WHAT TO EXPECT DURING A DESIGN CONSULTATION

(7 min read)

As part of the POP motto, the operation of my business is a top priority. That’s why I’ve incorporated steps to help make the client process more seamless. You may have already had a discovery call and are considering scheduling a consultation. Here’s what to expect from a design consult with Design with Veronica Sanders.
 
Let’s say you’ve found me on Instagram or came across my website from a friend or colleague’s referral (yay!). You’ve done your research and are ready to schedule the consultation. You can either call to book and schedule your consultation, which you will receive an invoice for. Or, you can book and pay for the consultation through the website. The consultation is a meeting that is paid up front. Although some designers may provide a free consultation, each designer is different and provides different deliverables. A paid consultation can help ensure that the designer doesn’t hold back on ideas and expertise. You paid the consultation fee, so I want to make sure you get the most from our visit! Plus, we differ in that we walk through a working budget and speak in-depth about your space. My goal is to leave our consultation together with you having total confidence and a clear understanding of what to expect, financially and aesthetically.
 
The purpose of our design consultation, which I lovingly call the “Buzz Session”, is to learn as much about you as possible, so that I can craft the best possible solution for your design needs. The Buzz Session is our opportunity to get the creative juices flowing! This is why it’s important that you take part in the second step when scheduling the consultation; which is filling out the New Client Questionnaire. This is an interactive quiz in which,  although you aren’t required to fill it out, does help maximize our time together for the good stuff during the session! Plus, it helps me better prepare for our in-person or virtual meet-up, so you get the best bang for your buck.

DURING THE CONSULTATION
 
I’ll arrive at your doorstep (or via Zoom call) with a few items: Your printed questionnaire responses, Recommendations Sheet, Budget Guidelines sheet, camera/smartphone, and a few design tools which may include: voice recorder, paint deck, measuring tape, notebook, and my laptop. (I’ll tell you why these are important, keep reading!)

• You’ll need to block off about 2-hrs for this consultation. It may be less, but I find that 2-hrs is an ideal amount of time.
• All decision makers must be present for the consultation.
• At least fifteen minutes will be used to review the questionnaire to fill in any missing information (so the more you have filled out in advance, the better). Consider this as sort of an interview to understand how you live in your home, your likes & dislikes, what’s important to you, etc.
•  About an hour of time to tour your home and to answer ANY questions you have about your project. This is your opportunity to lay it all on the line to discuss:
  • Paint colors you're considering
  • Priority rooms to be designed
  • Furniture layout questions
  • Current Design Challenges
• We walk through your home room by room, and this is where my design tools come in to play. I may take photos of furniture pieces you may want to keep and rooms you consider top priority for the design process. My voice recorder will record our session to ensure I don’t miss ANYTHING. The paint deck allows us to see paint colors in real time to pin-point what you want to see in the space. On my Recommendations Sheet, I’ll write a few notes indicating design challenges and suggestions for the space. Here’s what that may look like:

 
INITIAL CONSULTATION – CLIENT PROJECT
Master Bedroom | Lighting | Bedside lamps too small and don’t provide enough light. | Recommend they add larger lamps with energy efficient lighting and updated ceiling light fixture. | Recommend they call their electrician for ceiling lights, shop LampsPlus.com or CircaLighting.com for fixtures.

• After I take notes, we then sit down for the remaining forty-five minutes to map out a preliminary furniture budget using my "Budget Guidelines sheet", review my design process, and a design service that best suits your needs. Then you decide if you’d like to move forward or implement the recommendations on your own. Easy breezy right!

 
AFTER THE CONSULTATION

• I take the notes I took as well as the audio recording and transcribe them in a more readable fashion. I keep a copy for myself and email it to you. This way if you would like to move forward in the process, we’ll both know what we’ll tackle first. And if you decide not to move forward just yet, you’ll have my recommendations to get the job done!

 
It’s that simple. Although every designer operates in their own fashion, I find that this allows for a solid foundation before beginning your project. All the hard work on your part is already done. Using this method has shown to be very helpful in my business operations. I hope this gives you a better understanding of what to expect during an interior design consultation. However, if you still want to know what I have to offer, click here to go to my services page to view the design packages. I look forward to hearing from you!