So now that you’ve hired your interior designer, here’s what you can expect from your designer as you move forward together.

1. Initial Survey

• An assessment of your existing furnishings to determine what will be kept, what will go and what may be phased out over time.
• Existing site measurements will be taken to start the design process.

2. Interviews

• In depth interviews with you and your family to determine your wants and needs, your lifestyle, your budget, your timeline wishes.
• Determine who in your family will be the key contact/point person for the rest of your project.
• Now is the time to pull out those ‘design ideas’/photos that you’ve been collecting in order to best communicate the style and look that you are after.

3. Preliminary or ‘Concept’ presentation

• Based on your interviews, your interior designer will present you with a package of ‘ideas’ to introduce their interpretation of your needs and their ‘concept’ for your changes – floorplans, key elevations, furniture layouts, colour schemes, finish materials, furnishings, preliminary timeline
• Your involvement and feedback is key at this stage.

4. Final Plan presentation

• Your ideas/wants/needs will be presented in a more formal presentation.  As needed, colour and finish material boards will be reviewed in addition to detailed drawings.
• The cost estimate and timeline will be addressed.

5. Project Approval & Implementation

• Upon your approval of the final plan, budget and timeline, the project will be implemented.
• Tradesmen will be hired, furniture and materials will be ordered. This all takes time and you should be prepared. Furniture can often take 2-3 months to arrive while renovation timelines will be dependent on the complexity of your project, availability and delivery of finishes and materials as well the availability of the trades.

TAKE YOUR TIME and DO IT RIGHT. A rushed project has too many risks attached. Enjoy the process and most important, enjoy your new interior.