Embarking on a home improvement or renovation project is an exciting and rewarding endeavor. You start picturing yourself enjoying your new or redesigned spaces from the moment you say yes to the plans.

But the many decisions along the way can be intimidating given the myriad choices of looks and finishes that ultimately impact the overall aesthetics and functionality of your space. While it may be tempting to take on this task yourself — after all, the design world is literally at your fingertips online — enlisting the guidance of a professional designer ensures the cohesiveness of your choices. Perhaps even more importantly, using a designer to narrow down your options and make suggestions will usually save you time and reduce the likelihood of making costly mistakes.

Here are some examples of the utility of expert guidance on your finishes:

Hardwood Flooring: Timeless Elegance and Versatility

Hardwood flooring injects warmth and beauty into your home or office, and an enormous range of wood types, finishes, and installation parts are available. Additionally, based on the use and traffic of the room, you may want to consider engineered or laminate wood options. Your designer will:

• Guide you toward the most suitable options based on your lifestyle, budget, and design preferences. A designer has real-world experience with the installed look, as well as durability and maintenance.
• Coordinate with other design elements so your hardwood flooring complements your wall colors, furniture, and lighting selections.
• Give you access to professional resources including suppliers who may have unique and high-quality options that are not readily available to the general public.

Pulls and Knobs: Adding Hardware with Style and Functionality

Your hardware selection, whether on kitchen or bathroom cabinets, bedroom dressers, or on all your doorknobs, can either subtly blend to reinforce your aesthetic or make a major statement with intention. Working with a professional interior designer ensures you:

• Execute your vision and narrow down the thousands of hardware options to a few appropriate choices and give you context for each.
• Describe the impact of different finishes and materials on your final look and fit with any ergonomic needs and long-term outlook.
• Find a luxury look at an affordable price if you’re on a tight budget.

Countertop Choices: Balance Beauty and Practicality

Countertops play a central role in both kitchen and bathroom design. As they may comprise a good chunk of your total budget and are not easy to change once installed, it’s vitally important to select countertops you will love! You’ll be glad you have your designer to:

• Act as a guide through the rows of different material slabs so you can see, touch and feel them to envision how they’d look with your other design elements.
• Understand how different materials would perform in your spaces.
• Present the pluses and minuses of real versus engineered stones, as well as honed versus polished versus leather finishes.
• Review the costs and tradeoffs of each of your top options.
• Ensure your measurements and size estimates are correct.

A trusted partner in the redesign, renovation or new build will aim to make your journey so much smoother. The best professional designers will do everything they can to make sure that you love the outcome of your project, feel confident in the foundational elements and finishes you’ve chosen and look back on the process with satisfaction!