A General Contractor (or your Builder) is the person who brings your project to life. They coordinate trades, manage timelines, inspect the site regularly, make sure everything is built safely and up to code, and keep the whole machine moving. They’re like the conductor of an orchestra—except instead of violins and flutes, it’s electricians and plumbers. They look at the architectural drawings and know how to actually build it. Sounds like they’ve got it covered, right? So why hire an Interior Designer?
An Interior Designer is the one who creates the vision and all of the details that go along with that. We think about how our client’s home will function, flow, and feel. We get to know our client’s preferences and choose the finishes, colours, layouts, and all those little details that make a space not just “done” but function with the client in mind. Not to mention the wow factor that a Designer brings to a finished space. We’re the ones obsessing over whether that wall sconce should be 3 inches higher, making sure your outlets are exactly where you’ll need them (for that iPhone charging station or morning coffee spot), and planning for window treatments before the windows are even ordered so there’s proper clearance for drapery panels. Not to mention drawing and planning out all of the detailed furniture layouts for each room. How big will your sofa be? Is there room for an armchair in the corner where you plan to read? Can you fit a bench at the end of your bed? Do you want a soap niche or a bench in your shower? Do you want a makeup vanity in your walk-in closet? A Designer can provide additional drawings that address all of these details and more for a client to see and for the Trades to understand with clarity exactly what’s expected, eliminating the guess work on site. It also gives the GC a chance to review them and advise the Designer of any changes that might be required in order to make it work (because yes, changes do occur once a project is already in motion). This back-and-forth communication prevents those “oops, we already built it” moments along with potentially costly headaches.
The best part about hiring both professionals? When an Interior Designer and a GC work together from day one, the whole process is smoother, faster, and far less stressful. Together they can sort out details, consider options, and find solutions to potential problems before they cause any major delay. So, if you want a renovation that’s beautiful, functional, and relatively drama-free, don’t make it a choice between team designer and team builder. Hire both. Your future self will thank you.