As part of the design process, Mal Corboy will initiate a design consultation with you, where you’ll be able to start discussing the details and theme of your design. It’s one of the most exciting stages of the project, where you get to lay out all of your ideas and see Mal start to work his magic in bringing them together.
In this article, we look at what you can expect from this interior design consultation, and how you can help ensure you get the most out of the meeting:
1. Put together design inspiration
The most valuable thing you can bring to the design consultation (apart from yourself, of course) is a selection of images, swatches, fabrics, products, and ideas for your space. Like all designers, Mal works best with visual concepts, so showing him exactly what you love (and what you hate) will help him to create your perfect space.
You can:
- Cut out rooms and products from magazines and bring along a stack to share.
- Create “vision boards” or images, swatches, fabrics and other details to show how you feel different elements can come together. This is useful if your design brief involves lots of different rooms that will each have its own identity.
- Use inspiration websites like Houzz or House Beautiful. Here are 50 interior decorating websites for inspiration.
- Create Pinterest boards for different rooms of your house and pin images as you find them.
Tip: When flicking through magazines or online inspiration, you’ll inevitably come across designs you absolutely hate. Bring a couple of these along with you to help Mal understand what you don’t want.
interior designer writing an estimate
2. Bring your questions, and prepare to answer some too
Even after you’ve had an initial consultation with Mal where he’s explained how the fee system works and the other aspects of the design process, there will likely be details that you’d like clarification on, as well as new questions that are nagging at you. Write them all down so you don’t forget any – Mal will be happy to answer them.
You’ll also be answering questions, about how you use your home, what you’re looking for, and what you’re comfortable with in terms of design. Answer as truthfully and thoroughly as you can and remember, there are no wrong answers!
3. The site measure and tour help put everything into perspective
Mal will conduct a detailed measure of your space, to ensure he has the exact specifications to work with. While he’s there, he may also get you to do a house tour – where you’ll walk with him through your entire space – even spaces that have already been designed or aren’t part of the brief.
This helps Mal understand the space and your relationship to it more fully. All these details help him to create a unique design that best fits your personality and lifestyle.
4. Trust the process
In the beginning, it can be a bit daunting letting a designer into your space, especially if you’ve already done some work of your own. It can be difficult to relinquish creative control to someone else, especially so when you see initial designs that don’t fill you with excitement.
But remember that a designer like Mal works in a different way to you. The first designs will set the tone and feel of a space, but they won’t include a lot of the details that will get you excited. Only near the end of the design process do all the final details get confirmed.
Give yourself over to the design process and trust the designer you’ve meticulously researched and hired. Don’t go out and shop after hiring a designer, or you’ll end up disrupting the process and creating chaos. Likewise, try not to backtrack on decisions. Instead, discuss each stage with Mal before signing off, so you can iron out any concerns.
Let award-winning designer Mal Corboy create the space of your dreams. Contact Mal today for your free kitchen design consultation.
