Where Do I Find an Interior Designer?
If you've decided you need help with your home, one of the first questions you're probably asking is:
Where do I actually find a good interior designer?
A Google search will give you plenty of names. Instagram will give you beautiful rooms. Pinterest will give you approximately 4,000 ideas you suddenly need to incorporate into one kitchen.
But finding the right interior designer for your project is about more than finding someone whose photos you like.
At Lake Hazel Design, we believe the right designer should understand your style, your priorities, your budget, and the realities of actually completing a construction or furnishing project.
Here's where to look, what to ask, and how to know when you've found the right fit.
Where Can I Find an Interior Designer Near Me?
There are several good ways to begin your search.
Start With Google
Searching for terms like:
“Interior designer near me”
“Interior designer in [your city]”
“Kitchen and bathroom designer near me”
“Remodel interior designer near me”
can help you find designers who work in your area.
Don't look at the first photo and immediately make your decision, though.
Visit their website. Look at their portfolio. Read about their services. Check reviews when available.
Most importantly, determine whether they actually work on the type of project you're planning.
A designer who specializes in furnishing completed homes may not be the right choice for a major remodel involving floor plans, cabinetry, plumbing locations, lighting, and contractor coordination.
Ask Contractors and Other Home Professionals
Contractors, builders, real estate professionals, cabinet companies, flooring specialists, and other people working in the home industry often know local designers.
This can be particularly valuable if you're planning a remodel.
A recommendation from a contractor can tell you something a beautiful Instagram feed can't:
Does this designer actually know how to work through a construction project?
Interior design and construction involve a lot of communication, documentation, decisions, revisions, scheduling, and problem-solving behind the scenes.
You want someone who can do more than create a beautiful mood board.
Look at Social Media
Instagram, Facebook, Houzz, Pinterest, and other platforms can be helpful places to discover designers.
Social media gives you an opportunity to see more than finished portfolio photography.
Pay attention to what designers share about:
Their design process
Construction projects
Material selections
Before-and-afters
Client education
Jobsite visits
Space planning
Problems they've solved
Their personality and communication style
You may be working with your designer for several months—or even longer on a major remodel.
You should like their work, but you should also feel comfortable communicating with them.
Ask People You Trust
Referrals are still one of the best ways to find a designer.
Ask friends, neighbors, contractors, real estate agents, or people whose homes you admire.
But remember: the designer who was perfect for your friend's project isn't automatically the right designer for yours.
Your project, style, budget, timeline, and desired level of involvement may be completely different.
Use the recommendation as a starting point and then do your own research.
What Type of Interior Designer Do I Need?
Before contacting designers, think about what you're actually trying to accomplish.
Not every project requires the same level of service.
At Lake Hazel Design, we work with homeowners at different stages of the design process, from focused consultations to larger remodel and full-service projects.
You might need help with:
A Design Consultation
Sometimes you don't need someone to design your entire home.
You may simply need professional guidance.
A consultation can help you work through questions about layouts, finishes, paint colors, furniture placement, remodeling ideas, or the overall direction of your home.
This can be a great starting point if you're not even sure what level of design help you need yet.
Paint and Color Selections
If you're repainting your home but overwhelmed by undertones, whites, trim colors, cabinetry colors, and how everything works together, a professional color consultation may be enough.
Furniture and Furnishings
If construction is complete but your rooms don't feel finished, you may need help with furniture, lighting, rugs, artwork, window treatments, accessories, and styling.
Kitchen or Bathroom Design
Kitchens and bathrooms require more detailed planning.
Your designer may help with cabinetry, countertops, tile, plumbing fixtures, lighting, hardware, flooring, layouts, and coordination between all of those elements.
Remodeling and Construction Design
For a larger remodel, you may need a designer involved before construction begins.
This can include space planning, floor plans, finish selections, cabinetry design, lighting plans, material specifications, contractor communication, site visits, and project coordination.
Getting the designer involved early can help prevent expensive decisions from being made too late.
Full-Service Interior Design
If you want someone to manage most of the design process for you, full-service design may be the best option.
Instead of spending your evenings comparing 37 faucets and wondering why none of the brass finishes match, your designer handles much of that research and decision-making for you.
How Do I Know If an Interior Designer Is Good?
A beautiful portfolio is important—but it's only part of the equation.
When you're interviewing designers, look beyond the finished photographs.
Ask about their process.
How do they begin a project?
How are selections presented?
How are revisions handled?
How will you communicate?
What happens when something changes during construction?
Who communicates with the contractor?
What deliverables will you receive?
How does the designer charge?
What isn't included?
A professional designer should be able to explain their process clearly.
You shouldn't have to guess what happens after you pay the retainer.
Do I Need to Know My Style Before Hiring a Designer?
No.
This is one of the reasons you're hiring a designer.
You don't need to walk into your first meeting announcing that your style is “organic transitional European modern with a hint of Belgian farmhouse.”
You can simply show us what you like.
Save photos.
Show us rooms you love.
Show us things you absolutely hate.
Tell us how you want your home to feel.
At Lake Hazel Design, part of our job is taking all of those ideas and identifying the common thread.
Often, homeowners already have a style—they just don't have the design vocabulary to describe it yet.
Should I Hire a Local Interior Designer?
For remodeling and construction projects, working with someone who can visit your home can be extremely helpful.
There are decisions that are simply easier to make when a designer can stand in the room, see the light, understand the scale, look at the existing finishes, and walk the project with the contractor.
For certain projects, however, virtual or remote design can work beautifully.
The right option depends on the scope of your project and how much hands-on support you need.
When Should I Contact an Interior Designer?
Earlier than most people think.
One of the biggest mistakes homeowners make is waiting until construction has already started to hire a designer.
By that point, your contractor may already need answers about cabinetry, electrical locations, plumbing fixtures, tile layouts, flooring transitions, paint colors, and dozens of other decisions.
For a remodel, it's usually better to bring the designer into the conversation before construction begins.
That gives the design team time to develop the plan instead of making expensive decisions under pressure.
What Happens When I Contact Lake Hazel Design?
We start by learning about your project.
We'll want to understand:
Where your project is located
Which spaces you're working on
What you'd like to change
Your approximate timeline
Your goals for the home
Your budget or anticipated investment
What kind of help you're looking for
From there, we can determine the appropriate next step.
For many homeowners, that begins with a design consultation.
A consultation allows us to see the home, discuss your ideas, identify opportunities and challenges, and help determine what level of design support makes sense for the project.
If additional design work is needed, we can then develop the appropriate scope based on the project.
How Much Does an Interior Designer Cost?
Interior design fees vary significantly depending on the designer, location, project size, and level of service.
Some designers charge hourly.
Others use flat project fees, design packages, retainers, percentages, or a combination of fee structures.
More important than comparing hourly rates is understanding what you're actually receiving for the fee.
A lower design fee isn't necessarily less expensive if the project requires extensive revisions, selections aren't properly documented, or costly mistakes happen during construction.
Good design should help create a better home—but it should also create a clearer path to getting that home built.
Finding the Right Interior Designer
Ultimately, you're not just looking for an interior designer.
You're looking for someone you trust to help make hundreds of decisions about your home.
Look for a designer whose work you appreciate, whose process makes sense to you, and whose level of service matches your project.
And don't be afraid to start with a conversation.
At Lake Hazel Design, we help homeowners take their projects from “I know something needs to change” to a clear, intentional design plan.
Whether you need help choosing finishes, solving a difficult room, designing a kitchen or bathroom, furnishing your home, or planning a larger remodel, we'll help determine the right level of design support for your project.
Looking for an interior designer? Start with Lake Hazel Design. Tell us about your project, and we'll help you figure out the best next step.