Before you hire an interior designer: the questions that separate good from merely stylish

Ask about the process, not the pictures

The questions that matter most are about how the designer works, not what their photographs look like: how they charge, what drawings they produce, who orders and receives the furniture, who talks to the contractor, and what they did the last time a project went wrong. Interview two or three designers with the same brief, ask each the same questions and compare the answers side by side. A good designer answers these comfortably and specifically; vague or defensive answers are the warning.

I have run Chateau Concepts as a design studio and general contractor since 2001, and I have been on both sides of these interviews, as the designer being questioned and as the builder who inherits another designer's drawings. The list below is what I would ask if I were hiring someone for my own house.

Do your homework before the first interview

The interviews go better when you arrive with a short brief. You do not need a finished vision, but you do need to know what problem you are solving. Designers can only answer your questions well if they understand the job, and giving every candidate the same brief is the only way to compare their answers fairly.

Write down how you use the rooms in question, what is not working today and what you plan to keep. Collect a handful of images you respond to and note what you like in each one, whether that is the color, the openness or the cabinetry. Decide whether construction is on the table or whether this is furnishings only. Most important, settle on a budget range you are prepared to share. A designer who does not know your number is designing in the dark, and the first scheme you see will likely need to be redrawn.

• Rooms involved and how each one is used
• What is not working now, in specific terms
• Pieces you are keeping
• A few images with notes on why you like them
• Whether walls, plumbing or cabinetry may change
• A budget range, including construction if relevant

Where good candidates come from

Some sources predict a good outcome better than others. The strongest is a referral from someone whose finished home you have actually stood in, because you can ask the owner how the project felt while it was happening. Next is your builder, if you already trust one; builders know which designers draw clearly and stick to their decisions. Professional directories such as the American Society of Interior Designers are a reasonable starting point, since membership signals a commitment to professional standards, though it does not guarantee talent. Portfolio sites and local search are fine for a shortlist, but photographs show taste, not competence.

Local knowledge is worth weighing too. A designer who works regularly in Highland Park, University Park and the City of Dallas knows that each runs its own permit process, knows the older housing stock and knows how a large single-story plan affects a furniture budget.

Questions about money and paperwork

Start with how you will be charged, because it shapes everything else. Designers bill by flat fee, by the hour, as a markup on purchases, as a percentage of the project or as a combination. None is wrong, but you need to know which applies to which part of the work. My guide on how interior designer fees are built walks through each model in detail.

• How do you charge, and what triggers each payment?
• What is included in your fee, and what is billed separately, such as freight, receiving, storage and installation?
• How many rounds of revisions are included, and what happens after that?
• Do you receive commissions or rebates from any supplier?
• What happens if I stop partway through, and who owns the drawings?
• Can I see a certificate of insurance, and are you registered where the work will happen?

Questions about drawings and decisions

This is where the difference between a decorator and a designer shows. A decorator works with furnishings, color, textiles and styling. A designer also handles space planning, dimensioned drawings, clearances and specifications, and coordinates with the people who build. Both are legitimate; you just need to know which one you are hiring.

Ask whether you will receive dimensioned floor plans and elevations or only renderings and mood boards. A rendering shows how a room might feel. A dimensioned drawing shows whether the island leaves enough room to open the dishwasher, and it is what a contractor can price. Most layout mistakes are made in the first few weeks of a project, long before anyone notices them.

• Will I get construction drawings, or design intent only?
• How do you decide the order of decisions, and when do I need to make each one?
• Will you tell me if I do not need a designer for part of this?

Questions about ordering and the contractor

Two questions surprise most homeowners because they never thought to ask them: who orders the furniture, and who deals with it when it arrives damaged? Someone has to track every order, receive deliveries, inspect them and handle the claim when a sofa shows up with a torn arm. If the answer is you, you should know that before you sign.

The relationship with the builder matters just as much. Ask who communicates with the contractor, how often and in what form. Ask who has authority to answer a question on site. If the designer and builder are separate firms, ask what happens when the drawing and the site disagree, because in older houses they will. I compare the two arrangements in design-build or a separate designer and contractor.

• Who orders furniture and materials, and who handles damaged or missing items?
• Who talks to the contractor, and how often?
• How many projects do you run at once, and who covers when you are busy?
• What is a realistic schedule for design, ordering, lead times and installation?

The single most revealing question

Ask every candidate to tell you about a project that went wrong and what they did about it. Every designer with real experience has one: a discontinued tile, a wall that turned out to be structural, a cabinet run that arrived an inch too long. What you are listening for is ownership. Did they explain the problem to the client, offer options and fix it, or does the story end with someone else to blame?

Then ask for two recent clients you can call, including one whose project had problems. Ask those clients how the work felt during construction, whether the designer was on site, how changes were handled and whether the budget conversation stayed honest. The finished photos will not tell you any of that.

What a solid proposal looks like on paper

After the interviews, ask for a written proposal. A good one answers five things without a phone call. If any of them are missing, ask for them in writing before you sign anything.

• Scope: which rooms, and what work in each. Whole house is not a scope.
• Deliverables: plans, elevations, finish schedules, specifications, furniture plans.
• Fee and payment schedule: how the fee is calculated and when each part is due.
• Exclusions: the most revealing section, so read it twice.
• Revisions and changes: how many rounds are included, and what a change costs once items are ordered.

Red flags worth walking away from

Some warning signs are worth taking seriously no matter how much you love the portfolio. Pressure to decide at the first meeting is one. A designer who cannot explain their markup is another. A portfolio where every room looks the same may mean the designer has one look and will give it to you whatever you ask for.

In my practice the style that matters is the client's, whether that is traditional, transitional, contemporary, mid-century modern, Mediterranean, Old World, rustic or eclectic. A range in the portfolio is a sign that the designer listens.

Pay attention to how the designer treats your budget during the interview, too. Someone who brushes past the number, or who talks only about the most expensive version of every room, is telling you how the project will go. The right person asks what you want to spend, asks what matters most and is willing to say which parts can wait.

• A large deposit with no defined deliverable
• Reluctance to explain markup on furnishings
• No written contract, whatever the size of the job
• Renderings offered in place of dimensioned drawings
• Vague answers about insurance; ask for the certificate and check its dates
• Pressure to sign during the first meeting

How I answer these questions myself

If you ask me these questions, here is what you will hear. I hold a BFA in Interior Design from the University of North Texas and am an Allied member of ASID. Chateau Concepts is registered with the City of Dallas and carries general liability insurance, and certificates are available on request. I produce floor plans and elevations, I can run the build myself or work alongside your own contractor, and the person you meet at the consultation is the person on site during installation.

If you are still deciding whether you need a designer at all, read is an interior designer worth it for your house. If you are ready to talk, the first step is a consultation in your home, where I walk the space, listen and give you my first impressions on the spot, along with a realistic picture of how long the project will take.

Questions people ask me