. Some of our companies are only available direct to the trade so you won't be seeing them in every high street store! However, if you have seen a particular piece in a major retailer such as Harrods, Bo Concept, Lombok, Raft, General trading company, Andrew Martin, Graham and Green or have fallen in love with a fabric you saw in Living Etc don't be afraid to tell us and we will be sure to work it into your scheme! We will literally work with every furniture manufacturer to create the home that's right for you.
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Are you insured as an interior designer?
We we are fully insured with Hiscox for professional indemnity insurance and Professional liability insurance
