Anyone who has ever built a home or launched a major remodeling project knows how time consuming and stressful it can be to get through planning, design and construction.
Homeowners must make hundreds of decisions, and many of them are expensive. Those not familiar with the world of construction may even feel like their contractors are speaking a different language.
A good interior designer can help with those decisions, says Houston designer Cassandra Brand of Cassandra Brand Interiors, a speaker at a recent Access Design event, co-hosted by the Houston Chronicle and the Houston Design District.
A cowhide rug stitched into a geometric print sits beneath a custom table designed by interior designer Cassandra Brand. The walls are painted Sherwin-Williams “Peppercorn.”
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Brand talked about the designer-client dynamic and how designers can be a voice for clients. She offered these eight ideas for the role a designer can play in a construction, remodeling or decorating project.
1. Represent you
Brand, like other designers, begins projects getting to know clients to understand how they use a room or a home. Knowing even small details can help with ideas for a more functional kitchen or a bathroom that has everything in the right place. When a designer can make a home reflect its owner’s personality and lifestyle, the homeowner is likely to be happier with the finished product, she said.
2. Guide decision-making
Homeowners are expected to choose flooring, wall tile, hardware, cabinets appliances and even know where they want every electrical outlet early in the construction process. That doesn’t even include the myriad decisions made about furnishings, decor and paint colors.
Brand said that she and her peers