As you search for a designer for your interior design project, you may feel unsure about what to ask or what information is actually important when it comes to making a decision. In this series of articles, I share the right questions to ask before you hire an interior designer. If you haven’t read the two previous installments in this series, you’ll definitely want to read Part 1 and Part 2 to discover the other questions I recommend.
Question 7
What if I don’t like the design you come up with?
Experienced interior designers are well-versed in collecting all the right information from you to ensure the design concept will be perfectly aligned with what you’re hoping for (and, maybe exceed what you are expecting!).
We know the right questions to ask, how to spot patterns among your inspiration images, and how to translate that into a design that is tailored to your needs and wants. We take time to understand your preferences and look beyond what exists to see what could be. Each material and finish is thoughtfully chosen with our client in mind, for both aesthetics and function.
But there may be instances when a designer misses the mark just a bit. And you want your space to feel like you. So, make sure to understand your designer’s process for revising the design concept, or making re-selections of items that just don’t resonate with you. There should be a workable and efficient process in place if you are not 100% happy with what your designer proposes.
We want you to love your design and that’s why we spend so much time before we even start designing to get to know our clients and their family members, pets included! Our design questionnaire is a key part of diving into your needs and style, and we review your responses together during our kick-off meeting to make sure that we’re aligned. We have a two-part design process which allows us to determine the design direction before we start the detailed design. Once the detailed design has been presented, there is an opportunity for one round of revisions during which we can fine-tune some of the details, if needed. Our clients are generally very happy with our selections, and we don’t usually have many revision requests.
Question 8
What happens if there are issues during the process? What if an item gets delayed or discontinued? What if something goes wrong with an order or a piece of furniture?
You’ll want to understand how your designer handles issues and reacts when something goes wrong. Ask about both their approach to handling issues and concerns, as well as their timing to do so. Will there be a designated point person on the design team to handle such things? Or will your designer jump in to resolve the issue?
It would be great if there were no difficulties throughout your project, but it’s always a good idea to know how things will be resolved if and when they do happen. Your designer should proactively assist with finding a resolution to any issues that arise during the design and implementation process.
At Mona Britton Interiors, we cultivate relationships with vendors and work closely with them to resolve issues as quickly as possible. We track each element of the design individually so that delays or stock issues are on our radar.
If you are also doing minor renovations, for example re-tiling a bathroom, we actively engage in timely communication with your contractor for the part of the installation that relates to the design. We plan for a certain number of site visits, according to the scope of your project, which allow us to keep tabs on work that needs to be completed before lighting, furniture or accessories are installed.
Question 9
What happens once the detailed design is done? Will I hear from you or see you once it’s time to place orders and renovations start? How often will you come by to check on things? And, what if there are changes or questions we need to figure out quickly?
Hopefully, your interior designer won’t be MIA in the thick of things, but, to make sure you know what to expect, ask about what happens once the design is complete, renovations are underway and orders are being placed. And, be sure to understand what the design service and scope of work include. Many designers provide project management, ordering, and site visits, but some don’t.
At Mona Britton Interiors, when you contract with us for full-service design, we place and track orders, do site visits, manage our tradespeople, and organize and oversee the installation of the design elements we source. We send regular updates once the orders have been placed and work is underway so you always know how things are progressing. We do a final walk-through after the installation and styling.
Now that you know what questions to ask an interior designer before you hire them, you can feel confident that you’ll be able to find someone who is a good fit for you and who you will enjoy working with.
Your home is an important and substantial investment. Choosing the right designer is a key step towards making your home a place you love to be.
If you’re ready to find out more about working with Mona Britton Interiors for your project, just fill out a Project Inquiry Form and we’ll get back to you with details about our services and pricing.
