Did anyone else grow up watching (and loving) Trading Spaces and Design on a Dime? My mom and I used to love to watch home decor together when I was growing up. Anything on HGTV is still my go-to when I’m looking for something mindless but fun to watch.
After years of watching interior designers make magic happen on TV, I decided to take the plunge and hire an interior designer to help me with my new apartment. Today I wanted to share a bit about why I decided to work with an interior designer and what the process has looked like so far!
Why I Decided to Work With an Interior Designer
- I wanted to have someone with expertise help me navigate the best layout for each room. There’s a lot of space, but some of it is kind of awkward. I’m not great at visualizing the best way to set things up.
- I have a good sense of my personal style when it comes to decor but I have NO clue how to bring that to life.
- I’m planning to live in this apartment for 10+ years. I want someone to help me pick out the furniture pieces that I won’t hate when I’m in my late 30s.
How I Found My Interior Designer:
I found my designer, Nicole of Nicole Alexandra Design on Instagram. I’ve been researching interior designers in NYC for a little while now both via google searches and on Instagram.
This is going to sound a bit crazy but I found Nicole because she was tagged in an Instagram post of someone I follow’s cute apartment. When I looked at her own Instagram account I absolutely LOVED it. How gorgeous and swoon-worthy is her Instagram!?!? She also worked with another interior designer I had been following and came recommended by her.
Before hiring Nicole I talked to some other design companies to get an idea of how different people worked. There are a ton of different ways to work with an interior designer now. You can do things totally virtually. Some companies like Affordable Interior Design offer cut and dry packages for a flat fee.
I wanted to work with someone in person so they could get a feel for the apartment. Since there were also a few cosmetic things that I knew had to be taken care of, a flat-fee package didn’t seem like the best fit for me.
I totally clicked with Nicole after our first phone chat and knew I’d have fun working with her and that she also understood what I was going for vibe-wise.
How the process of working with an interior designer has worked so far:
Step 1: My own inspiration.
After initially chatting, I sent her Pinterest boards for each room with things I liked.
In addition to the Pinterest boards, I also sent her a Google Doc where I basically brain dumped everything I wanted to remember to tell her and any furniture pieces I already have.
Step 2: First meeting
We met at the apartment and walked thru the space together. She gave me some initial ideas and feedback on things like the brick wall (it’s getting painted white, HALLELUJAH!) and how to repurpose some of the other built-ins.
Step 3: Moodboards
Nicole sent me mood boards for each room which we dissected piece by piece. We’d talk about EVERYTHING from furniture pieces to lighting fixtures and rugs. I told her what I liked and what I didn’t like.
Step 4: Floor Plan + Furniture
This part has been SO fun. After going through all those mood boards, Nicole picked out potential furniture pieces for each room and showed me how the layout would look mapped out on a floorplan.
You can see one version of the floorplan of my living room/dining room above!
From there I told her what I liked, what I didn’t like, and if I wanted to see something else instead. I imagine this process is kind of what wedding dress shopping feels like. You want to try on a lot of things for size… but you also don’t want to drive yourself crazy with too many options.
I don’t want to spoil anything just yet, but above you can see one of the early designs for my Living Room. It’s changed A LOT!
I’m SO close to finalizing most of the furniture (!!!), and I’m feeling SO excited about how it’s coming together. I’ve loved this apartment since I first viewed it, but I think all the little tweaks and changes will make it truly feel like me and my home.
Next Steps:
Next up we’ll pick additional accessories, artwork and confirm all paint colors for the apartment. Woohoo!
So far I have absolutely LOVED the process of working with Nicole. She’s been amazing about listening to my likes and dislikes while also making suggestions I never, ever, would have thought of. She has also saved me hours of time I would have spent looking online for each furniture piece myself. I could spend hours looking at every couch from West Elm!
It still feels a bit surreal that I’ll be moving for the first time in 10 years. I’ve lived in my current apartment longer than any other apartment or home. But I’m feeling thrilled about how it’s coming together.
I’ll keep you posted about how things continue to come together. Hopefully, I’ll have some sneak peek transformation photos to share soon!
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