Building a new space or remodeling an existing one in Long Beach, CA can involve multiple professionals. You’ll need an architect, a general contractor, and possibly other building professionals, such as structural engineers or Title 24 experts. But what about an interior designer? An interior designer is someone who can bring all the final aesthetic details together, but many Long Beach architects will tell you that you don’t need to hire an interior designer—that they can handle this portion of your project as well.
It’s true that many architects are trained and experienced in interior design, but what if you want to bring in someone who specializes in this field? Will your Long Beach architect work with your interior designer, or will he or she be resentful that you brought in an outside designer?
Mark Grisafe, owner and lead architect at Grisafe Architecture in Long Beach, had this to say about working with interior designers: “At my firm, we have individuals on our team who are trained in interior design, but often, our clients will want to bring in their own interior designer. This is perfectly fine, and we are happy to work with outside interior design professionals to help complete our designs. We’ve worked with many great interior designers in Long Beach and the surrounding areas and have achieved very successful outcomes for our clients! I think most Long Beach architects have a similar perspective. They leave the choice to bring in an interior designer or not up to their clients and are fine either way.”
There can be some overlap between the work that architects do and what interior designers do. For example, both interior designers and architects can design and help you choose things like custom built-in cabinetry, light fixtures, and finishes (flooring, wall treatments, window coverings, etc.). Because of this overlap, you want to make sure that your Long Beach architect and your interior designer (should you choose to hire both for your project) are in regular communication with each other. Of course, you will have the final say in what elements are included in your design, but you can avoid a lot of missteps if these two professionals are working together in harmony.
It can be helpful if your architect and your interior designer already have a professional relationship intact. So, if you know who you would like to use for interior design, ask him or her if they have any recommendations for Long Beach architects—or vice versa. Anyone who has been working in their field for a while will likely have connections that they would be happy to share.
Now, you might be thinking, “Won’t they just recommend their friends? How do I know that the person or firm they are recommending will do good work for me?” This is a valid question, but it’s important to understand that an interior designer or architect is likely to recommend someone in whom they have a lot of confidence, since they will be working closely with that person, and their work will have a huge impact on the final outcome of the project. In other words, it is in the interior designer’s or architect’s best interest to recommend someone who is talented and experienced. Ultimately, you don’t have to go with your interior designer’s or architect’s suggestion, but you may want to seriously consider it.
