How to Hire an Interior Designer
Contrary to what you may think, I always love when I get a call from a potential client who has never worked with an interior designer. I feel excited about the opportunity to introduce them to a whole new industry and widen their view of their own lives through beauty and great design. I do know, however, that taking the initial step to hire a designer can be difficult and is often paired with the stress of buying, building or renovating a new home.
So how do you go about hiring an interior designer? In New York City there are so many capable and talented designers, it can be hard to know who you would work best with. It goes without saying that when considering which designers to interview, you should start with those whose work you’re most attracted to. I don’t believe that a designer’s portfolio needs to speak to you directly (as in, “I want my home to look EXACTLY like that!”) but you should be able to relate to something – color, feeling or just an overall vibe.
Once you’ve narrowed down the choices to designers whose work you love and/or those who get a glowing review from your friends or family, I suggest doing a deep dive into identifying what’s most important to you in working with someone. Are you looking to cultivate a long relationship or just get the work done? Would you rather your designer takes the lead and tell you what to do, or are you or are you more interested in collaboration? Are you someone who wants to move at a leisurely pace, or do you want someone who works under a set schedule? Doing this introspective work before you reach out to a designer will help you select someone more quickly.
After you’ve thought about how you would like to work and have a handful of designers that you want to interview, I encourage you to pick up the phone and speak to each one! A short phone conversation can uncover a lot, so don’t be shy to ask a ton of questions. At Bella Mancini Design, our business primarily comes through word of mouth and past clients, which in my humble opinion speaks volumes about not only our creativity but also our integrity and work ethic. We recognize that designing a home can be intimidating if you’ve never done it before, so I always try to patiently guide potential clients through our process over an initial phone call.
I believe that after that first call it is important to take a face to face meeting, ideally in the designer’s office. I like to invite potential clients in to see where we work, who we are, and explain our approach to design and project management and how this has worked in past projects. It’s fun to show what we are working on and to glean a little more information about what potential clients hope to achieve with their new project. I always say hiring a designer is a little like having a first date: you really need to click! You will know quickly if you’re going to want to see one another again and you’re going to spend a lot of time together over the course of many months, so be sure to hire someone you like having around.
Some things to think about when you meet face to face are: how interested does the designer really seem in you and your project? Are they asking enough questions about you and how you live? If you’re a person who loves processes, do they seem to have solid systems in place that make you feel confident? If you’re a bottom-line person, how do they submit budgets? Are they offering to put you in touch with references? Personally, I love when a potential client speaks with one of our existing clients because it really gives them an idea of what it’s like to work together.
In the end, hiring a designer should be fun, provide clarity and move at a pace that makes sense for you and your project. My best advice is to be honest about who you are as an individual or family and how you want to live in your home, don’t be shy to admit that you eat dinner at your coffee table or have never used your oven. Hire the interior design firm that you connect best with, who you think you will have the best lasting relationship with and the one that will work with the way that you live, not the way that they think you should live.