As trained professionals, an interior designer will know the proper questions to ask, therefore ensuring your project not only meets your expectations but exceeds them.

Before any design work commences, it’s vital to know things such as how the space will be used, what lighting needs will be required, whether there are any safety issues to address, and so forth. Then the actual aesthetics of the space will be addressed. Once this knowledge has been acquired by the designer, the budget can be discussed before the presentation is shown, therefore eliminating any disappointments. If a client is unsure of their budget, a professional designer can give them a realistic idea of what the current market is for design and decorating projects.

Your designer will ask for inspiration photos you may have gathered along the way when you were in your own planning stages. Your design team will also be presenting photos of spaces they think are “on point” for your project as well. A very open and candid interchange of ideas is needed to assure you, as the potential client, that your design team understands how you want to live and, maybe even more importantly, feel in your home.

This is a great question and is often overlooked in the interview process. The answer to this would depend on the scope of the project. For example, a full renovation would require in-depth timelines as opposed to a decorating project where mainly aesthetics are involved.

Upon embarking on any project, your design team will, to the best of their abilities, give a reasonable timeline for your project. As a rule of thumb, smaller decorating projects can range from 3-4 months, while a full renovation project could last for a year or even a little longer.