How to Interview an Interior Designer
The questions that reveal whether a designer is the right fit and what good answers actually sound like.
Hiring an interior designer is a significant decision. You’re inviting someone into your home, trusting them with a meaningful budget, and committing to a relationship that will last months. Most clients spend more time researching a refrigerator than they do vetting a designer.
That’s not a criticism. It’s just that the interior design industry doesn’t make it easy to know what to ask. Portfolios show you the work. A consultation tells you almost nothing unless you know what questions to bring.
This guide gives you those questions. For each one, we explain why it matters, what a confident and clear answer looks like, and what evasiveness or vagueness should tell you. The goal isn’t to interrogate a designer. It’s to have a real conversation and know what you’re hearing.
Before You Start Interviewing
A few things worth doing before you get on the phone with anyone:
Know your rough budget range. You don’t need a precise number, but you should have a sense of whether you’re thinking $30,000 or $150,000. Designers scope their services around project scale. If you come in with no number at all, it’s hard for either party to have a useful conversation.
Know what you’re trying to accomplish. “Make it look better” is a starting point, not a brief. Are you furnishing a room from scratch? Doing a gut renovation? Moving into a new home and starting over? The scope of what you need shapes which designer is the right fit.
The Questions That Matter
1. How do you charge for your design services?
Why it matters
Designers use several different fee structures: hourly rates, flat project fees, a percentage of the total project budget, or some combination. Each one has different implications for your risk, your budget predictability, and the nature of your working relationship. You need to understand which model a designer uses before anything else.
For a full breakdown of how each of these fee structures works, see our guide: What Determines Interior Design Project Costs in Austin.
What a good answer sounds like
A clear explanation of their fee structure, unprompted. They should be able to tell you not just how they charge but why they use that structure and what it means for you as a client. A flat-fee designer should be able to explain what's generally included and excluded in their fee, and an hourly designer should be able to walk you through how they'll estimate hours once the scope is defined.
What to watch for
Vagueness or a quick pivot to “it depends on the project” without further explanation. That’s technically true of every project, but a designer who has done this work knows how to frame their fees. If they can’t explain their own structure clearly, that’s a signal.
2. Once you’ve seen my space, how would you estimate my total investment?
Why it matters
There’s no such thing as a reliable quote based on a similar project. Two spaces that sound alike on paper, same square footage, same general style, can land tens of thousands of dollars apart depending on what’s being replaced, how custom the selections are, and what you actually want. A number pulled from someone else’s project was never really a quote for yours. What you can and should ask about is the process that leads to a real number: the design fee and the total investment (which includes furniture, lighting, window treatments, and any construction) are two different figures, and a good designer should be able to walk you through how they get to both, and when.
What a good answer sounds like
A clear explanation of process and timing, not a number pulled out of thin air. “I can’t give you a firm total today, because that depends on decisions we haven’t made yet, but here’s how we get there: after our scoping conversation and site walkthrough, I’ll have a design fee estimate for you, and as we move through sourcing, you’ll see product costs building in real time against a budget we set together.” That kind of answer tells you the designer has a real system for tracking cost as the project develops, rather than guessing upfront or leaving you in the dark until the invoices arrive.
What to watch for
Two things, in opposite directions. First, a designer who throws out a specific all-in number in the first conversation, before walking your space or understanding your goals, that number is a guess dressed up as a quote, and it will not hold. Second, a designer who has no process to offer at all beyond “it depends,” with nothing about how or when you’ll get a real number. “It depends” is true. It’s not an answer.
3. How do you handle product pricing?
Why it matters
Designers have access to trade pricing: wholesale rates on furniture, lighting, and materials that the public can’t get directly. How they structure that into what you pay varies. Some sell at retail and keep the spread between retail and their trade cost. Others use a cost-plus model, adding a stated percentage on top of their trade cost so the markup is itemized rather than built into the price. Both are legitimate, common structures, the only difference is whether the margin is bundled into the price or shown as its own line.
What a good answer sounds like
A direct, specific answer: “We charge retail” or “We work cost-plus at 25% over our trade cost”. Either of these is a legitimate model. What matters is that they can state it clearly and in writing, and can explain what that margin goes toward, sourcing, order tracking, damage claims, coordinating delivery, not just that it exists.
What to watch for
Deflection, or an answer that changes depending on how you ask the question. Also watch for a designer who can't or won't tell you which model they use at all, retail, cost-plus, or something else, since that's basic information about how they run their business, not proprietary pricing. You don't need their exact percentage. You do need to know which structure you're working under.
4. How do you handle freight, receiving, and storage?
Why it matters
Getting furniture and materials from a vendor to your home usually isn’t a single delivery truck. Most full-service projects route product through a receiving warehouse first, where it’s inspected, held until the rest of the order is ready, and scheduled for a coordinated install. That work costs money, and it’s typically billed separately from the product itself, sometimes passed through at cost, sometimes marked up, sometimes rolled into a flat fee. If your timeline slips and items arrive before your space is ready, storage adds up too. On a project with a lot of furnishings, this can become a real line item, not a rounding error, and it’s one clients frequently don’t think to ask about upfront.
What a good answer sounds like
A clear, specific answer about how these costs are structured: “We charge freight and receiving at cost, itemized on your invoice” or “We build a flat percentage into product pricing to cover freight, receiving, and a set amount of storage.” Either is reasonable. What you’re listening for is whether they have an actual system, versus figuring it out as costs come in.
What to watch for
An answer that implies these costs don’t exist or won’t matter for your project. They almost always do on any project involving new furniture, and a designer who hasn’t thought about it is a designer who hasn’t managed a lot of full-service projects, or isn’t being upfront about a real cost.
5. Is project management included in your fee, or billed separately?
Why it matters
On renovation projects, project management (coordinating contractors, managing deliveries, handling punch lists, being on-site) is a significant amount of work. Many designers bill it separately, often as a percentage of the construction budget (10% to 15% is common). On a $200,000 renovation, that’s another $20,000 to $30,000 that clients sometimes don’t see coming.
What a good answer sounds like
A clear answer either way: PM is included, PM is billed as X, or “our projects don’t typically involve construction coordination.” If it’s billed separately, they should be able to tell you what that fee looks like before you sign anything.
What to watch for
An answer that only comes up after you’ve signed the design agreement and the renovation is already underway. PM fees are a known part of the business. A designer who doesn’t mention them upfront on a renovation project isn’t being transparent.
6. What happens if the scope changes?
Why it matters
Scope changes on design projects. New ideas come up, clients change direction, contractors find surprises behind walls. How a designer handles those changes and what it costs you when they happen varies a lot. On an hourly model, every change just adds hours. On a flat fee, there should be a defined process for what counts as a scope addition and what it costs.
What a good answer sounds like
A specific process: “If the scope expands beyond what’s defined in the agreement, we document the change and issue an addendum with the additional fee.” Or: “Our contract defines what’s included, and additions are quoted as change orders before any additional work begins.” The specifics matter less than the fact that they’ve thought it through.
What to watch for
“We’ll figure it out as we go.” That’s not a process; it’s a setup for conflict. Also watch for vague language in their contract like “additional services billed at designer’s discretion” without any defined rate or trigger. You want to know before you start what a change will cost, not after it’s already been done.
7. Who am I actually working with?
Why it matters
At many design firms, the principal designer leads the sales process, the consultations, the presentations, and the creative vision. The day-to-day work gets handed off to junior staff or project coordinators once you sign. That’s not inherently wrong, but it’s worth knowing before you commit, especially if the reason you reached out to a particular firm was the principal’s aesthetic or reputation.
What a good answer sounds like
A clear description of who does what. “I lead all design work and client-facing decisions. My coordinator handles scheduling and logistics.” Or: “You’ll work primarily with our senior designer, with my oversight on creative direction.” Either is fine, what matters is that the roles are defined and you know who to call when something comes up.
What to watch for
A vague answer, or one that implies the principal is more involved than they will be in practice. If you’re interviewing the founder but the contract references “the design team” without further definition, ask the follow-up: who specifically will be my primary point of contact once the project starts? The answer to that question is often more revealing than anything discussed in the consultation.
8. What’s your payment schedule?
Why it matters
Design projects involve real cash flow: deposits at signing, payments at project milestones, product deposits before orders are placed, and final payments at installation. Knowing the payment schedule upfront lets you plan and ensures you’re not surprised by a large product deposit you weren’t expecting.
What a good answer sounds like
A clear outline of when payments are due and what triggers them. A common structure: a design fee deposit at signing, a second payment at a defined milestone (presentation, approval), and product payment required before orders are placed. The specifics vary by designer, but the structure should be in writing in the contract.
What to watch for
A payment schedule that front-loads everything without defined deliverables tied to each payment. You should know what you’re paying for at each stage, not just that a payment is due on a certain date.
Beyond the Questions: What Else to Pay Attention To
The answers matter. So does how they’re delivered.
A designer who answers every question clearly, concisely, and without hesitation is showing you something important about how they operate. Transparency in a consultation tends to predict transparency throughout a project. The same is true of the opposite.
A few other things to notice:
Do they ask about your goals, or do they mostly talk about their own work? A good designer is curious about what you need, not just eager to show you what they’ve done.
Do they push back when something doesn’t make sense? A designer who agrees with everything you say isn’t giving you their expertise. You’re hiring them for judgment, not just execution.
Is the contract clear? Before you sign anything, read it. The contract should match what was discussed in the consultation. If it doesn’t, or if it’s vague in ways the conversation wasn’t, that’s worth resolving before you commit.
Do you actually like talking to them? You’re going to spend months working with this person. Competence matters. So does fit.
What You’re Really Looking For
A designer who can answer every question in this guide clearly: their fee structure, their product pricing, their scope process, their payment schedule, how they’d estimate your total investment. This is a designer who knows their business. That competence usually carries into the project itself.
You’re not looking for the cheapest option or the most impressive portfolio. You’re looking for someone who communicates well, has a process that makes sense, and is honest about what things cost. Those qualities are harder to see in a portfolio and easy to see in a thirty-minute conversation, if you know what to ask.
If you’re considering HOLLEYHOUSE and want to have exactly this kind of conversation before deciding anything, we’re happy to do that. Just reach out!