Designers do not bid on jobs. That’s HGTV fiction. You choose the one you wish to work with based on their portfolios, and an interview that does not involve designing anything. Then you pay them a retainer fee, and they start work.

Take the time to interview several and as you tell them what you are looking to do, IMO if they are any good they will give you a suggestion or two just so you get a feel if they are thinking a long the same lines as you are and if they "get" what you are wanting to achieve. They won't "bid" on the project but will give you their hourly fee and you can ask them how much time they think may be involved and how they price products you purchase through them if you have a budget concern. Make sure you ask and understand when they are charging you to do what, such as travel time. Make sure you understand the difference between a Designer/ Decorator and an Interior Designer. And not all of them have a portfolio as they don't have the time to put one together (crazy as that sounds!) or they have a good reputation ( or so they think-lol) and get enough jobs by word of mouth. Listen to your gut and make sure you feel comfortable that you can converse easily with the person you decide on.

Also, decide in your mind the scope of work. I don’t mean details; just how big of a project this is - taking down walls or not, statement kitchen or basic kitchen, modern or traditional or transitional, that kind of thing. Also decide a ballpark budget. Many designers won’t even get started with you if you haven’t even decided ballpark how much you want to spend. That is because that kind of vagueness spells trouble for the project. Is it $20k, 70k, or what.

Some designers will only do an entire project - the whole soup to nuts. Including appliances, faucet, all of it. They won’t e.g. just advise you on counter choice, or have you buy the sink yourself. It depends what kind of help you need. For my kitchen, I used a designer on an hourly basis to help me choose counters, backsplash, wall paint, and she had some input on one smaller wall of cabinets. The rest I designed and picked myself (meaning layout, cabinets, sink, faucet, appliances, window treatment, lighting and electrical). But I had already done a couple kitchens so I had a little experience (euphemism for “I already made the several big costly mistakes in my previous kitchens and learned from them”). My designer’s input on the counters and backsplash - well, I could not have done without her. She was great. And, BTW, the hourly cost adds up fast, very fast. You should ask the designers you speak with about their preferences in hourly vs project work.

First you interview at least 3 IMO that will give you a good base to know who seems to understand your needs . I find often when I do interviews it is obvious from the beginning that a client to be and I are not on the same page so in those cases I would not be interested in taking the job. A good exapmple is I do mostly contemporary design and so not a good fit for someone who likes very traditional design. I can do traditional but I would rather pass that client onto a designer I know who is good at that type of design. You need a rapport with a designer it is IMO essential to a good outcome. As for billing we all have our different ways to bill and that needs to be discussed from the beginning too. We do not do what you would consider bidding at least not in my experience.

LOL Patricia--that's my issue with designers..they do what THEY like what THEY want...how is that helpful? ugggg

Many of the designers I have talked to work with my style and don’t force their style on me.

I am in the midst of a botched remodel. It is a big, expensive company that I chose because of their beautiful pictures of remodel and they have done work in my neighborhood. When I approached them for my remodel, they said "we will send designer so-and-so" to talk with you. I knew immediately that I did not like her (too talkative; did not listen well) but she was enthusiastic and the pandemic had just started, and I was overwhelmed with work. Six months later, it is clear she is not doing what I want and the laundry room is a mess (about which I will post separately). I should have told the company to send me someone else. Interview at least three people and pay attention to your instincts about the designer.

I agree with @Andee to pay attention to your gut instincts if something doesn't feel right. I started working with two women partner designers. They were young and hip, and had cool designs in their portfolio. I was drawn to that because I did not want a traditional decor. But after a couple of weeks of talking with them, I realized, um, I am not young and hip. No reflection on them or their design skills, but just we had different tastes. So we did not go further. I did pay them some money for the hours they had put in, but it wasn't too much, as we had not gotten very far.

I am not sure I agree with @mynameisjake that designers will work with their client's style. I am sure they would like to try, but when the styles are quite divergent, I think it's too much of a struggle. Why not find a designer who has your similar style from the getgo rather than having to work quite hard to get your ideas to mesh. I ended up finding an interior designer about my age, but who was current, not fussy or traditional, and it was great to work with her.

Before spending the money for an ID, do some research on your own. Gather inspiration of what you would like your space to turn out to be, then do some research on designers local to you or even virtual that have the style you're going for.

Yes, do some research—talk to friends whose homes you like and/or do some home tours and collect business cards. And then make up a little notebook of idea pics you’ve collected from magazines. Then make a few phone calls and chat with them a little to see if there is chemistry, only then set up a few appointments to share your vision. And remember, in some cases you are buying the designer’s ‘signature look’ and you have to let them ‘fly’ with an open checkbook (almost), and other designers will be more grounded to the client’s wants and needs.

I have found one great interior designer going to a real estate open house that had a wonderful color scheme. She was just out of design school but had great vision and creativity. I have found some awful designers through online ‘exchanges’. I found my wonderful landscape designer who is doing my front landscaping right now here on Houzz, only after carefully looking at his photos and his website.

all that said, I need an interior designer now to help me finish up my remodel and put detailed finishing touches on our new remodeled spaces but I am dreading going through the process...😟 Good luck!

I'd like to comment based on my own professional experience. 1. We have, on occasion, been asked to meet with and submit a fee proposal to potential clients, with the understanding that they are interviewing others before making a final decision. Sometimes we get the project other times we do not. 2. A good designer knows how to read a clients needs, tastes and budget. I have never imposed my own taste on any client because it's not about me. I love the challenge of discovering what excites each client and yes introducing something they might never have considered too. The best reward is to hear a client say "it's exactly what I wanted but didn't know how to do it!" 3. Look at a designer's portfolio and speak to their former clients but yes it is also about fit. Sometimes you can be working together for a year on a big project - so you have to feel they "get you" and what you want!