How to prepare for a design project: what to gather before we meetHow to prepare for a design project: what to gather before we meet

A first meeting with a designer goes further when you already have answers to a few simple questions. No special preparation is needed — just gather the paperwork and describe honestly how you live.

Documents and facts about the property

• a dimensioned floor plan from the developer or the property records
• information about the building: floor structure, load-bearing walls, position of the risers
• for a new build: the handover date and the building's rules on renovation works
• for a house: the architectural drawings, or at least floor plans and details of the services

I carry out the survey myself in any case, but documents let me judge the scope of the work before I visit.

How you live

Describe an ordinary day for everyone who will live in the home. Who gets up when, who works from home, where you eat, how often guests come, whether there are pets. The layout is built from these details: whether you need a second bathroom, a separate laundry, a study with a door.

Make a separate list of the things that need a place: seasonal clothes, sports gear, books, appliances, suitcases. Storage planned at the start costs less than a wardrobe bought after the renovation.

What you like and what you do not

Collect ten to fifteen images of interiors that feel right and a few that put you off. The second group is just as useful. There is no need to find a ready-made example — what matters to me is what draws you in: colour, light, a sense of space or of shelter.

Budget and timing

Name the total you are prepared to spend on the renovation and furniture, even if it is approximate. A project designed without regard to budget has to be redone, and that costs time. If there is a firm move-in date, say so at the outset: it determines which materials and furniture can be chosen, given their lead times.