When to Hire an Interior Designer for Your Custom Build

When building your forever home, hiring the right team is essential to not only the final outcome of the build but also the quality of your experience throughout the process. To have a seamless experience, it requires collaboration between three different positions—— the architect, the builder, and the interior designer. Many homeowners wonder when to bring in an interior designer. When a client comes to me with a custom build project, I always ask this question first on a Discovery Call—-Have you already been working with an architect or builder?

This is a very important question because often people have a misconception about whether or not they need all three positions to have a successful project. I aould say from five years and coutning of experience, yes you do need all three. Today, I want to give you four scenarios of when you could hire an interior designer for your project in relation to hiring your architect and builder.

Scenario 1: Hiring Your Interior Designer First

I would be lying if I told you that this is always when clients come to us on a project but unfortunately it is not. This is, in my opinion, the best way to ensure your home is built to truly reflect your family’s needs from concept to completion. In short, when you hire an interior designer first, we can help to define your style, layout needs, and material preferences before any architectual plans begin. When you don’t hire an interior designer first, it can feel like you are drowning in a sea of potential flooplan layouts all screaming the benefits they can offer you. But which one works for you?

Here are some of the pros of this optimal scenario when building you your custom build:

• It establishes a clear design vision early on before major structural decisions

• The designer can help in selecting the right builder and architect who specialize in homes that align with your aesthetic and budget.

• This approach makes sure that the layout, finishes, and materials are cohesive from the start.

Just like everything in life, however, let’s take a look at some of the cons for this approach:

• The architect and builder may need to adjust to the designer’s initial vision ( this is not a make or break con though as the three industry professionals continually are negotiating different aspects of the design as the build progresses to ensure that the home is exactly what the client wants).

• Requires a strongly experienced designer to guide early decisions effectively.

This scenario is best for clients who truly want the entire design to be completed on a project before construction even begins.

Scenario 2: Hiring an Interior Designer After Hiring an Architect

This scenario is perfectly fine for clients who already have a solid relationship with an architect and merely want interior refinement later on in their project. Essentially, the architect develops the structural pieces and general layout first and then the interior designer is brought in later to refine the interior details and finishes. Some of the pros to this approach are listed below:

• This scenario keeps the home’s structure and functionality top priority.

• The interior designer enhances the established architectural vision.

On to the cons of this approach:

• There will inevitably be less flexibility to modify the layout, lighting, or built ins.

• This may but not always require costly revisions if interior needs weren’t considered early.

Although this is not the most ideal scenario, you can still work with an experienced interior designer even after hiring your architect.

Scenario Three: Hiring an Interior Designer Before Hiring the Builder

This scenario will get allot of the legwork done for the builder ahead of time as the interior designer and architect can work very closely at the onset before finalizing the plans. The builder would then be selected after the design details are clearly defined. Hiring an interior designer before hiring the builder has ome pros and cons that need to be addressed:

• One of the benefits is that this will ensure layout, lighting, cabinetry, and finishes are all well integrated

• The interior designer will help the homeowners select a builder who aligns with their design vision.

• Significanlt reduces last minute changes and costly change orders during construction

• HOWEVER, hiring an interior designer before your builder requires more upfrpnt coordination between architect and designer.

• This can also lead to problems if the builder is hired to late in the preconstruction design phase because he needs to be involved early to provide cost estimates.

Scenario 4: Hiring an Interior Designer After Hiring Both Architect and Builder

This approach is great for clients who need the focus to be more on the furnishings and decor instead of a completely turnkey service including finishes and layout. Essentially the builder and architect are on board and the interior designer enters the scene right after the foundation has been poured. This is the best option for homeowners who feel confident in structural decisions but need help with final aesthetics.

Some of the pros to this approach are:

• The construction team is already aligned and ready to execute.

• The designer refines the space with finishes, furniture, and styling.

Enter the cons of this approach:

• The interior designer has limited ability to change floorplans, lightding, or built ins.

• Some design choices may require costly modifications.

So the questions till stands, “When Should I Hire an Interior Designer when Building?” Hiring and interior designer at any stage adds value, but earlier involvement does matter. There have been so many times that clients have come to me because they are struglling mid construction and they realize that they need an interior designer. Although we are able to design a beautiful space that functions for them at this point, I always look back thinking about how much better we could have guided the client throughout the build process if we were brought on earlier. Hiring an interior designer early on is better for better space planning and layout optimization, cohesive material selections that align with the architecture, and avoiding costly changes due to overlooked design details. The bottom line is that when you hire an interior designer ealry on, you will benefit the most from a well planned, beautifully executed home.