How to brief an interior designer
A good brief is the cheapest way to get a better result. It makes quotes comparable, stops expensive misunderstandings, and lets a designer spend your budget where it counts. Here is exactly what to put in one.
A strong interior design brief covers eight things: the rooms and the result you want; a realistic budget that includes furniture and finishes, not just design fees; your timeline; how you actually live in the space; your must-keeps and no-gos; inspiration with a note on what you like about each image; practical constraints such as a listed building or leasehold rules; and the level of service you want, from a single consultation to full project management. Keep it to about a page. The clearer and more honest the brief, especially on budget, the more accurate and comparable the quotes you get back, and the less likely you are to pay for a scheme that misses how you live. You do not have to design anything yourself; the brief sets the problem, and shaping the look is what you are paying the designer to do.
What your brief should include
Aim for about a page. Give the same brief to every designer so the quotes you get are genuinely comparable.
- The rooms and the goal: which spaces, and what you want them to feel like and do.
- A realistic budget, including a figure for furniture and finishes, not just design fees.
- Your timeline and any fixed dates (a new baby, a house move, hosting at Christmas).
- How you actually live: who uses the space, pets, children, working from home, storage needs.
- Must-keeps and no-gos: pieces you are keeping, colours you dislike, anything that cannot change.
- Inspiration, with notes on what you like about each image, not just the images themselves.
- Practical constraints: listed building, leasehold rules, awkward layouts, what trades are already booked.
- What you want from the designer: full project management, a scheme to hand to your own trades, or a single consultation.
Why budget belongs in the brief
The single most useful line in any brief is the budget, and it is the one people most often leave out. A designer cannot specify the right sofa, lighting or joinery to a figure they have not been given, and without it you will get a vague quote or a scheme you cannot afford. Sharing a budget is not weakness or an opening bid; it is the information that lets a good designer tell you honestly where to spend, where to save, and whether your expectations and your figure actually match before anyone invests time. Include a separate figure for furniture and finishes, because design fees are usually only a part of the total.
Common mistakes to avoid
- Giving no budget, or an unrealistic one. A designer cannot specify to a figure they do not know, and a vague budget wastes everyone’s time.
- Sharing 200 pictures with no commentary. Five images with a line on why you like each tells a designer far more.
- Briefing on style alone and forgetting how the room has to work day to day.
- Leaving out the non-negotiables until late, after the designer has already specified around them.
A quick rule of thumb
Be specific about the budget, the constraints and how you live; be open about the look. The first three are facts only you know; the last is the thing you are paying a designer to shape. Hand the same one-page brief to each designer, and you will get back quotes you can actually compare.
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Find a vetted interior designerBriefing an interior designer: common questions
What should an interior design brief include?
At a minimum: the rooms and the result you want, a realistic budget (including furniture and finishes, not just fees), your timeline, how you actually use the space, your must-keeps and no-gos, inspiration with notes on what you like, any practical constraints, and what level of service you want, from a single consultation to full project management. The clearer the brief, the more comparable and accurate the quotes you get back.
How much detail does a designer need from me?
Enough to understand the result, the budget and the constraints, but not so much that you have done their job for them. Be specific about how you live, what you are keeping and your budget; be open about the look, because shaping that is what you are paying for. A good designer will ask questions to fill any gaps in an initial consultation.
Should I set the budget before I brief a designer?
Yes. A budget is not a ceiling you are admitting to, it is the single most useful piece of information a designer has. It lets them specify the right pieces, flag where money is best spent, and tell you honestly if your expectations and your figure do not match before anyone wastes time.
Do I need a written brief or is a conversation enough?
A short written brief is worth the effort because it gives every designer the same starting point, which makes quotes comparable and reduces misunderstandings later. It does not need to be long. A page covering rooms, budget, timeline, how you live, must-keeps and what service you want is plenty.
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