How We Work: What to Expect When Hiring This Interior Designer
I used to fall in love with the house first. I’d walk through a charming old Craftsman, maybe with creaky floors and beautiful bones, and I’d immediately start designing in my mind. I’d get excited. I’d think we could do something magical here.
But over the years, I learned something the hard way. It doesn’t matter how gorgeous the house is. If the people inside aren’t aligned with each other, with us, with the process, it doesn’t work. Not for them, not for us, not for anyone.
So now, we do it differently. We meet the people before we meet the house. Because interior design, real interior design, the kind that involves renovation, construction, deep collaboration, is personal. It’s long, it’s layered, and it asks a lot from everyone involved. You need the right team. And the right relationship. That’s where we begin.
Before the Work Begins, We Talk
When someone reaches out to us, whether through a referral, an inquiry on our website, or a casual conversation at an event, the process doesn’t begin with us looking at their house. It begins with a conversation. And if it feels promising, we’ll schedule a visit to the studio.
That first in-person meeting? It’s intentionally informal. Think of it like a first date. We sit down, we share stories, we talk about how you live and what you want, and we walk you through how we work. We have snacks. Sometimes there’s wine. It’s not a sales pitch. It’s a vibe check.
We’re not evaluating your project to decide whether or not we can do it. We’re feeling into whether or not we should. Because if the relationship isn’t right, the project won’t be either, no matter how exciting the floor plan might be. And if we all feel aligned? That’s when we begin.
What a Good Fit Looks Like
We’ve learned to trust our gut and our experience when it comes to recognizing good client fit. The clients we work best with are thoughtful, collaborative, and kind, and fun counts for a lot too!. They come to us because they want the support. Because they don’t want to do it all themselves. Because they’ve tried before, and it didn’t go well.
Sometimes they even say it outright: “I’ve made mistakes in the past. I thought I could do it alone. I thought I knew what I was doing. But I don’t. And I don’t want to.” Those are our people. The ones who understand the value of letting a team do what they do best. The ones who want to build a respectful, collaborative relationship with their designer, their contractor, their tradespeople, the full team. The ones who understand that when trust is in place, the work gets exponentially better.
And it does. Every time. When clients let us lead, the project flows. The outcome is stunning. When they reach for the wheel and try to drive it themselves, things go sideways. Every single time.
So we take our time in the beginning. We meet more than once. We talk through expectations. If it’s a big build or a full renovation, we’ll even have an on-site meeting with the entire team, contractor included, to make sure everyone’s aligned before the real work begins. Because once we commit, we’re all in. And we want to be sure you are, too.
The Part That Surprises People
Almost everyone is surprised by how long it takes. We live in an instant gratification world. Beautiful spaces flood your Instagram feed daily. Makeovers seem to happen overnight. But real design is thoughtful, detailed, customized, layered, and takes time. It can’t be rushed.
What also surprises people is the investment. Not just in terms of money (though yes, good design is expensive), but in terms of trust, of time, of mental energy. There’s a cost to doing it right, and a much higher cost to doing it wrong. The upfront planning, the creative strategy, the materials sourcing, the technical documentation… all of it is what prevents things from unraveling later.
And then there’s the part no one expects: the connection. The experience of working so closely together, for so many months, often becomes deeply meaningful. It’s not unusual for a client to get teary when the final install is complete and say, “I’m going to miss you guys.” That’s the kind of process we’re here for.
The Process, Unpacked
Every project is different, but the structure tends to follow a familiar rhythm. Once we’ve decided to work together, we begin what we call Kickoff. This is where you’ll fill out an in-depth questionnaire, and we’ll schedule a site visit to measure, photograph, and start gathering the data we need to begin. Depending on your scope, we may loop in your contractor or architect right away. Or it may just be us.
From there, we move into Concept Design, which is both exciting and a little mysterious from the client’s perspective, because this is when we go quiet.
You’re still getting invoices, but you might not hear from us much. That’s because we’re working. We’re building your project in our 3D software. We’re pulling materials. We’re meeting with vendors, consulting with our build partners, doing research, space planning, designing bespoke cabinetry, furniture, window treatments…selecting fixtures, just to name a few things. We’re designing the entire vision. And then comes presentation day.
Presentation Day: The Vision Comes to Life
When you arrive at the studio for your concept presentation, we’ve laid everything out for you. We’ll walk you through each space using renderings, drawings, trays of materials, product images, physical samples, and a binder with a full room-by-room breakdown.
We know how overwhelming it can be to take it all in. That’s why we do everything we can to immerse you and make it enjoyable. There’s always something to sip on, something to nibble on, and a quiet sense of confidence in the room. We’ve done this before. You’re in good hands.
After you’ve had some time to process, we’ll meet again, typically about a week or two later to review any revisions. Once we have your full approval, we move into Design Development. This is where we finalize every material, every detail, every decision. We’ll show you the updated vision one last time, and once you give the green light, we begin drafting the Construction Documentation.
Construction Documents, otherwise known as CDs, are crucial to the process. We have come to an understanding of the vision; now we need to know what the true cost of the vision is. Not just allowances for materials, but actual dollar amounts for actual items selected based on actual plans. This is for the remodeling side of the project as well as the decorating side of the project. While the build team puts together their numbers, we are putting together ours for the items that we will be supplying, along with the interior design/decorating items. So, before the demo happens, you will know what the lump sum investment will be upfront. There will always be value engineering, there will always be unforeseen obstacles, there will always be “while we’re at it”, but you will know, before any of these, what the vision will cost. Once we are all in agreement, then we keep moving. There’s no time to waste.
Behind the Scenes: Procurement and the Hard Parts
This next phase? It’s not sexy, but it’s essential. We’re ordering everything. Tracking everything. Managing vendors. Receiving shipments. Inspecting items. Storing them. Dealing with returns, damages, and backorders. Chasing lead times. Submitting re-orders. Communicating with dozens of people across the country, often the world. Working with our local vendors is the absolute best, but it still takes a lot of time!
Procurement is brutal. And that’s exactly why we do it for you. The only thing worse than procurement is having to do it yourself. One client, after trying to manage a furniture order on her own, left a voicemail full of expletives, ending with: “Whatever you’re paying her, it’s not enough.” I laughed, but she wasn’t wrong.
Installation: The Three-Day Ballet
Install happens over the course of about three days. The first day is usually window treatments, because they need the space. The second day is pure controlled chaos, rugs are laid, furniture arrives, boxes are opened, things are shifted and unwrapped and placed and re-placed. The third day is the quiet one, when art is hung, mirrors go up, accessories are styled, and everything is left just so.
You’re not invited to install days. It’s loud. Messy. A little intense. Voices get raised. We’re sweaty. Extension cords are everywhere. Light bulbs are missing. It’s all part of it. What you are invited to is the reveal. And that part? That’s magic.
After That: The Quiet Finish
Once the install is complete, we handle any little fixes or touch-ups, a curtain that needs to be re-hemmed, a paint chip, or a wobbly knob. We arrange for photography if timing allows.
Then you move in. You enjoy your space. You live in it. And hopefully, you love it. Yes, there’s a final invoice. It’s big. It includes the moving team, the install hours for us and the art installer, the final storage fees, all of it. But what it represents is that you didn’t have to lift a finger.
You didn’t have to crawl on the floor plugging in cords. You didn’t have to sweep up packing materials. You didn’t have to deal with broken items or missing shipments or lost screws. We handled all of it. And we’d do it again.
Final Thoughts
This is personal for me. Always has been. Yes, it’s a business. But it’s also everything I think about, every day, from the moment I wake up to the moment I fall asleep, and often in the middle of the night. I care deeply that your experience is a good one. That it feels supported, steady, and joyful.
We are lighthearted and fun, but make no mistake, we take this seriously. We take you seriously. So if you're wondering what it’s like to hire a designer, this designer, this team, now you know. It starts with a conversation. It unfolds slowly, thoughtfully, with intention. It demands mutual trust, shared respect, and a good sense of humor. And it ends in a space that feels like home, only better.
If that sounds like the kind of process you’re looking for, I’d love to meet you before I meet your house.