The interior design process, decisions in the right order
Nothing here is complicated. It is just sequenced, documented and consistent, which is what keeps a large project from turning into a series of urgent phone calls.
- 01
First conversation
You tell me the location, the type of project, who lives there and where you are in the process. I tell you honestly whether it is a fit. No presentation, no pitch deck, just enough detail to know what we would be doing together.
- 02
Plan review and space planning
Before any finish is discussed, the floor plan gets examined for flow, clearances, storage, sightlines and light. On a remodel this is where we decide what should actually change, which is often not what the original scope assumed.
- 03
Design direction
A direction is set for the whole house at once: materials, palette, cabinetry approach, lighting language and the level of detail the architecture can carry. Setting it once is what keeps the rooms related to each other later.
- 04
Selections and specifications
Interior and exterior finishes are selected and written up with manufacturer, model, size, finish, quantity and location. Cabinetry and millwork are designed. Lighting and electrical are coordinated with the trades who have to install them.
- 05
Drawings and renderings
Renderings and elevations put everyone on the same house. This is where you remove doubt: you see it before it is built, and the cabinet shop builds from the same sheet you approved.
- 06
Ordering, bidding and vendors
Vendor sourcing and bidding assistance, lead-time reality checks, and substitution decisions handled by design rather than by whoever is on site when a product is discontinued.
- 07
Construction support
Site visits, specification review, trade questions answered, and coordination with your builder and architect through completion. For out-of-state owners, this is the part that matters most.
What you are responsible for
Honesty about how you live, timely review of what I send you, and a willingness to make a decision once we have talked it through. That is genuinely most of it.
Projects slow down for two reasons: selections that sit unapproved, and decisions that get reopened after they were ordered. Both are avoidable, and avoiding them is the cheapest schedule protection there is.
Ready to start at step one?
Send the location, the type of project and where you are in the process. If it is a fit, we will talk through what the design work would look like.