Installation Day Tips for Interior Designers

Interior Design Installation Day

If well planned and executed, art is capable of telling a story in itself. So be it a well-choreographed dance or a well-thought DIY interior design, they can emanate a story of their own.

While most people rave about the work done in a living room or dining room walls, few understand the kind of labor that goes behind it. One of the best ways to understand it is to go through the series of before, in-between, and after photos. It would provide insights into how much work has gone into converting the homeowners’ dream into reality.

If we keep aside the tedious labor talks, installation day is an exciting day for all the parties involved. By now, the interior designer has completed a majority of home décor and is now in the final stages of turning dreams into reality.

Given the plethora of installation elements, there can be some hiccups along the way, or the person can forget certain items or routine tasks. So we have curated this article to cover all the installation day tips for interior designers, complete with a checklist and a list of things you would need.

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While the term ‘installation day’ may suggest that everything relating to furniture and other installations happens ‘in a day,’ it is anything but so. Moreover, given the scale of work required to accomplish an interior designing task, it would even be not very reasonable for anyone to think the same too.

Installation day merely refers to the final nail in the coffin – it is the day when the soft goods or moving parts fitting, such as that of bedding, furniture, and others, takes place. But the process begins days back (sometimes months back), and the interior designer’s warehouse is informed prior about the installation day and the items that would be installed.

Before the day, the house is cleaned well after installing the other accessories of home decor, such as wallpaper, lighting, paint color, and others. It means before the installation day arrives, your team has already covered most of the work related to the house’s walls. The moving items require proper placement to ensure the design ideas materialize as planned.

So for that, the day before installation day is equally vital. You will have to gather all the items used for the said project and pack them for safe transport from your warehouse to the project’s location. It includes bubble wrapping the artwork, florals, light bulbs, coffee table, painting, and other items and keeping them together for dispatch. In addition, there would be the requisite toolkits and installation kits necessary for the project that would travel alongside.

While we would like to see everything segregated room-wise, the movers are adamant about optimizing space, and designer teams have to give in. But area rugs come in last as they are easy to unload and unroll and do not require the same level of care while moving.

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Given the scale of work leading up to the installation day, it is vital that you not mess it up when it matters. So, we have curated a 10-item checklist to ensure everything goes as planned and the design team gets the job done. Also, not all of these items are related to the installation day alone but take place days or weeks prior.

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1. Request the client to take a leave from their home for the day. It would help us keep the work area to ourselves and not have ancillary things to have at the back of our minds.

2. Conduct a purchase audit at least a week prior to the installation day to ensure the procurement process for the items to be moved is complete.

3. If the project is expansive, you can hire extra helpers for the day to keep things smooth and moving.

4. Create a list of items to be handed over to the movers and doubly check if everything is included.

5. Make sure you include everything in the toolkit and the installation kit. Double-check it. Or maybe triple-checking would suffice.

6. Print multiple floor plans and at least have a copy for each room. It would bring about coherence in the design process and would also enable the movers to place the items accordingly.

7. Pack in faith, chocolate, good humor, and snack for the installation day.

8. Shop for final items, such as decor, flowers, drapery hooks, pillow inserts, cleaning supplies, and more in bulk (more than needed).

9. Get a good night’s sleep to work your way through the installation day.

10. Wear comfortable shoes and clothes to help you move swiftly. It is an unsaid hack for having a field day at work.

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While fascinating for the outsiders, the installation day is no less than a frantic episode of their favourite action movie for interior designers. It has nerves, thrill, and stress and should be equally fulfilling and enjoyable for interior designers. But for this to happen, you would require some of the must-haves at the location.

Here are ten things that can prove helpful on the installation days –

In most cases, cups are hard to find and are not cost-efficient. So it is feasible for your team to carry a few reusable water bottles to ensure that everyone remains hydrated and fresh.

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Music often acts as a great distraction from noise and helps us work without getting affected by what is happening around us. While it is not feasible to plug in an earphone, having a portable speaker can always help you stay focused and keep the communication open.

Read also – Photography for Interior Design Business

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While the team will carry the requisite toolkit, having a set of pocket knives always comes in handy. It allows everyone to get through minute tasks without running for the kit or asking someone else for the same.

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When you are into the installation day, it is a no-brainer to carry a pack of tissues. It is because you never know if there are enough in the bathroom or if there are any at all.

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The installation day is going to be a long day. It would be longer if you took multiple eating breaks. However, given that you need a moment or a few of them to satiate your hunger, you can take some short breaks to fill your stomach and rejuvenate.

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Nitrile gloves are an all-rounder, and by now, you probably know it already. They are great at post-cleaning across different surface types, such as glass, mirrors, acrylic, and more.

Read also – Self Care for Interior Designers

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As the name suggests, the magic eraser helps in getting rid of minor marks and stains, which you will probably find in abundance during the installation day. So one of the hacks to make yourself more efficient is to have a magic eraser in your pocket.

GIF Source – Clever

While most interior designers carry level and laser level for efficient handling of mirrors and anything hanging on the walls, having a ruler will ensure that you are a pro at it.

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With most smartphones barely lasting a full day on a single charge, having a portable charger, such as a power bank, would be handy and save you and others from running back and forth to their phones plugged into a wall charger.

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While we would not have suggested hand sanitizer merely a couple of years ago, the present times are complex and require you to be more careful than ever. From floor plan changing hands by the minute and you have a plethora of boxes and crates that come in from your vendors, it is imperative to keep hand sanitizer close and running.

Read also – 20 Common Interior Design Mistakes To Avoid

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Now that you have done the hard grind and reached the final day, it is imperative to execute it well. Here are five installation day tips for interior designers to help them optimize their performance –

The secret to an effortless installation day is to de-clutter the location. Remove what is old and unnecessary away from the work area beforehand. Then, focus on optimizing the space by moving large items and keeping them close to the walls that are complete or are planned for later in the day.

Care should be taken to keep furniture away from doors and windows to ensure they do not suffer any blows or your team doesn’t end up breaking them into pieces.

Read also – 15 Problems Most Interior Design Business Faces

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Another vital installation day tip for interior designers is to get rid of window treatments. It includes taking down anything that the client has to cover them and is removable, such as sheers, curtains, or blinds.

It would allow more light to enter the space and enable the team to go about their work around the area with greater efficiency. Not to forget, get rid of items such as wall arts and wind chimes to ensure these do not get destroyed accidentally.

Read also – 20 Best Wall Decor Ideas

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While it goes without saying that the homeowner is not going to replace every piece of furniture on the installation day, the ones supposed to stay should be protected from any possible impact. So keep the valuables placed near the work area adrift on any potential implications.

Instead of doing it all at the last minute, you can request the client to manage it or help you manage such items the day before the installation day.

Read also – 16 Interior Design Rules Every Interior Designer Should Follow

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It is easy to throw away discarded items. But a successful design project would be incomplete if you cannot find ways to recycle such items. Therefore, make sure you discuss all the things to be replaced and see if there is any scope for you to use them via a DIY stint or in any other manner. In addition, you can come up with design tips that would help them utilize these items in some other way or form.

At Foyr, we have a community of interior designers active in the profession. They come up with unique ideas for running an interior design business and optimize the resources available.

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One of the underrated installation day tips for interior designers is to plan the day. While there will inadvertently be things that may not go as planned, having a basic structure in your mind always brings clarity to what you do.

So plan the arrival time and exit time, prioritize the tasks in hand, execute, and reshuffle as deemed feasible. Planning your time well is the key to optimizing project management.

Read also – Time Saving Tips for Interior Designers

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Now that you have it all planned and everything is in place, it is time for you to start working towards the big reveal. Another critical installation day tip for interior designers that may not necessarily be work-related is to have surprises for your client.

Given that they are already excited to see the final product, having bottles of champagne and pet foods would only augment the overall feel and contribute to an improved customer experience.

The interior designers should walk the homeowner through each room with utmost patience and point out the intricate details. In addition, have the tools handy if the client requests minor improvements.

At Foyr, we specialize in helping interior designers create immaculate floor plans in half the time. We have also built a thriving community platform of over 50,000 designers to help you stay informed and undertake meaningful collaboration for exceptional installation days.