Give some thought to interior designer interview questions before you start interviewing potential interior designers. If you’re interviewing several designers, it will be easier to compare their qualifications if you create a list of interview questions ahead of time.

You’ll want to ask designers about their experience with home interior design, their education and other qualifications. You’ll also want to ask questions about how interior designers will approach your project, and inquire about fees and other important information.

Common Interior Designer Interview Questions

Interviews with interior designers have several goals. You want to understand how the interior designer works and what makes the designer stand out from other possibilities. You also want to judge which of the interior designers you’ll feel comfortable working with.

The questions you may think to ask interior designers will depend on your personal needs and the scope of your interior design project. Some commonly asked interior designer interview questions include:

• Can the interior designer explain how she’ll approach the project?
• Does she think your budget is realistic? Can she work within your budget?
• How will the interior designer interact with you during the project?
• How would she learn about your needs and style preferences?
• What qualifications and training does she have?
• What services does the interior designer provide?
• What strengths will she bring to the project?

Ask as many interior design questions as you’d like to get a feel for how potential interior designers operate. This will help you get an idea of their personalities, enthusiasm for your project, and compatibility with your personality and needs.

In addition, there are two questions that you should definitely ask. You’ll want to request a portfolio of the interior designer’s work, and ask for a list of references.

Practical Interior Design Questions

Some interior designer interview questions are basic, “framework” questions. These questions have less to do with an interior designer’s talent, and more to do with the business end of your home design project. Such questions include:

• Do you have subcontractors, or will I need to hire my own?
• How do you calculate project fees?
• What elements of the home design project will the designer be responsible for?
• What is included in the interior designer’s project contract?
• What timeline does the designer see for this project?

Comparing Interior Designers

Before you start interviewing, make several copies of your interview questions. Leave space between each question for notes. While you may have additional questions that come to mind during an interview, your prepared questions will provide a solid base to compare different designers.

You may know which interior designer to hire early into the process. If so, great! If not, you can use your prepared interview question sheets to quickly compare how applicants answered the same questions.

While it’s important to hire a skilled interior designer, you’ll want to hire a designer you feel comfortable working with. During the interview, note down your personal impressions of each designer: Your personal feelings may be the deal breaker if two designers have equal qualifications.