Lessons from a London Interior Designer

Lessons from a London Interior Designer

Contracting Out

Those who are starting out as interior designers in London today are often startled to learn how difficult it is to identify and recruit a highly-qualified workforce of tradespeople. London is full of interior designers - together with career carpenters, labourers, furniture movers, plumbers and electricians. How then to select the perfect individual for a given task? In the next two blog entries, I will reflect on my experience as the founder of Global Interior Design - London's premier no-fuss consultancy - to offer a selection of helpful hints and tips on how best to manage contracting.

Contractors, the Internet and Employment Law

My first tip is: "just becomes someone is listed online doesn't mean they are any good!" Interior designers should ideally only employ tradespeople who are personally known by them or who have outstanding references from other London-based interior designers or decorators.

Second (but just as important) is the reality that you must check that all tradespeople have the right paperwork to be employed in England. London's interior designer community is responsible for a lot of contracting, and sadly there are always unscrupulous contractors out there who are illegal aliens or who lack European Union work authorisation. Don't take shortcuts. Contracting with such people has serious implications for your insurance status, your reputation as an interior designer, and your ability to obtain legal support in the event of a workplace accident.

Contractors and Communications

Third, it is best to get a guarantee from your tradesperson that they will be able to devote the hours needed to your project. Some contract workers will accept several jobs from multiple London-based interior designers to fill their available time over any given period. You need to get right to the point with your contractor and make sure you and he are on the same page in terms of time availability.

Finally, communicating well with your tradespeople is imperative. World-class results only become a reality if there is continuous and accurate communication between the interior designer and your contractors. All the more so if the contractor has English as a second language!

With the hints in this and the previous blog postings, I truly believe that talented interior designers can make amazing projects come together with minimal hassle.

Home and Away

Not so long ago I was sitting in my interior design studio and reflecting on how London continues to change. London is a major world metropolis, which means that new interior designers are always coming over from the continent and from across the globe. Furthermore, new students are starting their certificates and degree programmes every year - they can't wait to become interior design professionals in London as well. Often, interior designers who arrive in London to make a career for themselves will carry their own heritage and ancestry in a way that impacts their careers and outlook. Similarly, some international interior designers start working in London but then go abroad. In the next blog posting, I will discuss how I have seen these international themes develop in recent years.