It is extremely important for your interior designer to review any architectural plans and is often an overlooked step in the process.
You see, architectural drawings provide the foundation for beautiful design but it is really up to the interior designer to execute it into a cohesive and inviting space.
When a new client comes to us, one of our first questions is "do you have any architectural drawings yet?". This is helpful to both the client and the designer because we can specialize the plans to their exact use - while saving time and money!
Beyond our Bachelor of Science degrees in Interior Design, our field experience in the design and construction industry has taught us many valuable lessons about architectural plans. The main lesson being that most architectural plans are a great jumping off point for design, but ultimately are not as tailor-made for clients as they could be. Having an interior designer review the plans offers alternative design features to the client. This could be things like: better traffic flow and circulation paths, opportunities for additional storage or specialized rooms, framing suggestions, plumbing recommendations, or any other recommendations that may come to mind.
It is because of these reasons that it is ideal for an interior designer to work in collaboration with a project's architect or builder, rather than jump in mid-way in the process. Each time we are able to work alongside, we are able to suggest strategic improvements and save the client both time and money. Does this mean you can not hire an interior designer after your architectural drawings are made? NO! Of course not. An experienced interior designer will be able to jump in to the process at any point, but it may limit what can be done as a part of the client's vision.
If you are not sure where to begin a project, whether it is interior design OR architectural, the best thing to do is have a design consultation. You can visit our services page for more information, but if you have any pressing questions please contact using the information below.
e. Giana@GarriganDesignGroup.com t. 347-276-4685