Interior Design Questions – Hiring an interior designer is a huge commitment. It feels a little like asking someone to marry you. After all, your space is more than just full of house dressing; you need a good designer with a good fit for your style to shine through. An interior designer should work with you to create a space that’s harmonious to what you want, but also won’t be afraid to take initiative and add something new to the process. In our experience, a good interior designer isn’t just going to suggest paint colors, floor plans, furniture pieces, and fabrics. They’re going to bring their own unique inspiration and experience to the project.
With that in mind, we compiled a list of interior design questions so that you can find the interior designer that’s right for you. Note: you might get a client questionnaire, which usually comes from the principal designer. Filling that out will also help you align on realistic expectations and goals.
Question #1 – How do you find inspiration for design projects?
The bad designer answer
“I mainly look at what’s popular and trendy,” or “I strictly believe in the art deco style.” If you hear these answers, flashing lights should go off; it signals a designer who has fixed ideas of what looks good and may be inflexible in their work. Imagine how hard it will be for you to collaborate during the process.
The good designer answer
“I listen to what my client wants and pull inspiration from a variety of sources.” A good designer will mesh their style with yours to create the aesthetic you want. Although you may not be a designer, you are intimately familiar with your space and needs. That’s why these interior designer interview questions are so important. Working with someone who values your input is vital to the success of the project.
Question #2 – What do you find most challenging about the design process?
The bad designer answer
“Figuring out details, like lighting, paint, and art.” Red flag. A good interior designer will think about big picture challenges, like the function and usefulness of a space, before thinking about house dressing. That’s how you create a better space for your client from the outset.
The good designer answer
“My process takes into account the functionality of your space and your design ideas. That way, if we face any challenges, we can measure them against our overall wants and needs for the room.” As a client, you want your principal designer to care about how you’ll live in the space and make it beautiful.
Question #3 – Do you welcome client opinions?
The bad designer answer
“I’m open to opinions, but I need to be in control of the process.” Not good; you have a control freak on your hands. While it’s important to respect the interior design process, in the end, the client is the one living in the house. Love wood tones, but the designer doesn’t? You should be able to reach a compromise with the right principal designer.
The good designer answer
“I’ll always take the client’s taste into account, but I hope they’ll trust me to introduce some new ideas.” Perfect. The designer should want to bring your vision to life and help you consider design concepts and solutions you may not have thought of.
Question #4 – What do you prioritize for your budget plan?
The bad designer answer
“I won’t know that until further along in the project.” Sirens! You want to discuss budget early on the process so that you can create a transparent working relationship. This can easily be discussed with these interior designer interview questions, so that the billing process won’t come with any surprises.
The good designer answer
“I have a clear plan for what your budget is and how we can try to achieve your inspiration and design ideas.” Furniture and decor are expensive, and you’ll want to be clear about a realistic budget early on. This eliminates all the guesswork and awkwardness that can happen later.
Question #5 – What kind of mistakes have you made on a project?
The bad designer answer
“I really try not to make mistakes.” Well, what happens when the designer inevitably does make a mistake or something goes awry? As a client, you want to hear about a time when it didn’t go so smoothly with so you have confidence that they can handle unforeseen conflicts. These interior design questions can help you have fewer doubts.
The good designer answer
“I view every project as an opportunity to learn, and I enjoy that process, even when things happen that I didn’t see coming, like water damage or shortened timelines. But I’ve had the best success when I’ve kept open communication with my client throughout the consultation and interior design process.” Dream answer? Enough said.
Question #6 – How do you like to manage a project like this?
The bad designer answer
“I like to create a plan and stick with it.” Inflexibility is a no-no. A good designer will be flexible in their plan and interior design service. There are always challenges and changes that pop-up, from lighting to paint to the art on the walls and more. Being able to adjust to these changes is the sign of a good designer.
The good designer answer
“My goal is to work closely with the client throughout the process, and trust my design team to make any and all adjustments, if and when that time comes.” The surest sign of a good manager and interior designer is their ability to adjust and find creative solutions.
Question #7 – How do you design small spaces?
The bad designer answer
“Small spaces aren’t really my thing, but I can probably make it work.” The sign of a bad interior designer is when they say they don’t do something or admit that they’re not that interested in it. That means they aren’t willing to accept the challenge.
The good designer answer
“By using paint, wood tones, and other ideas gleaned from our initial consultation, I”m sure we can bring your signature style to even the smallest space.” Interior designers are more than just decorators; they’re problem solvers, too.
Question #8 – How do I get the most from my lighting?
The bad designer answer
“You need all new chandeliers and can lights; let’s do that.” Lighting is super-important but very expensive. A good designer will think of cost-effective ways to achieve better lighting, like using a free standing light or even a different shade of wall paint to improve the lighting in a room.
The good designer answer
“We can do a mix of overhead lighting and freestanding lights to stay within budget.” Going in with a definite aesthetic and specific goals will make decisions easier so you stay on budget. Having specific ideas from your interior designer can be a way to jumpstart that process.
Question #9 – As an interior designer, what are some questions do you ask the client?
The bad designer answer
“None.” There’s no such thing as bad interior design questions, especially early in the process. That’s why it’s so important for interior designer interview questions to form a dialogue and process for the client and interior designer to get to know each other.
The good designer answer
“Budget, design style, decision making, and previous experience are all things that I’d question.” These questions are great ways to understand the finer details of a project and give both the client and the interior designer a firm grasp on how the project should go.
Question #10 – When can we start the project?
The bad designer answer
“As soon as possible.” While it can be tempting to jump right from doing interior design interview questions to working on the project, it’s important to allow time for planning and follow up conversations. Your designer should know this.
The good designer answer
“After we have a thoughtful design plan in place, we can get started.” You’ll want to know exactly what you’re in for, before you make any big decisions with your interior designer. If you follow these interior design questions, you’ll have a space that reflects your aesthetic and design style.
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