How to Choose an Interior Designer

So, you've decided it's time to spruce up your space and bring in the big guns – an interior designer. But wait, how to choose an interior designer?  How to make sure you find the right one without falling into the design disaster trap? Fear not, for I am here to guide you through this journey with my years of experience working with clients in Manhattan, Brooklyn, and other parts of the U.S. and internationally. With more than 20 years of experience in interior design and house flipping, here are five learnings:

How Do I Choose an Interior Designer?

Choose an interior designer by looking at five things: portfolio, process, communication style, budget transparency, and experience with projects like yours. The right designer should understand your taste, but also know how to improve your ideas, solve practical problems, and guide you through decisions.

A good interior designer does more than make a room look attractive. They help plan how the space functions, how materials work together, how furniture fits, how lighting changes the mood, and how the finished home supports daily life.

The goal is not to find someone who simply agrees with everything you say. The goal is to find someone whose judgment you trust.

What Kind of Interior Design Help Do I Need?

Before you choose an interior designer, define the scope of your project. Are you furnishing one room, renovating a brownstone, redesigning an apartment, selecting finishes for a kitchen, or managing a full gut renovation?

Different designers offer different levels of service. Some focus on decoration, furniture, color, and styling. Others handle larger design plans involving layouts, contractors, custom millwork, lighting, finishes, and construction coordination.

This matters because hiring the wrong type of designer can lead to frustration. A decorator may be perfect if you need furniture, paint colors, rugs, window treatments, and art placement. A full-service interior designer may be a better fit if your project involves renovation, space planning, construction decisions, architectural details, or major custom work.

What Should I Look for in an Interior Designer’s Portfolio?

A designer’s portfolio tells you more than whether you like their taste. It shows how they think about space, proportion, color, materials, architecture, and lifestyle.

Look for consistency, but not sameness. A strong interior designer should have a recognizable point of view while still adapting to different clients, homes, and needs. If every project looks identical, the designer may be imposing one style rather than responding to the client and the space.

For New York City homes, especially Manhattan apartments and Brooklyn brownstones, it also helps to look for experience with older buildings, narrow layouts, storage challenges, prewar details, renovations, and city-specific construction realities.

You can use designers’ websites and Houzz to compare portfolios and project types.

Client testimonials help gauge reliability, not just style.

How Do I Know If an Interior Designer Matches My Personal Style?

Style fit matters. You do not need to love every single project in a designer’s portfolio, but you should see enough alignment with the designer’s aesthetic and your personal style to feel confident.

If you want a warm, layered, personal home and the designer’s work is mostly ultra-minimal, there may be a mismatch. If you want a clean contemporary space and the designer leans heavily traditional, that may also create friction.

Pinterest and Instagram are useful sources of design inspiration. Creating a mood board before you choose a designer helps clarify your style. Inspiration photos also make it easier to communicate your vision and show which elements you want to incorporate.

The goal is not to find someone who copies exactly what you already have in mind. The goal is to find someone whose eye you trust. A good designer should be able to expand your ideas, refine them, and make them stronger without making you feel erased from your own home.

How Much Does an Interior Designer Cost?

Interior design pricing can vary widely depending on the size of the project, the designer’s experience, the level of service, and the market, with small projects often priced differently than a large project. A single-room refresh will not be priced the same way as a full apartment renovation or brownstone redesign.

Costs may include design fees, furniture and materials, contractor labor, custom pieces, purchasing fees, delivery, installation, and project management. This is why it is important to discuss budget considerations early.

A good designer should help you understand what your budget can realistically accomplish. They should also help you decide where to invest and where to save.

Hourly rate pricing is usually based on estimated hours for project completion, while lump sum pricing is quoted upfront for the entire project. Markup fees on wholesale items often fall in the 10% to 50% range.

(A link to an article on how much interior designers charge is at the end of this blog.)

How Do Interior Designers Charge for Their Services?

Interior designers may charge by hourly rate, flat rate, percentage of project cost, product markups, or a combination of these methods.

Before you hire anyone, ask how fees are structured and what is included, since a flat rate can make costs more predictable for clients. You should understand what you are paying for, how billing works, what happens if the scope changes, and whether purchasing, project management, contractor coordination, or revisions are included.

A good designer should be able to explain their pricing clearly. If the fee structure feels vague, that is a warning sign.

What Questions Should I Ask an Interior Designer Before Hiring?

The first consultation is not just a chance for the designer to evaluate your project. It is also your chance to evaluate the designer.

Ask these questions before hiring:

• What types of projects do you usually take on?
• Have you worked on homes like mine before?
• Can you share client references?
• How do you structure your fees?
• What is included in your design service?
• Can you walk me through your design process?
• How do you handle budget planning?
• How do you present design concepts?
• How involved will I be in the decision-making?
• How do you schedule meetings during the project?
• Do you work with contractors, architects, or tradespeople?
• How do you handle delays or unexpected issues?
• What should I prepare before we begin?

Speaking with past clients can help you verify reliability and get a clearer sense of what the working relationship is actually like.

The answers should give you a sense of how the designer thinks, communicates, and manages a project.

What Is the Difference Between an Interior Designer and an Interior Decorator?

People often use these terms interchangeably, but they are not always the same.

An interior decorator usually focuses on the decorative elements of a space: furniture, color, fabrics, rugs, lighting, accessories, art, and styling.

An interior designer may handle those elements too, but often works more deeply with space planning, layouts, renovations, finishes, built-ins, lighting plans, construction details, and coordination with contractors or architects.

For a furniture refresh, a decorator may be enough. For a renovation or more complex home project, an interior designer may be the better choice.

Should I Hire a Local Interior Designer?

A local designer can be especially valuable when your project involves site visits, contractors, local vendors, building rules, co-op or condo requirements, landmark restrictions, or city-specific renovation challenges.

For New York City projects, local experience can matter. Designers who regularly work in Manhattan and Brooklyn often understand apartment layouts, brownstone renovations, older building conditions, freight elevator restrictions, contractor coordination, and the realities of getting work done in dense urban spaces.

That said, some designers also work remotely or travel for projects. The key is whether the designer has a process that fits your project’s needs. If you’ll need regular site coordination or prefer a single point of contact, local fit and staffing structure matter even more.

How Do I Prepare for an Interior Design Consultation?

Before your first meeting, gather the basics. You do not need to have every answer, but you should have a starting point.

Think about what is not working in the space now. Consider how you want the room or home to feel. Collect inspiration photos before the meeting that show what you like, and also note what you do not like, so the designer can better understand your vision during the consultation. Be honest about your budget. Share any timing issues, building restrictions, must-keep pieces, family needs, pets, storage problems, or lifestyle details that affect the design.

The more context you provide, the more useful the consultation will be.

What Are Red Flags When Choosing an Interior Designer?

Not every designer is the right fit. Some warning signs are obvious. Others are subtler.

Be cautious if a designer cannot explain their pricing, avoids budget conversations, dismisses your preferences, pushes one look regardless of your home, has poor communication from the beginning, or seems disorganized during the consultation.

Another red flag is a designer who promises too much too quickly. Good design takes thought, planning, sourcing, measuring, editing, and coordination. If someone gives sweeping promises without understanding the project, the budget, or the space, be careful.

Is Hiring an Interior Designer Worth It?

Hiring an interior designer can be worth it when the project involves a meaningful investment of money, time, or complexity. A designer can help you avoid expensive mistakes, make better decisions, improve function, coordinate details, and create a more finished result; their expertise can improve quality and reduce costly mistakes, especially on renovation-heavy work.

This is especially true for renovations, custom work, older homes, city apartments, and spaces where layout, storage, lighting, and materials all need to work together, with the designer serving as an integral part of keeping decisions and execution aligned through the project.

A good designer should not simply add cost. They should help you spend more intelligently.

How Do I Compare Interior Designers?

Compare interior designers by looking beyond style, and do your research across portfolios, references, and reviews when comparing options. Review their fee structure, communication style, process, experience, and ability to understand your goals. Looking at the design process in more detail can help you choose the right interior designer.

The best choice is not always the most famous designer or the one with the flashiest images. The best choice is the designer whose work you respect, whose process you understand, and whose judgment you trust. Some clients prefer a solo designer, while others benefit from a team depending on the project and communication preferences.

How to Choose an Interior Designer: Final Thoughts

Choosing an interior designer comes down to trust, taste, process, and fit.

Look at the portfolio, but do not stop there. Ask about budget, communication, process, timing, sourcing, and project management. Pay attention to whether the designer listens carefully and understands how you actually live.

The right designer should bring experience, creativity, structure, and a strong eye. They should help you make better decisions, avoid costly mistakes, and create a home that feels considered, personal, and functional.

A successful design project is not about handing your home over to someone else’s taste. It is about finding a designer who can help you shape a space that reflects your life, your needs, and your sense of home.

Extra Tip: How much does an interior designer cost?

Interior design cost can often be top-of-mind with clients. That said, we'd like to offer some helpful context on how interior design costs fit into an overall project budget. Please visit our Guide to interior design costs in New York and learn more.