What to Expect from an Interior Design Consultation
Have you ever wondered what really happens during an interior design consultation? Maybe you've been thinking about tackling a home renovation or redesign, but you're not quite sure where to start. An interior design consultation might just be the answer you're looking for.
We cannot speak for other interior design studios, but we can pull back the curtain and dive into our process and approach during this important first step to transforming a space.
The Purpose of a Design Consultation:
At its core, a design consultation is both a discovery session as well as a mini-design session. It's a chance for you, the homeowner, to sit down with an interior designer and discuss your goals, preferences, and the unique challenges of your space. But more than that, it's an opportunity to gain valuable insights from an expert in the field.
Here's what we tell our clients to expect during a typical design consultation with us:
#1 - The Home Tour
We begin by conducting a thorough walkthrough of your home. This isn't just a formality—it's an essential part of the process. By getting a firsthand look at your space, we can better understand how you currently use your home, what you love about it, and what areas could use improvement. This walkthrough is important even if you’re only focusing on one room or area, as getting an overall sense of how you live and use your home is important context for us to be able to provide you with targeted solutions for your unique lifestyle.
#2 - Detailed Discussions About Your Problem Areas
Once the tour is complete, we’ll have the chance to dive into specific areas or rooms that you'd like to focus on. Maybe you're struggling with furniture layout in your living room, or perhaps you're unsure about the color scheme for your kitchen. This is your opportunity to bring up any design dilemmas you're facing and get expert advice. We typically come with a fan deck in hand along with a tape measure so we can provide our clients with real time solutions to keep their project moving - whether they end up working with us in a larger capacity or not.
#3 - Q&A and Design Plan
Towards the end of the consultation, there will be time for questions and answers. This is your chance to ask about anything that's been on your mind, whether it's about design styles, materials, or the design process itself. We will also provide you with an outline of the next steps and discuss how to proceed with a design plan if you’d like to move forward - or we follow up with notes from our visit so you are equipped to take it from there.
So, why is a design consultation so important if I already know I need full-service design?
A question we get a lot is if a design consultation is really necessary if you already know you want to engage a designer for full-service design.
From experience, we feel it greatly benefits our clients and their projects to have a design consultation before engaging in a full-service scope of work for a few reasons, but mainly because a design consultation is not just about the designer providing solutions but it's also an opportunity for both the designer and the client to assess whether they're a good fit for each other. A design project is a collaborative effort, and it's crucial that both parties feel comfortable and confident working together. The consultation allows you to get a sense of the designer's style, approach, and communication style, helping you determine if they're the right partner for your project BEFORE getting into a long-term agreement.
From our end, we find an in-home consultation helps us provide you with a more accurate proposal which reduces the amount of back and forth figuring out the scope of work as well as reduces the need for costly add-services later down the line. Home renovations and design projects inherently come with a lot of unknowns, and we want you to be prepared with as much information as possible up-front.
Think of it as a first date with your designer!
A design consultation should not be just an expensive sales pitch—it's an opportunity to gain valuable insights and guidance from an expert in the field. Remember, the goal of a design consultation is to help you achieve the home of your dreams. It's an investment in your space, your comfort, and your happiness.
This post is intended to provide clarity into some of the questions we receive most about our Design Consultations, so I do hope it is helpful. If you’re here because you’re wondering if our consultation service would help you, we invite you to schedule a complimentary call with our lead designer to discuss more about our processes and services and which may be a good fit for your project.
You can also download our full services and investment guide here: Services & Investment Guide