The interior designer’s role during construction
The interior designer’s role during construction
If you’re considering a major renovation or are building a home, you may be wondering about putting together the best build team. if you have a general contractor and architect, do you still need an interior designer? or, do you only need the designer for the design aspect? once construction is underway, you’ll be off to the races. Right?
we find clients are sometimes unsure how a designer works with a contractor during a new build or renovation and why putting together the right team will ultimately save time, stress, and money.
yes, an interior designer is able to interpret your aesthetic and style and bring it to life through beautiful finishes and furnishings. we also know a great deal about construction methods; the impact plumbing rough ins, electrical, hvac, and structural systems will have on interior components; residential building codes; performance of various finish materials; cabinetry and millwork fabrication; strategies for using light sources; and the necessary sequencing of installation for plumbing, electrical, and other building and finish systems.
still with me?
it’s not all picking colours and going shopping.
What happens after the finishes are selected?
keep in mind, by the time your project is under construction, we already have an exhaustive knowledge of the specific details about your design. armed with that intimate knowledge of your project, when we make a visit to your construction site, we’ll be able to recognize both potential finish outcomes from how the work is completed, and critical requirements needed for work to proceed.
in other words, as your interior designer, we’ll have insight into what may affect project progression, and what issues may or have arisen that could affect the final delivery of your design. (think electrical switches where the art should be placed, or how to handle an hvac line that interfers with the lighting installation, even identifying that there is no room for the 6 inch moulding planned for the windows.)
yes, of course, your contractor and tradespeople (painters, carpenters, electricians, plumbers) have invaluable expertise in their particular trade. no one can do what they do — the trades are enormously skilled. and your general contractor brings inestimable value to the project, in cost-estimating, construction sequencing, construction site safety requirements, permitting and inspections, ordering build supplies, the nuance of how fabrication and installation of certain materials works best and much, much more.
but, a general contractor and their subcontractors won’t really know the design intent the way we do as your interior designer. not even close. does landing a grout line 2 inches left or right shift the way the eye will read the scale of another design element? if this space becomes 1 foot smaller, will it still function well? spaces under construction are very hard to gauge spatially.
we’ve seen many, many examples of installation and fabrication issues in completed homes. meaning, the design wasn’t implemented properly. the interior designer has a complete picture of how all the elements fit together, which is something the electrician or plumber does not have because it’s outside of their scope of work. how the furniture will be placed, or the junction of millwork and stone are not evident at that stage of construction.
Eight things a designer does on a construction site:
Here’s a glimpse into how we support our clients during the construction phase of a project, either while making site visits, or while continuing to monitor installation progress and coordinate details via other communication channels.
01 | we are the point person for all questions or concerns that arise regarding the design of the space.
because we are intimately familiar with the nitty gritty aspects of everything design-related in a project, we are consulted throughout the project on anything that might impact the final outcome. think detailing how two materials connect, a cold air return where we’ve planned a custom hutch or the grid layout for the lights and speakers when the floor joist intervenes.
02 | we provide specific instructions to installers or tradespeople.
once the design is approved by our clients, we provide thorough documentation of the design via plans, elevation drawings, detail drawings, and specification sheets. should the tile be installed vertically or horizontally? how will the pattern lay out? grout lines are how wide?
even with these detailed documents provided, questions of interpretation or intention do still arise and across the scale of a 3,000 square foot home there will always be end cases that are unique. relying on the installers to guess is not the way to go. we want to be consulted throughout construction to make sure any changes that need to happen in field are aligned with our client’s overall vision for their home.
03 | we answer questions installers and fabricators have about products, materials, and furnishings.
for example, if something came up related to extended lead time on an item already approved, we are there to determine whether another choice should be made, or if this is a defining element of the design that requires us to wait. where exactly will the sofa be placed so that the floor plug lands underneath and not beside it? talk about “no turning back”!
04 | we ensure the installation matches the design intent.
there may be instances where something needs to be installed a certain way for the purpose of aligning with a detail of another component —a domino effect. the plumber may not realize this because he or she hasn’t seen the millwork drawings. because we have a big picture view of the project, we’re able to make sure everything progresses according to plan, and in accordance with our client’s intended design outcome.
05 | we troubleshoot unforeseen issues that arise during construction.
it’s inevitable that — during demolition, or even construction— something problematic will happen. maybe walls and corners are not plumb, or a mechanical chase or plumbing lines were hidden within walls in unexpected places. a material arrives and is not to spec. it happens.
one thing designers are known for, above all else, is for being excellent creative problem solvers. we work to determine the optimal course of action to deal with the issue while holding the design goal at the helm and provide our client with our recommendations so they don’t feel alone in making decisions during a stressful construction project.
06 | we help make on-the-fly decisions when it comes to changes.
as much as we’d love to say once the design is approved, nothing changes, that is simply untrue. in a large-scale construction project, it’s inevitable that some changes will need to be made once construction is underway. a material is damaged in shipment, the appliances are delayed four months leading to a new fridge and resulting cabinetry modifications or a client realizes once something is in physical form that a window they decided against is actually a must have after all.
07 | we advocate for our clients to ensure everything is done with their preferences in mind.
the plumber is installing the shower head at standard height, but the client is particularly tall. these, among many other things, are the details a designer can help ensure are executed with the client’s best interest in mind.
08 | we open our clients’ eyes to what is possible.
when our clients are building a home or tackling a large-scale renovation, they want to make sure they’re investing their money wisely. that means, they want their choices to make sense for their current life stage and their future life stage. our clients also want their design to be timeless. yes, you can change just about anything in a home with a good construction team, but it’s much nicer to get it right the first time.
we provide insights and ideas into what is possible - what we’ve seen done on other projects that turned out beautifully. with our years of construction experience, we’ve seen a lot, and always love when we’re brought into a project from the beginning so we can help our clients fully maximize the investment in their project.
having an interior designer involved during the construction phase of your project ensures you won’t miss an opportunity to make your home truly unique and perfect for your needs. and, as you might guess from reading this post, we save our clients hours of time and years of stress simply by being there from start to finish.
if you’re about to embark on a large-scale renovation or new build project and don’t want to do it alone, we’d love to chat with you. click here to transform your home
