Interior Design Company :Firm or Freelancer?

Beautiful spaces need careful planning and fruitful teamwork. Be it any type of space, designers definitely add value to the overall end use and looks of it. So, getting them on board is absolutely sensible. But, should you approach an interior design company or should you seek a freelancer?

While there is no doubt that these services may add to your expenses, however, they cut down both short term and long term liabilities. Here, the real work is to sort out the exact interior design company that will suit your project. Or, if it makes sense, a freelancer. But how do you decide on it?

Interior Designer Company vs Freelance Designer

While a freelancer may be more open to financial negotiation, a design firm may render a more professional service. Now, if you look at the current design industry, there is plenty of work for both freelancers and firms. Both are busy with their respective shares of projects.

For a better understanding, let us talk about an interior design company first. Well, a company has employees and employees need salaries. Add to that, the overheads of running the firm. Yes, such firms need sizable projects to sustain their livelihood.  Having a fleet of trained workers and teams cuts down the working time considerably. Which proves more beneficial to the client that the firm charges. You see, time is money.

Then, the fact that they establish a work flow, reduces distractions and confusions, which again fastens the whole design process.

On the other hand, a freelancer is mostly a beginner or someone who works more for the sake of passion. If we talk about a beginner, this designer probably has an internship experience and now wants to self- evaluate. That evaluation may be in terms of creativity, supervision, time management and material management. Generally, internships prepare these designers with the typical work flow a project may demand. Hence, many skilled designers indulge in this practice.

With freelancers, you have a bigger bracket of bargaining and more flexible method of working. Often, the client and the freelancer spend a lot of professional time together. This way, a lot of discussion goes into the details of the project. Of course, freelancers also have their own teams of workers. Naturally, the interactions are more one-to-one than those with a typical interior design company.

Interior Design Company And You

Working with an established firm gives you many perks.

1. They have work flows and established design processes. Be it a residential or commercial project, design companies have certain templates and checklists for each type of project- all based on their experiences.
2. They have considerable work experience and client testimonials– at a bigger scale. With each successfully completed project, these firms gain mass approval as testimonials to their works.
3. They can manage larger projects more efficiently than freelancers, owning to their larger manpower and workforce.
4. The work pattern is more organized, with different people handling different aspects of a single project, under one project manager.
5. They have a market value, so you can actually crosscheck their claims and achievements more easily.
6. They often specialize in the type of projects they would like to work with. For example, certain firms are interested in commercial spaces, while certain others like hospitality projects.

Freelance Designer and You

With freelancers, you get to experience different advantages.

1. Freelancers are open to bargaining– and that is a fact for sure! The uncertain nature of work flow consistency, makes them open for negotiations.
2. It is easier to customize your spaces since they work more closely with your space. Basically, it is a one-man show, hence can elaborate more easily on your requirements.
3. They take up only one or two projects at a time. So, rest assured, your site is in your designer’s direct supervision almost all the time.
4. Many freelancers opt for residential projects, so they are quite familiar in residential designing.
5. They are the one-point contact center for all your worries and queries, hence they eliminate confusion or miscommunication.

Be it a house or an office, ultimately, useful design is the product of hard work and talent.

It is this very reason that you see many freelancers in design field. With their talent, perseverance and passion, they keep completing projects to their clients’ satisfaction. And most of the times, they source their works from mouth- to- mouth publicity.

On the other hand, when you entrust your project to an interior design company, the whole procedure becomes a cakewalk. Since they are already familiar with foolproof methods and techniques, You can literally throw away your worries and be a spectator to the progress of work.

There is no hard and fast rule regarding which project for whom. All types of designers can indulge in all types of project. Here, the only things that matter are their creativity and talent in making your design concept come to life.