The Tools of an Interior Designer

Perhaps the simplest and boldest way to create a desired feeling in a space is to use color.  Often, an interior designer uses a color selection as the inspiration for the rest of the design, so this is a tool you are going to want to master early and well!  A color scheme guide is a collage of samples of colors (paint, fabric, flooring, etc.) that a designer presents to a client.  This tool allows the designer to develop and map out the plan for color usage in a room, and it also allows a client to see how the style of the room will be defined in relation to the flow of color. 

Mastering this tool allows an interior designer to be flexible with his/her design plan, and it is also a major time saver!  CAD programs allow designers to generate a blueprint for a space using computer programs instead of drawing the design by hand.  This tool also makes it easy for design changes to be made, and alterations can be done to a CAD generated plan in minutes.  Interior designers truly appreciate the flexibility this tool allows, as well as the extra time to focus on smaller details of a project.

It is absolutely essential that an interior designer makes accurate and precise measurements!  Thus, the measuring tape makes our list of an interior designer's most important tools.  A designer must have the exact dimensions of the space, of the windows, of the couch being brought into the room, of the closet door, of the space between the cabinet and the ceiling - and the list goes on!  Simply, this is a tool a designer never leaves at home.

When it comes to installation and hanging anything on a wall, an interior designer relies on a level.  The philosophy behind this is basic: the most beautiful sophisticated piece of artwork looks silly if it is hanging crooked on a wall!  The same is true for shelving, or sconces, or mirrors.  Interior designers are focused on the smallest of details and they place importance on the integrity of their designs! Thus, the level is an essential part of the interior designer's tool belt. 

Clients hire interior designers because they want their space to look fabulous.  They also want a custom look - a look that they don't find in the home/office of every neighbor in a five mile radius.  This is where interior designers rely on their connections.  A good interior designer seeks out and builds relationships with skilled and creative craftsmen.  When a client wants a fabulous oak dining table or beautiful wrought-iron stair railing, an interior designer knows whom to call to create a-one-of-a-kind masterpiece.  Connections established and kept over time also make a designer's job easier.  Clearly, a tool that awes a client and makes a designer's job easier is a tool to keep!

So, what are you waiting for! Go and do what it takes to get these tools in your interior design belt!