Preparing for your Interior Design Consultation

Maybe a friend raved about her lake house and gave you my name. Maybe you've been scrolling reviews for weeks, trying to decide if hiring a designer is really worth it for a home you only visit a handful of times a year. However you got here, there's a good chance you're staring at your calendar right now, wondering what you're supposed to bring to this call and whether you'll sound unprepared without a folder of answers. 

Here's what I want you to know before we ever speak. You don't need a Pinterest board, a finished floor plan, or a firm number in your head. You need to talk to me about your home the way you'd talk to a friend who happened to ask the right questions. 

What Actually Happens on the Call? 

Our first conversation is short, usually fifteen to thirty minutes, and it's an interview, not a sales pitch. I want to hear what's frustrating you about your home right now and what you want it to feel like the moment you walk through the door after a long drive or a flight in. Investment and timeline come up here too, not to box you in, but so nothing catches you off guard later. 

I'm also listening for the parts of your life that never show up in a photo. Are you managing this home from out of state? Do the grandkids fill the bunkroom every summer? Is this the place where you finally get to exhale? Those details shape a design far more than any trend does, and I'd rather hear them from you directly than guess. 

What Am I Looking for at the Onsite Visit? 

If our call feels like a good fit, we schedule a site visit, and this is where the real planning begins. I take photos, pull measurements, and pay attention to how light moves through your space across the day. This is also when we sign the design agreement, so you know exactly what's included before a single decision gets made. 

This visit isn't a test of how put-together your home looks right now. I've walked into spaces mid-move, mid-renovation, and simply lived in, and none of it changes how I approach the work. What I'm really doing is building a picture of how the space can function for the way you actually live, not the way a showroom might stage it. 

Ready for This Conversation, Even Without a Vision? 

You don't need to clean before I arrive, and you don't need to apologize for a room that's still in boxes or furniture you've been meaning to replace. Plenty of my clients worry about this, and I understand why. A home you're not in every day can start to feel like someone else's responsibility, especially when it doesn't yet reflect how you want to feel walking through the door. If you’re still weighing whether now is the right time to bring in a designer, this post may help you think it through.

You also don't need a fully formed vision. Some clients arrive with a folder of inspiration images. Others only know the current setup isn't working. Both starting points lead to the same place, because my job is to ask the questions that get us there together. 

Bring What Matters, Leave the Rest 

If you take one thing into that first conversation, let it be honesty about how you actually use the home, not how you think you should. Tell me if the dining table sits untouched because everyone eats on the couch. Tell me if the guest room stays empty most of the year except for two chaotic weeks in July. Those are the details that turn a design plan from generic into genuinely yours. 

Everything else, the investment, the materials, the timeline, we work through together once we've had that first real conversation. You're not walking into this alone, and you're not expected to have it figured out before we even start. 

If you've been putting off that call because you're not sure you're ready, I'd love to hear about your home and where you're hoping to take it. Reach out here, and let's find a time to talk. 

Warmly,
Holly