Interior Design Consultation: What to Expect

How to Begin Working With an Interior Designer

When beginning an interior design project, you first need to decide if you need an interior designer. If you ask me, you always need a designer, but we know I’m biased.

You know you need to hire and interior designer if;

• You’re building a new home
• You’re remodeling your home
• You’re a busy, career-person and have other things to manage
• You’re buying an investment property that needs work
• You’re investing in a short-term rental (like airbnb or VRBO) and need it fully-furnished for renting
• You want to upgrade your space and don’t have a design bone in your body

Of course, there are a million more examples of people and situations that will need an interior designer, but these are a few to get us started. Some people come to me because they love design, but don’t have time to execute a project on their own. 

“Be The One Who Decided to Just Go For It”

– Stephanie Stuart

Others know they need to level up their space so they can level up their performance in other areas of their life.

Regardless of why you come to work with a designer, here’s the process to help you understand what the initial contact and consultation look like with us at Stuart Design Co.

Discovery Call

A Discovery Call is a 30-minute, commitment-free call with me, Stephanie. You can book a Discovery Call directly on our website, or by connecting directly with me and scheduling. Tell us a little about yourself on our contact page and we’ll email you a link to our scheduler. We ask a few questions such as;

• Your contact information
• What services you’re interested in; Residential Design, Designer for a Day, Commercial Design, or Not Sure
• How can we help?
• When do you need help?
• How did you hear about us?

Once you select a time for your call, we’ll send you a confirmation email where you can add it to your calendar. 

Guess, what? Sometimes, people just call without scheduling and we chat right there. Kind of like the olden days when phones were the main method of communication! We love a good phone call, so don’t hesitate to just call, seriously.

Setting up the Consultation

How Much Does The Interior Design Consultation Cost?

Ask and you shall receive! Our consultation fee is $525 + $50/ hour travel time outside of 85083 zip code. The consultation fee is prepaid and part of the booking process to confirm the appointment.

Why is There a Charge for the Interior Design Consultation?

We charge for our consultation because it is an actual working session where we begin the design process.

At our two hour working session, we are invested in learning about the project and how we can support you in it. Yes, support YOU in IT. Remember when we mentioned that some consultations are the end of our time together and we set you on a do-it-yourself path? The goal of the Design Consultation is to set the project up for success, whether it is executed by you or us.

Once we begin the consultation, we get to work developing a Project Plan that is the foundation of every project. 

How to Prepare for a Design Consultation

If you’ve worked with an interior designer before, or you’re new to the scene, we know it can be uncharted territory. Inviting a professional into your home, such a personal space, you may worry about being judged. We can’t speak for all designers, but we are happy to be of service and that you had the courage to reach out. Knowing when you need help, again, whether you have an eye for design and just need an extra pair of hands to do the work, or that you recognize this isn’t your zone of genius, it’s all the same to us. We love what we do and are grateful to do it for you!

We prefer to call it “Getting to Know Each Other” instead of a questionnaire, it’s the zhuzh in us, we can’t help being bougie. All. The. Time. Sorry (not sorry).

Before your consultation, we’ll send you in-depth questions.

We’ll ask who lives with you and what you like about your current design. If you live with a toddler, we’ll make a note that the fabric needs to be washable. If you love the olive green walls in the entry, we’ll make sure not to suggest you change them. Believe it or not, we even want to know what color your dog is and if they shed or not. You may love curtains that pool at the floor, but if your dog is white with long hair, you won’t want dark pooling drapes – amiright? Unless your housekeeper is amazing, which can remove a number of design challenges in itself. We love housekeepers!

Beyond the questionnaire, we’ll be in your home and ask for your undivided attention.

If you can arrange for childcare, you’ll be more available to focus. We may also take some before pictures during our visit. Although we love a good and very messy before picture, you may not. We don’t need you to tidy up for us, but if it’s your thing, you’re welcome to straighten any areas you’d like us to look at.

If you are scheduled for a virtual consultation of a pre-build space, we’ll be reviewing your hopes and dreams and how you will interact with the planned space. We’ll need the drawings or floor plans ahead of time and that is how we will “walk-thru” the space. In addition to the questionnaire, we’ll need the plans sent to us at least 24 hours prior to the meeting.

What to Expect at the Design Consultation

We are so excited this day has arrived. We’ve chatted, questioned & answered and made it to the consultation, hooray!

For the in-home consultation we’ll arrive at your home with a tape measure, paint deck, your questionnaire, inspiration images you’ve sent and the tablet. We’ll be ready to take notes and gather information. 

At the virtual consultation we’ll be online with you and share a screen to walk-thru the floor plans as if we are in the space. Discussing how you will live, interact, and be in the new spaces, room-by-room.

With both we will review the questionnaire and inspiration images you’ve shared.

The goal of the consultation is to create a Project Plan which includes;

• We will discuss your specific goals for the project
• Review your existing floor plan
  • Recommend a new one if warranted
• Discuss the types of furniture you need to purchase
• Discuss wall finishes and features
• Discuss lighting
• Discuss window coverings
• Discuss art & accessories

We’ll be taking feverish notes and developing a Project Plan to take us into the next phase of the process.

By the time we’re done, you will;

• Have all your questions answered
• Have a thorough scope of work defined
• And your project will already be started!

What Happens After the Design Consultation

After the consultation we’ll schedule a proposal meeting to review your custom proposal and how we can best support your design needs based on the information we learned at the consultation. 

The proposal will include a link to select a package, see the contract and submit the design fee to begin working with us. We would love to be a part of your interior design project and help bring your new space to life! 

Frequently Asked Questions About Interior Design Consultations

Will you select paint colors at the consultation? 

Yes, if we are working on a 1-2 room project, we can certainly select colors on the spot. For larger projects, we take it back to the studio to select during later phases of the process.

Will you pick out furniture at the consultation? 

No. In the 2 hour time span, we will not have an opportunity to source individual items taking into account the proper specifications, colors, dimensions, budget, etc.

If I execute the Project Plan, do-it-yourself (DIY) style, can I text you while I’m shopping? 

Our scope ends at the consultation, but we’d love to provide on-going support. This is accomplished with the purchase of an interior design package. Our current minimum is 15 hours, or $2,500.

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