A beautiful portfolio is a good start, but it doesn’t tell you what working together will be like over the next six months. Your choice of interior designer affects not only the end result but also how much time, nerves and money the project will take from you. Here are six things worth checking before you decide.
1. Do they ask more than they talk?
The first meeting should focus on you: how you live or work, what you don’t like about your current space, and what your habits and constraints are.
If the designer immediately starts suggesting their favourite style or trends, the end result may not feel like yours. A good designer translates your life into a space rather than copying their previous project.
2. Are their projects different from each other?
Look at the portfolio beyond “like it or don’t”. How have proportions, light and the harmony of materials been handled? Do the spaces feel like a well-thought-out whole or just a pretty picture?
It’s a good sign if the projects don’t all look the same. It means the solutions are shaped by the client and the space, not by a single signature style.
3. What exactly does the service include?
“Interior design” means very different things with different providers. Some deliver a concept and a selection of materials; others also prepare technical drawings, 3D visualisations, furniture design, procurement and project management.
Before you start, agree in writing which stages and materials are included in the price and what responsibility remains with you.
4. How do communication and decision-making work?
An interior design project means hundreds of small choices and often lasts several months. A clear system matters here as much as good taste.
Ask how solutions are presented, how changes are approved, who coordinates the other parties and how often you’ll get an update on the project’s progress.
5. Are you choosing on price or on value?
The cheapest offer doesn’t mean the lowest total cost. A poorly thought-out solution leads to redoing work, wrong purchases and changes during construction – which are always more expensive than changes on paper.
Compare offers by what the service includes, how thoroughly the project is worked out and how much responsibility the partner takes on.
6. Do they also see the execution?
If the designer or their team understands construction, furniture making and installation, the solutions are more realistic and the project runs more smoothly.
Combining design and execution prevents a situation where a beautiful idea later turns out to be technically complicated, too expensive or impossible to build.
QUESTIONS FOR THE FIRST MEETING
- What exactly does the service include, and what costs extra?
- How many rounds of changes are included in the price?
- Will I get 3D visualisations and technical drawings?
- Who coordinates the builders, furniture makers and suppliers?
- How and how often will I get updates on the project’s progress?
- Who is responsible if something doesn’t go according to plan?
The right interior designer is a partner throughout the process
Good cooperation is built on trust, clear communication and a shared understanding of the end result. An interior designer should help you make better decisions and make a complicated process simpler.
Hoset Baltic combines interior design, technical design, project management and execution, so you have one clear partner throughout the project.
Looking for an interior design partner for your project?
Tell us what you have in mind. We’ll look together at which solution suits your project best – and answer all the questions above.
