How to Choose an Interior Designer

Interior designers have a bad reputation for being egotistical, impractical, occasionally full of sh*t – and unfortunately – I can’t fully disagree 🙈

After many years of training and working in this field, the list of designers I respect and admire is admittedly short, and I still take pains to NOT be like the hot-shot designer my parents hired to renovate our family home when I was in high school. She proved to be a tornado of a woman who bullied my mom into many bad decisions that she hated immediately and still resents to this day 😅😭

It’s terrible to save up for YEARS, only to be crushed by your renovation, so I wanted to share a few things to look for and ask of any designer you’re thinking of working with, beyond the standard questions about training, experience, budget, and timelines. Because truly, a good designer who’s right for you is EXTREMELY valuable, and will make your project SO much more successful... and here’s how I think you can find them :)

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What are your favourite design styles?

The first thing you want to establish is whether you and your prospective designer share a similar sense of style:

• Spend some time on Pinterest and Instagram to get a sense of what you like.

• Ask your prospective designer to describe what they like.

• Ask them to share some photos of their favourite projects and/or images from Pinterest / Instagram of homes they love, so you can get a sense of whether your aesthetics are aligned. 

I believe the designer’s  job is to make your wishes come true in the best way possible. This requires a balance between your ideas and preferences with their advice and expertise, which is easier when you share design philosophies and styles.

How / why did you get into design?

Next, I recommend asking your prospective designer how and why they got into design. I was surprised throughout design school by how many people were there because they:

• didn’t know what else to do,

• had an arts degree and didn’t know what to do with it,

• or just thought: “this seems fun!” 

Design school is imbalanced and inadequate in many ways, so continuing education IS necessary, which requires real drive and interest. I recommend looking for a designer who is devoted to their trade, and therefore willing to put the time into additional training and knowledge building.

What are your design priorities?

Another great question to ask before hiring a designer is: “What do you prioritize in your designs?” But before you ask, think carefully about what’s important to YOU so you can get a better sense of how well your priorities align. Personally, my answer would be that I value function, practicality, ergonomics, sustainability, and timeless design; that I always try balance budget with quality; and I don’t sacrifice these things for aesthetics. And this is not the best answer for everyone – I’ve met plenty of designers and clients over the years who happily make those compromises to achieve a certain look. So you just have to be clear on what’s important to YOU, and ensure that you’re on the same page as your designer. 

Look for someone who’s completed additional colour training.

Crazy but true: designers and architects are not taught about colour in school, in any useful or practical way. Of the many I’ve spoken to over the years, some acknowledge this as their greatest weakness, but most will deny this claim and dismiss it as a non-issue.

But as as colour expert Maria Killam always says, “Every decision is a colour decision.” So I strongly recommend hiring someone who’s completed additional training, because mistakes WILL be made if your designer doesn’t have a deep understanding of hue, value, chroma, LRV, inconstancy, metamerism, NEUTRAL UNDERTONES, the effects of lighting, how to deal with competing finishes, and of course: how to pull a palette together. 

I still remember walking into Day 1 of “colour class,” turning to my friend and saying: “I hope by the end of this course I can CONFIDENTLY SELECT A BEIGE (or any neutral 😅)!!” But the course turned out to be a childish painting class focussed on primary colour mixing, colour theory, and colour psychology – all of which are virtually useless in interior design.

Recognizing this MAJOR gap in my knowledge after graduating, I did an entire additional YEAR of colour training, completing three colour courses by three colour experts. I learned a TON, and this knowledge has dramatically improved my overall design skills.

When do you choose paint colours? 

Another simple yet revealing question you can ask your prospective designer is WHEN they choose paint colours. Most will say “near the beginning!”, or “don’t worry, I use neutrals that go with everything!” But BOTH these answers are WRONG.

There’s no such thing a magical neutral that goes with everything. Your home's new or existing finishes and furniture will dictate EXACTLY WHICH SHADE of white, cream, beige, greige, grey, or taupe should go on your walls and cabinets. This is why, whenever possible, paint colours should be selected DEAD LAST.

There are a million and one paint colours out there, but your finish and furniture selections are much more limited, so those should be selected FIRST, and your paint selected to MATCH. You can generally know that you want “greige” or “navy” or “white”, but the specific colour should NOT be chosen until the major finishes and furnishings have been selected, AND you have all the samples on hand. 

What are your thoughts on recessed lighting? How do you tend to use it?

Another little quiz question you can ask your prospective designer! The answer should be something along the lines of:

“I think pot lights are woefully uninspired! There are much nicer options out there – so I only use them SPARINGLY in kitchens, utility spaces, and bedrooms as TASK lighting – NOT ambient lighting.”

Builders and (and many homeowners) love recessed lights because they’re sleek, modern, and affordable, but bright ceiling lights are uncomfortable and unflattering and should only be used when you’re cooking, cleaning, packing, or looking for something – never while relaxing or enjoying a space. (And no, it doesn’t matter that they’re dimmable – the issue is that the light is shining down from the ceiling.) Decorative flush-mounts, modern track lights, wall lights, pendants, chandeliers, and LAMPS provide much nicer lighting.

Can they explain their decisions?

Your designer should be able to explain their decisions in a concise and coherent way. Because the thing about good design and colour selection is that it is FIRMLY grounded in common sense, logic, ergonomics, design principles, and sensory intuition. So if you’re feeling uneasy about a decision and your designer can’t explain it in a way that actually makes sense, they’re probably just making it up as they go. And if you’re constantly second guessing your designer, they may not know what they’re doing — or you may just not be right for each other — both of which are good reasons to part ways.

BONUS: How to be a good client!

Being a great client will help your designer do great work!

The best clients give their designers enough direction and input to successfully guide the design, without pushing into the designers lane. Great clients are able to commit to ideas and decisions without endless back and forth and mind changing. I’ve had to part ways with a few clients over the years who have been too strongly opinionated, too obsessive, or just cripplingly indecisive – because any of these things make it impossible to move forward.

That said, if you’re someone with very strong design opinions and/or intense and excessive attention to detail, you might be better off hiring a project manager with interior design experience rather than an actual designer. A PM can still help make decisions and run your project smoothly, without there being too many cooks in the kitchen!

Conclusion

I understand what a huge commitment it is to remodel your home or build from the ground up, so I hope this gives you some ideas about the types of things you can ask your designer before taking the plunge! Having a thoughtful conversation before starting any work can avoid major issues down the road and set everyone up for success. Good luck with your project!

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