20 Interior Designers & Decorators in Tembisa

Tembisa was established in 1957 as a township north of Kempton Park on the East Rand of Gauteng. Originally named 'Thembisa', which means promise and hope in Nguni, it was later misspelled.

The modern-day Tembisa has grown considerably from its humble size and features more than 60 sections. Its population has also increased significantly and the town enjoys a much better infrastructure than it used to.

In order to further expand the area, a new housing development project was set up in 2018. This concept, which will focus on building more than 3,000 housing units in Tembisa Ext 25, is set to be finished within the next three years. The R140 million set aside for the project will also include the upgrading of the relevant infrastructure for water reticulation, sewer reticulation, a network of roads, as well as electrical wiring.

The main beneficiaries of the new housing project will be the residents of Winnie Mandela Informal Settlement.

Why is interior design important?

With top-notch interior design, a living space becomes both aesthetically pleasing and practical – and that is only for residential areas, as interior design in the commercial industry (such as restaurants and shopping malls) focuses on an entirely different set of factors.

Other factors that highlight the importance of proper interior design include:

• Functionality: Proper interior design ensures that a space (whether it's a home, an office or a hospital) fulfils its purpose. Think of a reasonably large house that doesn't provide its occupants with comfy legroom and adequate layouts simply because it's been badly designed.
• Complementing the occupants' lifestyles: Working with an interior designer means the finished result will suit your lifestyle. This is especially important, since it's not always easy to determine if an architectural design will complement your taste and style until you start living in it. Thus, having a professional interior designer onboard before you begin construction is vital in case you need to make critical changes that could be much more expensive after construction.
• Top-notch beauty: Starting with a suitable design style, an interior designer will provide colours, patterns, textures, furnishings and decorations in order to achieve balance and harmony, whether it's for an office, a living room, or an entire house. The main aim is that the aesthetic quality matches the purpose and function of the room; for example, a bedroom design must enhance rest and relaxation.
• Cost savings: Interior designers are conversant with all types of furnishings, décor, painting techniques, lighting fixtures, etc. In addition, they also have a network of vendors and other professionals in the industry (from landscape architects to floorers) that can provide them with the best products and finishes at lower prices.

Communicate your style with your Interior Designer

It is vital that you communicate your preferences with your interior designer before starting on a project, however large or small that may be. But how do you go about achieving that?

• Make 'like' and 'don't like' lists: It's recommended to browse the web (homify, Pinterest, etc.) and gather images and ideas of things that you like before meeting with a designer. This may include the type of colours you'd like for a bathroom, the various flooring options for the hallway, and your preferred window treatment. But also keep in mind the things that you don't want to include in your final design, as those can also help to steer the designer in the right direction.
• Get visual: Interior designers work on a visual level; thus, the more visuals you can provide about things you like (and hate), the better. This keeps things clear. For example, if you admire the 'less is more' look but would also like to include a bit of colour and texture for visual emphasis, yet your interior designer envisions something very simple and minimalistic, conflict may occur. But when you can include a photo and exclaim, This is what I love or This is what I don't want, then your designer can very quickly get onboard with your vision – and may even discover that you had 'Scandinavian' instead of 'Minimalism' in mind all along!
• Be picky: Have fun choosing lots of images for your lists, but go back a second time and be very picky. For instance, if you're browsing through wallpaper options for the bedroom, aim to cut your options down to top 10. This will provide your designer with a more manageable number to work with, plus teach you how to make design-related choices.

5 things that Interior Designers wish we would know

    ➀ You can live in one city/town and still work with a professional in another city/town

Yes, working with an interior designer in Durban while you're situated in Tembisa might not be ideal in terms of setting up meetings and face-to-face consultations, but it's not impossible! Bear in mind that a lot of firms have offices scattered across the country, and some designers are quite willing to travel for work and/or work long distance. If you really want to work with a specific professional, it's always worth inquiring.

    ➁ Interior designers go through a rigorous education- and training process, just like other professionals in the industry

Just like architects, formal training at a university or college is crucial to become an interior designer in South Africa. And for an individual to graduate, an official diploma or degree is required.

    ➂ Interior designers use up-to-date technology for your benefit

Computer-aided design (CAD) has revolutionised the way interior designers and architects, among other professionals, work in the 21^st century. As part of their formal training, interior designers are schooled on the relevant tools and software (like AutoCad) in order to present better designs for the client. This allows the client to visualise something much better (and make the necessary changes) before committing.

    ➃ Interior designers can design anything from a dining room to an entire shopping mall

Clients should never be scared to reach out to a designer just because they aren't building a new home or renovating an entire house. Interior designers are trained to work with all types of projects and budgets.

    ➄ Interior designers are updated on safety standards and building codes

Similar to architects, certified interior designers are required to know current building codes and other laws that may affect a client's project. This is to ensure not only better results for the client, but also their safety.