Interviewing professionals to determine whether they’ll be able to provide the type of service you’re looking for is no small feat. Knowing what questions to ask can make it much easier to decide based on the most important criteria that will have the biggest impact.
If you read Part 1, you already know 3 questions that will give you confidence to choose an interior designer who will be a good fit. Here’s the next set of questions that will help you as you get ready to embark on your own design project.
Question 4
Have you done an interior design project like mine before?
Make sure your type of project and end goals are aligned with the services your interior designer offers. Some full-service designers specialize in kitchen and bath remodels, others concentrate on furnishings-only projects. Some may only do new construction projects but not remodels, or vice versa.
At Mona Britton Design, we specialize in residential furnishings-only, and furnishing with minor renovation in Paris. Our favourite projects are in historic buildings where we get to blend the charm of original architectural details with updated floorplans, furnishings and finishes that make sense for modern life. My experience working in different cities with various types of homes helps me design for your specific space, whether it’s in a Haussmannian, an Art Deco-era, or a mid-century building.
I love to take time getting to know my clients, tailoring each space to their needs, and finding ways to delight and surprise them so they can enjoy their space for years to come.
Question 5
Who is on your team? What can I expect from you and your team throughout the process?
Before your project starts, it’s a good idea to understand who you will be working with throughout the project and how much support you’ll receive.
For example, is there a design assistant who will reach out about scheduling? Is there someone specific who handles billing, payments, and product ordering? Is there a designated project manager who handles all appointments and site visits? Is there a junior designer who handles all design-related work? Or, will the principal designer be the only point-of-contact throughout the process?
Mona Britton Interiors is a boutique residential design firm. I am the principal designer and your point-of-contact. I have a small support team to whom I outsource certain tasks, vendors, and other industry professionals who I work with closely. I am involved in each detail of every project and will accompany you each step of the way from beginning to end. I strive to automate tasks like scheduling or billing so that my time can primarily be spent focusing on design-related work, and client and vendor relationships.
Question 6
Is there anything else I’ll need to pay for throughout the process?
It’s important to know what you’ll be responsible for during an interior design project. Hopefully the interior designer’s fees are well-understood from the start, because you don’t want any surprises down the road. Make sure that you have a full understanding of all the costs that will be associated with your project.
Will there be shipping and delivery charges, storage fees, travel fees, re-selection fees, hourly billing, reimbursable expenses, project management fees, late fees, etc.? These can add up quickly and your designer should be able to provide you with this information so you know what to expect.
At Mona Britton Interiors, we believe in transparency and have established project minimums for both design fees and furnishings budgets. I work closely with my clients to prepare a realistic furnishings budget based on their project goals.
I’m not a general contractor and I don’t provide estimates for renovation work. It’s wise to have a contingency budget in case of unplanned discoveries, especially in a historic building.
Do these questions resonate with you? If you haven’t read Part 1, it’s not too late to catch up on the first 3 questions I recommend. Stay tuned for Part 3.
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.
