Custom building or renovating a home can be a rewarding and exciting journey. It also requires careful planning and communication to achieve the desired results. Effective collaboration with your interior designer is a vital component to ensuring a successful project. Different project types and their specific demands can significantly impact the timeline and level of expertise and communication needed. This is why choosing an interior designer who is a good fit for your project and with whom you enjoy working is even more critical to its success.
If you’re considering hiring an interior designer, do you know what questions to ask? A thorough vetting process, often starting with a detailed questionnaire, helps both parties determine if the relationship is a good fit. To help you with this process, we’ve created a comprehensive questionnaire to ask your potential interior designer. This will guide you in making an informed decision and set the stage for a successful partnership.
What Questions to Ask:
1. Are You Licensed and Insured?
At Trade Mark Interiors, our CEO & Principal Designer Tracee Murphy is our licensed and insured interior designer, which covers our firm as a whole. Whether you decide to work with us or someone else, we always recommend working with a licensed and insured interior designer. This added layer of protection will ensure you’re partnering with someone who is accredited and safeguarded to perform the work in your jurisdiction while meeting all the safety requirements and regulations to do so.
2. What Experience Do You Have, and Can We See Similar Projects?
Depending on the firm, your type of project could be right in their wheelhouse or potentially be a first for them so asking what previous experience the designer has will help align what methods and processes could be taken to successfully execute your own project.
3. Can You Provide References?
If a potential designer doesn’t have or can’t provide references, we recommend looking elsewhere. Referrals and references are a huge avenue for new business, and every reputable designer will be more than happy to share their references and client testimonials with you.
4. What is the project timeline?
Most custom building and renovation projects take longer than expected. Whether you’re on a tight timeline or not, it’s always best to know the projected schedule so everyone is on the same page for the project’s completion.
5. What is your process?
Depending on how you like to work and how an interior designer usually operates could incline one designer’s process over another’s to work better for you. How detail-oriented do you want them to be? Do you prefer to do things over technology, or do you prefer things to done in person? These are all factors to consider when you ask about the designer’s process.
6. How Will Communication and Decision-Making Occur?
Understanding how communication and decision-making will be carried out will prepare both parties for success. Factors like budget, timeline, or unexpected circumstances will come up, so having a standard operating procedure for the best way to move forward will ensure your project stays within budget, on time, and with very little stress.
7. What Is Included in the Quoted Price?
Interior designers typically have two forms of pricing structures: flat fee or hourly based. No matter the model, a reputable interior designer will be more than happy to provide you a quoted price for their services. This detailed quote will include all aspects of your project from the beginning, middle, and end.
8. Who Will Be On-Site and Overseeing the Project?
During your project, different stakeholders will need to be onsite at different times. To handle installations, oversee, and facilitate different phases of the project so it’s important to know who should be where to protect the security of your home and your investment.
Let’s Work Together
Open communication and clarity on expectations are key to a successful partnership with your interior designer. By seeking clarity on all these important aspects, you’ll work alongside someone with your preferences and style at the forefront of your building and renovation journey. If you’d like to see if we’d be a good fit for your next project, connect with us to start the conversation.