Choosing a designer is easier when you know what to ask. These nine questions will tell you most of what you need to know.
Delhi NCR has no shortage of interior designers, and portfolios can look alike at first glance. The differences show up in how a studio answers a few direct questions.
1. Can I see completed projects like mine?
Ask for finished work of the same type: a home if you are doing a home, an office if you are doing an office. Photographs of real, completed spaces tell you more than 3D renders.
2. Who will actually design my space?
Find out who you will deal with day to day and who makes the design decisions.
3. What exactly is included?
Design only, or design and execution? Furniture and lighting selection? Site visits? Get the scope in writing so both sides expect the same thing.
4. How do you charge?
Studios charge in different ways: a fixed fee, a rate per square foot or a percentage of the project cost. None is right or wrong. What matters is that it is clear before you start.
5. How will you understand how we live or work?
A good designer asks many questions about routines, habits and preferences before drawing anything.
6. What will I see before work begins?
Layouts, material samples, mood boards or 3D views. You should be able to picture the result and approve it before anything is built.
7. How long will it take?
Ask for a realistic timeline with stages, and ask what usually causes delays.
8. How do you handle changes?
Changes happen on every project. Ask how they are priced and approved.
9. Do you have a signature style, and can it adapt to me?
A recognisable style is a strength, as long as the studio shapes it around you. At AAS our signature is olive green and antique gold, yet a clinic, an office and a clubhouse by us each look entirely their own.
A quick checklist
- Completed projects of your type
- Clear written scope
- Clear fee structure
- A realistic timeline
- Someone you find easy to talk to
Planning a project and want a second opinion?
Talk to AAS