Choosing a Designer

Should I Interview Multiple Designers Before Choosing One?

7 June 2026 · 4 min read

Short answer: yes, you should meet more than one designer before committing. The slightly longer answer: two or three is the right number, and how you run those meetings matters as much as how many you have. Our guide on questions to ask before hiring a designer will help you run those meetings well.

The Ideal Number: 2-3

Two designers: enough to compare approaches, prices, and communication styles. You'll have a reference point for what the market looks like.

Three designers: maximum useful comparison. Any more than three and you're likely to end up confused rather than informed — too many design visions, too many different scopes, too many contradictory opinions about your space.

More than three is a research project, not a hiring decision.

What to Look For in the Meeting

The meeting isn't just about what the designer tells you. Watch how they behave.

Do they listen more than they pitch? A designer who spends the first meeting talking about their awards and their process before asking about how you live is showing you where their attention goes. The best first meeting I have with a client is mostly me asking questions.

Do they ask about how you actually live? Do you work from home? Do you have elderly parents visiting? Do you cook every day or rarely? How many people use the bathroom at once? These questions produce better design than moodboards.

Do they have opinions? A designer who agrees with everything you suggest isn't adding value — they're just validating your existing assumptions. The most useful thing a designer can do in a first meeting is push back thoughtfully on something you thought you wanted.

Red Flags and Green Flags

Red flag: designer who agrees with everything you say, offers no alternative perspective, just nods along. Means no design thinking — just execution of whatever you bring in.

Green flag: designer who says "I hear what you're going for, but have you considered — in your specific space, that approach might work against you because..." That's someone whose expertise you're actually buying.

How to Compare Proposals Fairly

If you want to compare proposals after initial meetings, give the same brief to all three. Same rooms, same scope, same budget range. Otherwise you're comparing different products and the comparison is meaningless.

Ask for itemised scope from all three. Compare what's included, not just the number at the bottom.

Ali's Take

By the end of the first proper meeting — not a WhatsApp conversation, an actual visit to your space — you usually know. Not always consciously. But there's either a sense that this person understands your space and your life, or there isn't.

Trust that instinct. Then verify it with the portfolio and the references. Browse our interiors portfolio as part of your shortlisting process.

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