When you finally acknowledge that you could use a professional to help with your interior design needs, it can be overwhelming to start the process if you haven’t worked with a designer before.
ASID (American Society of Interior Designers) offers a checklist of questions to help you interview candidates: http://asidla.org/find-a-designer/interviewing-a-designer/ .
But based upon years of meeting potential clients, here is my unofficial advice that you may not find in a book or website.
- Ask friends and family (whose house décor you like) for recommendations. This is no guarantee that you will agree once you meet the person, but at least you’ll receive an endorsement from people you trust (and hopefully ) respect.
- Screen the designer on the phone by describing your project and ask if it sounds like something that would interest them. You have to make sure that you and the designer are in the same league. There is no use wasting anyone’s time if the designer isn’t appropriate for your situation; their skills, experience, and requirements should be compatible with your needs and comfort level.
- Schedule a meeting and ask if there is a consultation charge. You don’t want to be surprised.
- Do your homework before the meeting. Google the company and look at the website.Not all designers have sophisticated sites or have published works that would appear on Google. Many designers obtain new clients through referrals and just don’t have the time or need to focus on technology. But they should have something you can review.
- Try to meet at a time when you are relaxed and can focus. If you are constantly interrupted by children or other distractions, you should reschedule for a more appropriate time when you can talk, look and listen.
- Trust your instincts. You and the designer have to like each other in order to form a trusting partnership. It’s a little like dating; things you don’t like initially will only grow with time.
- Find out how the designer communicates and make sure it is compatible with your needs. If you are more comfortable with detailed correspondence and the designer tends to operate more casually, you will both feel frustrated and affect your relationship. But also verbalize how you like to work before the job begins. No one reads minds!
- Be honest about how the decisions will be made in your house; is your significant other involved? Will he/she be a decision maker? If so, make sure that both of you attend all designer presentations so that you don’t waste time or duplicate efforts having to repeat everything.
- Have fun! This can be a fun process. Try to enjoy!
