A lot of people think that interior design studios and services are extra-complicated, expensive and definitely not necessary. Well, some of them are, we can’t deny it. But in recent years the industry of interior design has changed, and a new vision has come along.
In this article, we explain this new concept of interior design, and how we work to make it real through our core values and process. We hope you’ll find our approach and mission as cool as we do!
The most common biases about interior design
If someone tells you “Oh, I’ve hired an Interior Designer to restyle my place!”, what’s the first thing that comes to your mind?
A – I wish I had your money and problems! B – So useless. C – No idea how it works, but sounds cool, I guess.
Whether you answer if A, B, or C, one thing is clear to us: there are some pretty big prejudices and a lack of knowledge about the value of an interior designer and how home styling actually works.
Prejudice #1: “Hiring an interior designer is super expensive”
FALSE. Sure, that L.A.-based studio that worked with Beyonce, Lady Gaga, and half of the Kardashians is crazy-expensive. But why would you go for that? Small interior design studios and independent interior designers have great expertise and affordable prices: all you need to transform your current place, renovate a corner or a room, or decorate your new house. In interior design projects, quality doesn’t depend on pricing: it is a function of experience, listening skills, and smart creation.
Prejudice #2: “I don’t need an interior designer, I can do it on my own”
MAYBE, BUT WAIT. In a recent survey, we’ve asked a broad and diverse group of people the following question: “What would the main reasons for not using an interior design and decoration service be?”, and the most recurring answer was based on this bias. Most people don’t believe an interior designer can actually help them, or enjoy doing the work themselves – which is actually great! But let us tell you, during any Do-It-Yourself decoration project, a few obstacles appear: you might lose time figuring out the style you want, buy furniture and decoration pieces that don’t really work together, and end up getting very standard – even expensive – pieces just to fill up the space.
Prejudice #3: “It’s time-consuming, and the final result could be wrong”
FALSE, AGAIN. The mission of an interior designer is to ask you the right questions about your needs, taste and home decoration style to help you find the answers you didn’t know you had. Throughout this process, your interior designer will take care of the most time-consuming parts of the work: looking for colors, materials, reference pictures, and the right objects that fit your overall style and space. At every step, you validate the results, until the final picture comes together exactly the way you wanted it, and in half of the time.
What Interior Design can (and should) be
Time to sum it up and tell you what interior design really is for.
A beautiful home doesn’t need expensive brands, fancy details, and a huge amount of money spent on it. What a beautiful home needs are time, uniqueness, and personality. The role of an interior designer is to understand each personal and unique style, and put in the time to convert it into a beautifully decorated home.
Home styling and decoration is a service you can use in your everyday life; it goes beyond a fancy Pinterest board and it translates into actionable steps of a creative process:
The Style Definition.
This first part of the process is key to advance in the right direction: as we say in our style test introduction, trying to decorate your house without understanding your style would be like going on a trip on a secluded cabin without any directions or GPS. In this phase, the interior designer will help you to understand your own, unique personal taste: a great thing to know now and forever, right?
The Visual Rendering.
How many times have you imagined your ideal living-room, but could never translate it into words, let alone design it for other people to understand it? Well, you’ll love this part: this is when your imagination and taste meet the expertise and style of your interior designer. The project is set, ready for you to change some details and adjust it to perfection.
The Objects & Furniture Selection.
This is the final step where everything becomes real: from reference items and colors to real-life objects. The interior designer will help you select the furniture and decoration items you need to create your perfect space, respecting your budget and requirements.
How Unika Interior is different
We’ve made clear so far: our idea of interior design is different from the antique concept you might have heard of. We believe in a modern, easy, human approach: these are the principles that guided us from the very beginning of the adventure.
We stand for an interior design service that is:
Accessible.
We make it easy, understandable and fun. You sure have a decoration style and some great ideas: our goal is to help you find these ideas, visualize them, and complete them with our expertise.
Affordable.
We charge a fair price, affordable by anyone who wants to invest in their cozy place. We work within the budget of the client, and we only start charging after the sketch is validated. No surprise!
Sustainable.
This is not green-washing, it is true: we believe that local boutiques, small brands and vintage markets are the best places where to shop for the most unique and valuable pieces that will make your home truly special.
Did we change your mind about interior design? Let us know in the comments below! And if we were so good to convince you to start your project with us, feel free to contact us via our website to finally create the home you’ve always wanted.
Article written by Lilly, Co-Founder, Marketing Lead & Brand Ambassador. Discover more about us.