So, you’ve decided to hire an interior designer for your new home improvement/remodel project. You’ve made an excellent decision; an interior designer can help you turn your house into your dream home without any stress on your part. However, you have to ensure that the designer you hire is the right fit for you and your house. One of the easiest ways to rule out those who aren’t a match is to conduct an interview. To make the process easier for you, we compiled a list of the seven most important questions to ask when hiring an interior designer.
Before The Interview
Although in this article, we will be focusing on questions you need to ask when hiring an interior designer. There are a few things you should do before even meeting with them. For starters, you should figure out what you like and what you don’t like. Decide what you want to do, and, if possible, create a vision board. This will help you articulate your wants and needs to your interior designer. That, in turn, will help your interior designer make your vision come true.
For inspiration, you should browse interior design magazines and create a board on Pinterest. Visit the designer’s website and social media profiles to get a good idea of what their previous jobs looked like.
The Interview Questions
Question #1: How do you choose what projects are a suitable fit for you and your company?
This question is similar to a common job interview question when employers ask potential employees why they think the position is a good fit for them. By hearing how a designer analyzes your project, you’ll learn a lot about them. The most crucial factor for most interior designers is whether or not it is a good personality fit. This is because projects might last months or even years, so most want to ensure that the collaboration is a positive experience for everyone involved.
Question #2: Do you want clients to be involved in the process or not?
Some designers prefer to work with clients throughout the process, while others enjoy complete creative control. While both options work for some, it’s important to ask this question so you’ll understand what kind of situation you’d be in ahead of time. Before the interview, you should determine how you’d prefer to work and how much engagement you anticipate having as a customer. And, if your answer matches the one the designer gives you – great! If not – you’re probably not a good match.
Question #3: How much will you charge me for this project?
When choosing an interior designer, budget concerns should be brought up at the right time. One of the most common renovation mistakes is forgetting to budget the project from the start. It’s best to ask this question when hiring an interior designer than to discover that your budget is no good once the construction starts. To get an idea of how much your project should cost, you should interview a few different designers and mark down their answers.
Question #4: What do you make your priority when planning a budget?
The second budget-related question you should ask when interviewing an interior designer is what their priority is. We suggest you ask this question since your priorities may differ from the designer’s. When it comes to preventing unneeded tension, talking about it ahead of time rather than in the thick of a project may make all the difference.
Question #5: How long do you think it will take you to finish the project?
If you don’t have experience with interior design, it might be tough to determine how long your job will take on average. After you’ve discussed the scope of your project with your designer and what you’ll need to get the appearance you want, make sure to inquire about how long it will take them to finish it. For example, if you’re hiring a designer to decorate a home you haven’t yet moved into, consider how long you’d be prepared to wait for it to be ready to move into. Moreover, consider how much work your designer is performing in your place. Are they just putting the final touches on things? Then it shouldn’t take them more than a few months. Is it true that they’re completely redoing the room from top to bottom? Then accept that they will require additional time.
Working on a short timeline can be challenging for some designers, but it might be necessary for you. So, make sure you get a ballpark idea from your interior designer. That way, you won’t overestimate how quickly the project will be done, and you can move in. In the meantime, you can start working on other things, such as planning your move. Figure out if you need help with any task, such as professional deep cleaning, and hire the services you need in advance.
Question #6: Did you make any mistakes on your last project, and how did you deal with them?
We all know that to err is human, but the more important question is how they deal with those errors. For example, it’s not uncommon for designers to make some interior design mistakes such as over-accessorizing or forgetting greenery. However, more important is that they recognize that as a mistake and learn from it. While you might be uncomfortable asking this question because it sounds like it was taken from a job interview questionnaire, you shouldn’t skip it since this is one of the most important questions you ask when hiring an interior designer.
Question #7: Where do you find your inspiration?
Before hiring a designer, we recommend gaining a sense of their personality and inspiration by asking questions such as this. Moreover, you can ask them about their design signature, their favorite project so far, the colors they prefer to utilize in their projects, etc. These types of questions go to the heart of a designer’s style. And they also give you a glimpse into how they approach the creative process.
Now that you know what questions to ask when hiring an interior designer and what answers to expect, you can get started on making your dream home a reality! Good luck on your journey!
Author Bio:
Christopher Mendez is an experienced copywriter working for Clean Cut Moving. However, his true passions are home improvement and interior design. He hopes to one day design his own studio apartment. He lives in New York City with his partner and their Pomeranian Snowball.