What Full-Service Interior Design Actually Includes

On a full-scope project, I am typically involved before construction begins. That means reviewing floor plans and architectural drawings, identifying opportunities to improve the layout before walls are framed, coordinating with the architect on ceiling heights, window placement, and structural decisions that will affect the interior. Decisions made at the architectural stage are nearly impossible to undo affordably once the project is under construction. Having a designer at the table during that phase prevents the most expensive mistakes.

After the architectural phase, design development begins. This includes space planning, material palettes, furniture layouts, lighting plans, millwork elevations, and FF&E specifications. On a project of any complexity, this phase produces a comprehensive design detail book that serves as the reference for every contractor, vendor, and installer on the project.

During construction, a full-service interior designer is actively coordinating between the general contractor, subcontractors, and vendors. This includes reviewing submittals, conducting site visits to verify that what is being installed matches what was specified, and making design decisions in real time when field conditions require adjustments. This coordination phase is invisible to most clients but accounts for a significant portion of the value a designer provides. Mistakes caught during construction cost a fraction of what they cost to fix after.

The final phase is installation and styling: receiving and placing furniture, hanging art, adding textiles and accessories, and attending to the details that bring a construction project into a finished home. This is the phase most people associate with interior design. It is also the phase that makes the least sense without the seventeen decisions that preceded it.