Here’s What Designers Want You to Have Ready When You Call
Be prepared with these 8 things to get your next renovation or redecorating project off to a promising start
So you’re ready to tackle a home design project. Now what? Chances are, you’ll need professional help from an experienced interior designer, decorator, architect or all three. The first logical step would be to search for professionals in your area and then reach out to several professionals to find the best fit and get the ball rolling. That initial phone call is important in determining if the professional has the right skills and personality for you and your project, and if your personality and project is the right fit for the professional. Good remodeling pros know the right questions to ask you to tease out the particulars of a project, but to maximize your time during that first phone call, here are eight things designer would love for you to have ready to talk about.
2. The Scope of Work
Do some thinking about how major or minor a project you’re looking to embark on. Which rooms will you be renovating or redecorating? Are you looking to just paint some walls and add new furnishings? Are you looking to renovate a kitchen and bathroom at the same time? Build a new custom home? Tear down walls? The more specific you can be, the better. If you’re looking to add a new deck or patio, you’ll want to be prepared to talk about the size and quality of materials you have in mind. If you’re looking to renovate a kitchen, you’ll want to talk a little about what you want to replace or update — countertops, cabinets, backsplash, floors, add an island, take down walls, move plumbing etc.
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Do some thinking about how major or minor a project you’re looking to embark on. Which rooms will you be renovating or redecorating? Are you looking to just paint some walls and add new furnishings? Are you looking to renovate a kitchen and bathroom at the same time? Build a new custom home? Tear down walls? The more specific you can be, the better. If you’re looking to add a new deck or patio, you’ll want to be prepared to talk about the size and quality of materials you have in mind. If you’re looking to renovate a kitchen, you’ll want to talk a little about what you want to replace or update — countertops, cabinets, backsplash, floors, add an island, take down walls, move plumbing etc.
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3. Knowing the Type of Professional You Need
It’s also important to know a little bit about the level of professional help your project requires. Being familiar with some of the ins and outs of your project will also help the professional determine if they have the right skills for the job. If you’re looking to simply decorate a master bedroom with new furniture, curtains, paint and art, you might be looking for an interior decorator. If you’re looking to renovate a kitchen, you might need, depending on the scope of work, a team that includes an interior designer and architect, as well as a general contractor.
“I would love for the homeowner to say whether they are looking for design assistance only or would like for the designer to design and facilitate and manage the trades to complete the project,” says designer Paulina Cervantes of Dual Concept Design.
Either way, a design professional will likely have a recommendation or can introduce you to the right professional. “My concern is figuring out how I can help this person and what my role will be,” says designer Nikole Starr. “Do they need a consultation only, meaning a two-hour meeting where I walk through their home and offer actionable tips and advice, then they have the confidence to continue alone? Or will my job be to evaluate the floor plan and create a new kitchen layout?”
When Nina Magon of Contour Interior Design takes calls from potential clients, she wants to know if they need help selecting hard finishes like plumbing, electrical, flooring, cabinets and paint, or soft finishes like furniture, accessories and drapery.
Again, this information helps the professional determine if your project is a good fit for the professional, which is important for the success of the project. “The more information you get on the first initial call, the better you can gauge if you are a good fit for the client or not,” Magon says.
Which Home Professional Should You Hire for Your Project?
It’s also important to know a little bit about the level of professional help your project requires. Being familiar with some of the ins and outs of your project will also help the professional determine if they have the right skills for the job. If you’re looking to simply decorate a master bedroom with new furniture, curtains, paint and art, you might be looking for an interior decorator. If you’re looking to renovate a kitchen, you might need, depending on the scope of work, a team that includes an interior designer and architect, as well as a general contractor.
“I would love for the homeowner to say whether they are looking for design assistance only or would like for the designer to design and facilitate and manage the trades to complete the project,” says designer Paulina Cervantes of Dual Concept Design.
Either way, a design professional will likely have a recommendation or can introduce you to the right professional. “My concern is figuring out how I can help this person and what my role will be,” says designer Nikole Starr. “Do they need a consultation only, meaning a two-hour meeting where I walk through their home and offer actionable tips and advice, then they have the confidence to continue alone? Or will my job be to evaluate the floor plan and create a new kitchen layout?”
When Nina Magon of Contour Interior Design takes calls from potential clients, she wants to know if they need help selecting hard finishes like plumbing, electrical, flooring, cabinets and paint, or soft finishes like furniture, accessories and drapery.
Again, this information helps the professional determine if your project is a good fit for the professional, which is important for the success of the project. “The more information you get on the first initial call, the better you can gauge if you are a good fit for the client or not,” Magon says.
Which Home Professional Should You Hire for Your Project?
4. Your Timeline
Another thing to keep in mind is what your ideal start and end date would be for your project. A lot of design and building pros book out jobs months in advance, so you’ll want to communicate if you were hoping to start right away or if you’re flexible.
If you had your heart set on having your new kitchen all ready to host Thanksgiving dinner, or have your kids’ bathroom done in time for the new school year, you’ll definitely want to express that upfront.
Knowing your timeline also helps pros figure out what materials and furnishings will work for your project. Handmade, high-end tile, for example, will take longer to deliver than something ordered in stock. “Generally, the more time we have, the more unique and personal we can make a space,” says designer Meghan Shadrick.
Another thing to keep in mind is what your ideal start and end date would be for your project. A lot of design and building pros book out jobs months in advance, so you’ll want to communicate if you were hoping to start right away or if you’re flexible.
If you had your heart set on having your new kitchen all ready to host Thanksgiving dinner, or have your kids’ bathroom done in time for the new school year, you’ll definitely want to express that upfront.
Knowing your timeline also helps pros figure out what materials and furnishings will work for your project. Handmade, high-end tile, for example, will take longer to deliver than something ordered in stock. “Generally, the more time we have, the more unique and personal we can make a space,” says designer Meghan Shadrick.
5. Inspiration Photos That Show Your Style
After citing budget and timeline, many pros consider style the most important thing you should come prepared to talk about. “Look on Houzz and start collecting photos of spaces that appeal to you,” says remodeler Gerard Ciccarello of Covenant Kitchens and Baths.
Once you’ve browsed photos and saved them to an ideabook, you can share the ideabook with a design professional before your scheduled call. From these photos, designers can assess the look you’re hoping for in your space and the level of finishes you’re expecting. This will help inform decisions about budget and timeline as well.
Leah Bolger, an interior designer at Reynolds Architecture, suggests looking at photos on a designer’s Houzz profile page too. This will give you a sense of a particular designer’s design style so you can determine beforehand if it fits with your style. If it does, you can mention a specific photo or project. “If [a potential client] previewed our work, they often will reference a particular project, which provides a sense of their personal aesthetic,” Bolger says.
After citing budget and timeline, many pros consider style the most important thing you should come prepared to talk about. “Look on Houzz and start collecting photos of spaces that appeal to you,” says remodeler Gerard Ciccarello of Covenant Kitchens and Baths.
Once you’ve browsed photos and saved them to an ideabook, you can share the ideabook with a design professional before your scheduled call. From these photos, designers can assess the look you’re hoping for in your space and the level of finishes you’re expecting. This will help inform decisions about budget and timeline as well.
Leah Bolger, an interior designer at Reynolds Architecture, suggests looking at photos on a designer’s Houzz profile page too. This will give you a sense of a particular designer’s design style so you can determine beforehand if it fits with your style. If it does, you can mention a specific photo or project. “If [a potential client] previewed our work, they often will reference a particular project, which provides a sense of their personal aesthetic,” Bolger says.
6. Photos of Your Existing Space
Sharing a few photos of the space you’re looking to renovate with a design professional is extremely helpful. This will help a designer determine the scope of the project and identify any visible problems or challenges.
7. Measurements or Floor Plans
In addition to photos of your existing space, it’s also extremely helpful to have some rough measurements ready (such as the square footage or dimensions of a specific room). A floor plan is even better. If you’re able to upload or email existing photos and floor plans, and share a Houzz ideabook of inspiration images, the conversation will progress much more smoothly and efficiently.
How to Calculate a Home’s Square Footage
Sharing a few photos of the space you’re looking to renovate with a design professional is extremely helpful. This will help a designer determine the scope of the project and identify any visible problems or challenges.
7. Measurements or Floor Plans
In addition to photos of your existing space, it’s also extremely helpful to have some rough measurements ready (such as the square footage or dimensions of a specific room). A floor plan is even better. If you’re able to upload or email existing photos and floor plans, and share a Houzz ideabook of inspiration images, the conversation will progress much more smoothly and efficiently.
How to Calculate a Home’s Square Footage
8. An Open Mind
If you’ve never renovated a home before, or even if you have, it’s important to keep an open mind about what’s possible. Designers have a wealth of experience to bring to the table and can usually offer up new ideas that you might not have thought of. These ideas can sometimes save you money and time and can deliver an end result far beyond what you dreamed.
“As an experienced designer with 200 completed projects, I like to look beyond the initial ideas of new clients,” says architect David Ludwig. “Often they are stuck working with ‘what is’ and fail to step back for an overall assessment of ‘what could be.’ Most common example: kitchen relocation. Midcentury houses were often designed with kitchens that served as secondary ‘utility’ spaces, closed off from public rooms and views. I always consider relocating the kitchen to a more central and commanding position on the plan, as this is the role it most commonly plays in today’s family experience. Sometimes, relocating the kitchen can allow the existing kitchen to remain during construction, a great benefit for families living at the construction site.”
It may seem like a lot, but the more you’re prepared during that initial call, the better your project is situated to get off on the right foot. When in doubt, speak to as many designers as you can until it feels right. Remember, a renovation or redecorating project takes time, and a lot of that time will be spent with your designer and other professionals. There should be some general chemistry and understanding from the get-go.
During that first phone call, pay attention to how well everyone gets along. Apart from the general basics of your project, it’s worth getting to know the human on the other end of the phone — where he or she grew up, how long they’ve lived in the area and so on.
And that cuts both ways. Designers will want to make the best use of their time too. They want projects to go smoothly and come out at the end with a sense of pride in the work that was accomplished. If everyone agrees on producing the best result within the given time, budget and other project constraints, then that’s how good design happens.
More on Houzz
How to Find Your Renovation Team
Find a home professional near you
If you’ve never renovated a home before, or even if you have, it’s important to keep an open mind about what’s possible. Designers have a wealth of experience to bring to the table and can usually offer up new ideas that you might not have thought of. These ideas can sometimes save you money and time and can deliver an end result far beyond what you dreamed.
“As an experienced designer with 200 completed projects, I like to look beyond the initial ideas of new clients,” says architect David Ludwig. “Often they are stuck working with ‘what is’ and fail to step back for an overall assessment of ‘what could be.’ Most common example: kitchen relocation. Midcentury houses were often designed with kitchens that served as secondary ‘utility’ spaces, closed off from public rooms and views. I always consider relocating the kitchen to a more central and commanding position on the plan, as this is the role it most commonly plays in today’s family experience. Sometimes, relocating the kitchen can allow the existing kitchen to remain during construction, a great benefit for families living at the construction site.”
It may seem like a lot, but the more you’re prepared during that initial call, the better your project is situated to get off on the right foot. When in doubt, speak to as many designers as you can until it feels right. Remember, a renovation or redecorating project takes time, and a lot of that time will be spent with your designer and other professionals. There should be some general chemistry and understanding from the get-go.
During that first phone call, pay attention to how well everyone gets along. Apart from the general basics of your project, it’s worth getting to know the human on the other end of the phone — where he or she grew up, how long they’ve lived in the area and so on.
And that cuts both ways. Designers will want to make the best use of their time too. They want projects to go smoothly and come out at the end with a sense of pride in the work that was accomplished. If everyone agrees on producing the best result within the given time, budget and other project constraints, then that’s how good design happens.
More on Houzz
How to Find Your Renovation Team
Find a home professional near you
How much money you’ve budgeted for your project will likely be the jumping-off point that will drive conversations with professionals. It’s important to be open and honest about what you’re willing and able to spend, otherwise a professional can’t give you an adequate quote on fees, timelines and more. Even a rough estimate of what you had in mind for the project is better than nothing.
Do some research before reaching out to pros to get a sense of what various remodeling projects cost. Keep in mind that moving plumbing, taking down walls and other major renovation decisions will add significantly to the cost of a project. You’ll also want to take into account labor, design fees, permit fees and other factors.
“The most important thing clients could do during their initial meeting with a designer is to be completely honest,” says designer William Philby of Retro Interiors. “Some clients overstate their goals, project size and budget, only to find out after the designer has spent a huge amount of time and money putting together a presentation that the client wasn’t really prepared to spend as much as they said. Many clients might not understand how the level of quality can greatly affect the price of something. This is true for renovations as well as furnishings.”
Even if you have no idea what your specific project might cost due to various complexities, it’s good to just be ready to talk about cost. A design professional can help fill in the gaps. “Most of the time the client has no idea about budget, but my job is to help them by being upfront about the reality of how much their project will cost,” says designer Ruthie Staalsen. “I have lots of different ways to work with a client, so if they don’t have a budget for a complete remodel or update to their home, I can help them by doing hourly consultations that might suit their budget needs better than a full-service design package.”
Find design professionals near you