How Do I Find the Right Interior Designer for My Home?

Tips for choosing the right interior designer for your custom home or remodel.

Building a custom home or taking on a major remodel is exciting, but it also comes with a lot of decisions. One of the most important? Choosing the right interior designer.

With so many talented designers out there, how do you know who's the right fit for you?

The answer goes beyond finding someone whose portfolio you love. You're hiring someone who will get to know you, your family, your lifestyle, and probably more about your daily routines than you ever expected.

Here's what I recommend looking for when choosing an interior designer.

1. Start With Their Portfolio, But Don't Stop There

The obvious place to start is a designer's portfolio. Look at their past projects and see if their work speaks to you. But don't assume that every project needs to look exactly like the home you're envisioning.

A good interior designer should be able to understand your personal style and create a home that reflects you, not just their own design aesthetic.

I also recommend reading testimonials and reviews. What are past clients saying about their experience? Was the designer organized? Easy to communicate with? Did they enjoy the process?

You can also ask your builder or architect for referrals. They work closely with interior designers and can often recommend professionals they've had positive experiences with.

And don't be afraid to interview a few different designers before making your decision.

2. Make Sure You Actually Like Each Other

This might sound obvious, but I cannot stress it enough.

You're going to spend a lot of time with your interior designer. If you're building a custom home, that relationship could last several years.

And things are going to get personal.

Where's your underwear drawer? We probably know that.

Which kitchen drawer holds your cutlery? We know that too.

What's your favorite holiday? Do you put up a Christmas tree? If so, where is it going, and have we planned for the furniture layout and electrical outlets around it?

These are all things we think about.

Being an interior designer means getting to know how our clients actually live. We learn about their routines, their families, their habits, and the little things that make a house function for them.

Your home should be designed around the way you live, not the other way around.

That's why it's so important to hire someone you're comfortable with, someone who listens and genuinely wants to understand you.

Many of our clients at Ashley Marie Interiors have become lifelong friends and repeat clients, and I think that's one of the best parts of what we do.

3. Understand the Difference Between an Interior Designer and an Interior Decorator

This is an important distinction, especially if you're building a custom home or planning a large remodel.

Interior designers often have formal education and training that includes space planning, construction principles, building systems, and technical drawings.

Interior decorators generally focus more on the finishing layers of a space, including furniture, color schemes, window treatments, accessories, and styling.

And let me be clear: there are some incredibly talented decorators out there. This isn't about one being better than the other.

It's about understanding what your project requires.

If you're furnishing and refreshing an existing home, a decorator may be exactly what you need.

But if you're building from the ground up or renovating on a larger scale, you may need an interior designer who understands the construction process and can coordinate with your architect and builder.

At Ashley Marie Interiors, our work includes everything from space planning and detailed drawings to finish selections, specifications, cabinetry, lighting, and furniture.

We want the entire home to work together, from what's behind the walls to the final decorative details.

4. Ask About Their Process and What's Included

Not every interior designer works the same way, so it's important to understand exactly what you're hiring someone to do.

Here are a few questions I recommend asking during your initial meeting:

• What does your design process look like?

• Can I see examples of completed projects and speak with past clients?

• How involved are you throughout construction?

• How do you charge for your services? Do you charge a markup on products?

• Have you worked with my builder or architect before?

• Do you have builders or architects you recommend?

• How do you communicate and coordinate with the rest of the construction team?

• Is there anything your services don't include?

One thing I would personally ask to see, especially for a custom home or major remodel, is an example of a completed specification book.

A comprehensive specification book helps communicate design decisions, materials, finishes, fixtures, and important project details to the construction team.

If a designer can't show you examples of the documentation they provide, I'd want to understand why.

Not every project requires the same level of detail, but for a large construction project, organization and documentation are incredibly important.

A beautiful design is only part of the equation. Your builder also needs the information to execute it.

5. Hire Your Interior Designer Earlier Than You Think

One of the biggest mistakes homeowners make is waiting too long to bring an interior designer into the project.

Ideally, you should hire your designer around the same time you hire your architect or when you're first receiving architectural plans.

Why?

Because we can help identify potential issues before those plans are submitted for permitting.

Will your furniture actually fit the space? Is there enough clearance around your kitchen island? Is the lighting placed where it needs to be? Have we considered how you want to use each room?

These details might seem small, but they're much easier to address on paper than after construction has started.

When your designer, architect, and builder work together early in the process, the entire team can make more informed decisions, address potential conflicts, and help keep the project aligned with your budget.

6. Find Someone Who Takes the Details Seriously

Here's something I wish more homeowners understood before hiring a designer.

Good design takes time. And you should want it to.

A detailed design process will probably take longer than you initially expect.

We're not just picking out pretty tile and paint colors. We're thinking about how you're going to live in this home for years, sometimes decades, to come.

That requires conversations, planning, revisions, and a whole lot of details.

At Ashley Marie Interiors, we take design and construction very seriously. We're detail-oriented because we know how much these decisions matter.

But we also want our clients to enjoy the experience.

Building a custom home is a huge milestone in someone's life. It should be exciting!

Our job is to support our clients throughout the process, get to know them as individuals and families, and help create a home that's even better than what they originally imagined.

So, How Do You Know You've Found the Right Designer?

My advice? Trust your instincts.

Look at their work. Read their reviews. Ask questions. Understand their process. And most importantly, pay attention to how you feel during that first meeting.

Do they listen to you? Do they ask thoughtful questions? Do you feel comfortable being honest about your budget, your preferences, and what you need from your home?

Remember, you're not just hiring someone to make your house look beautiful. You're choosing someone who will help shape the way you live in it.

Find someone who understands that responsibility and genuinely enjoys getting to know you.

Because at the end of the day, the best-designed home isn't the one that looks the most impressive in photographs. It's the one that feels perfectly suited to the people living in it.

Planning a Custom Home or Remodel in Scottsdale?

At Ashley Marie Interiors, we're a full-service interior design firm specializing in custom homes, new construction, and large-scale remodels throughout Scottsdale and the surrounding Phoenix area.

We believe beautiful design starts with understanding the people who will call a space home.

If you're beginning your project and looking for an interior designer to collaborate with your architect and builder, we'd love to learn more about what you're planning.