What Should I Look for When Choosing an Interior Designer for My Home Renovation?
Choosing an interior designer is not the same as hiring a contractor. A contractor executes what's in front of them. A designer is involved in how the whole thing unfolds — the decisions, the problems, what the space actually feels like when it's done.
Here's what to pay attention to.
Range in the portfolio
If every project looks the same, the designer is expressing their own preferences, not their clients'. Look for variety — different budgets, different styles, different types of rooms. That's someone who listens.
A process they can actually explain
Ask them how a project runs from start to finish. Site visit, brief, concept, renders, BOQ, contractor coordination, site follow-up. If they can walk you through it clearly, they've done it before. If they're vague, the project will feel vague too.
Someone who stays on site
Many designers hand over drawings and disappear. Then the renovation is yours to manage. Ask directly: do you follow up during construction? Do you coordinate with contractors? That answer tells you more than the portfolio.
Honesty about money
In Lebanon, costs move. Materials change, contractor rates vary, things shift mid-project. A designer who gives you a firm number early and defends it regardless is either inexperienced or not being straight with you. The good ones tell you what they know, flag what they don't, and explain how they handle changes when they come.
Someone working for you, not their portfolio
Watch for designers who keep redirecting toward what they'd choose. Your taste is the brief. Their job is to make it real and make it work, not to improve it according to their own eye.
Communication from day one
Notice the first call. How fast did they reply to your inquiry? Do their answers actually address what you asked? Renovation takes months. You need someone who keeps you informed without you having to chase every update.
If you're renovating from abroad, ask about that specifically
Not every studio has a real remote process. Ask how they handle approvals and site visits when you're not there. A studio that does this regularly has a clear answer — scheduled video walkthroughs, structured updates, one person you can always reach. If they hesitate, keep looking.
Ask for a reference
One honest conversation with a past client is worth more than ten project photos. Any studio confident in their work will give you one without hesitation.
At Dezainteria Studio in Beirut, we work with clients locally and remotely, across Lebanon and the diaspora.
Every project starts with a free consultation call. If we move forward together, we schedule a paid site visit — and that fee comes off the total design fee once the project proceeds.
