If you’re considering remodeling your bathroom or kitchen, completing a major renovation or are building a home, you may be wondering who you need on your build team? If you have a general contractor and architect, do you still need an interior designer? Or, do you only need the designer for the design aspect, and once construction is underway, you’ll be good to go?
People often ask this common question, so in this post, our team will show you how we work with contractors during construction to save our clients time, stress, and money.
Yes, as an interior designer, we are able to interpret your aesthetic and style and bring it to life through beautiful finishes and furnishings.
But we also have to know a great deal about construction methods; the impacts of plumbing, electrical, HVAC, and structural systems on interior components; residential building codes; interior finish materials and appropriate installation methods; cabinetry and millwork fabrication; maintenance requirements for products and materials; strategies for using and modulating light sources; and necessary sequencing for the installation of plumbing, electrical, and other building and finish systems.
Still with me?
Yeah, it’s a bit more complicated than fluffing pillows, picking paint colors, and rearranging furniture. If that is what you are looking for – you need a decorator not a designer.
Keep in mind, by the time your project is under construction, your interior designer will already likely have an exhaustive knowledge of the specific details about your design. Armed with that intimate knowledge of your project, when we make a visit to your construction site, we’ll be able to recognize both potential impacts of work completed, and critical requirements needed for work to proceed.
In other words, as your interior designer, we’ll have insight into what may affect project progression, and what issues may or have arisen that could impact the final delivery of your design.
Yes, of course, your contractor and tradespeople (painters, carpenters, electricians, plumbers) have invaluable expertise in their particular trade. No one can do what they do — they are enormously skilled. And your general contractor brings inestimable value to the project, in cost-estimating, construction sequencing, construction site safety requirements, permitting and inspections, ordering build supplies, and much more. (Note: while we aren’t licensed general contractors, we have been designing residential and commercial spaces in San Diego alongside talented contractors for 6 years.
But, a general contractor and their subcontractors won’t really know the design intent the way we do as your interior designer. Not even close.
We’re the only people who can see the BIG picture
Oftentimes even more than our clients can – which is what makes us so good at our job! and know how construction activities may impact the proper execution of the approved design.
We’ve seen many, many examples of installation and fabrication issues in completed homes. Meaning, someone didn’t implement the design properly. IF an interior designer had been onsite during the critical time when certain events occurred or had provided detailed construction drawings for implementation, they could have easily avoided those issues.
So, here’s a glimpse into how we support our clients during the construction phase of a project, we pre-schedule site visits with both our contractor and client throughout the construction process. We also monitor installation progress and coordinate details via email and phone calls as needed with our whole team to ensure we meet the design intent and address any site-specific issues that may arise.
We are the point person for all questions or concerns that arise regarding the design of the space.
01 I Point of Contact
Because we know the nitty-gritty aspects of EVERYTHING design-related in a project, clients consult us throughout. They ask about anything that might impact the final outcome.
In a typical kitchen remodel, we save our clients at least 300 hours throughout the design and construction phase. This usually happens during a typical 3-6 month project.
We provide specific instructions to installers or tradespeople.
02 I Working with our installers and Tradespeople
Once our clients approve the design, we thoroughly document it with plans, elevation drawings, detail drawings, and specification sheets. We also prepare permit drawings for city or county approval (depending on the scope, we may involve other trades).
But even with these detailed documents provided, questions of interpretation or intention do still come up. Relying on the installers to guess at the designer’s intent is NOT the way to go. We WANT our clients to consult us throughout construction. This way, we can ensure any changes made in the field align with their overall vision for the home.
We answer questions installers and fabricators have about products, materials, and furnishings.
03 I Help answer questions along the way and solve problems
For example, if extended lead time on an approved item comes up, we assess the impact. Then, we decide whether to absorb the delay or choose another option. If we decide to make another choice, we select the new option and ensure it works with the other elements already chosen. This way, our clients don’t have to scramble to pick something last minute, hoping it will work!
Or, if we help a client choose natural stone slabs for their countertops and provide drawings that show where to cut the stone to best highlight (or hide) the veining and coloring. Sometimes the team makes these decisions on site once the material is in place. From experience, we know our clients typically don’t want to be responsible for where they cut their slabs. Talk about “no turning back”!
We ensure the installation matches the design intent.
04 I Making sure Design Intent is being met
Sometimes, we need to install something a certain way to align with a detail of another component. This creates a domino effect. The installer may not realize this.
For example, if a client and contractor decide to move forward with an alternate wallpaper without consulting the designer, it can cause issues. This change can impact the entire design. We thoughtfully select every element in a space—cabinetry, countertops, paint colors, lighting, and more—to work together.
A seemingly simple change can dramatically shift the overall look and feel of the room.
Without the full design context, one change often leads to another. This results in additional revisions, increased material costs, and extra labor, such as removing and reinstalling wallpaper. That’s why collaboration and clear communication throughout the process are key to maintaining both the vision and the budget.
But because we have a big picture view of the project, we’re able to make sure everything progresses according to plan, and in accordance with our client’s intended (and approved) design outcome.
We troubleshoot unforeseen issues that arise during construction.
05 I Troubleshooting
It’s inevitable that—during demolition, or even construction—something problematic will happen. (In fact, we recommend to our clients to have an additional 5-10% of the total construction budget in a contingency fund just for situations like these.)
Maybe someone measured off by half an inch, or walls and corners don’t line up plumb. Mechanical chases and plumbing lines may hide within walls in unexpected places.
Above all else, people know us for solving creative problems excellently. We come in to determine the optimal course of action to deal with the issue and provide our client with our recommendations so they don’t feel alone in making decisions during a stressful construction project.
We help make on-the-fly decisions when it comes to changes.
06 I Changes during construction
As much as we’d love to say nothing changes once the design is approved, in any project, changes are inevitable. Some adjustments will need to be made once construction is underway.
When this happens, we work alongside the construction team and our clients to assist with and review change orders. A “change order” is an official document that details the approval of a change to any aspect of the project. This can include the design of a specific feature or the elimination of an element. It can also include the addition of a detail not originally specified. You do NOT want to risk any change discussed being forgotten, misinterpreted, or overlooked. Having this paper trail is SO important.
Not to mention, these change orders are official documents. If work is done incorrectly or charged incorrectly, you can refer back to the original plan documents and the change order to find a remedy. These change orders protect our clients, the contractor, and us. They ensure that all changes being made are approved and acknowledged by all parties.
We advocate for our clients to ensure everything is done right the first time.
07 I Advocating for our client
Let’s say the plumber is about to install the garbage control switch to the right of the sink. However, the homeowner uses their left hand. Or say that the same plumber is installing the shower head at standard height, but the client is particularly tall. We help design spaces that reflect our clients and their needs so it is highly functional.
These, among many other things, are details a designer can help execute with the client’s best interest in mind.
We open our clients’ eyes to what is possible.
08 I Possibilities
When our clients are building a home or tackling a large-scale renovation, they want to make sure they’re investing their money wisely. That means they want their choices to make sense for their current life stage. They also want them to fit their future life stage, assuming they’re staying in the home for a while. Yes, you can change just about anything in a home with a good construction team. But it’s important (and SO much easier) to get it right the first time.
We provide insights and ideas into what is possible—what we’ve seen done on other projects that turned out beautifully. We also suggest ways to add more natural light, avoid future function issues with simple changes, and select options that create a timeless look they’ll love forever.
With our 19 years of experience, we’ve seen a lot, and always love when we’re brought into a project from the very beginning so we can help our clients fully maximize the investment in their construction project whether it is a bathroom renovation, kitchen renovation, whole home remodel, or new build.
Having an interior designer involved during the construction phase of your project ensures you won’t live with regret that something wasn’t executed exactly to your liking, or that you missed an opportunity to make your home truly unique and perfect for your needs. And, as you might guess from reading this post, we save our clients hundreds of hours of time and years of stress OR we help our clients create something beyond what they thought possible simply by being there from start to finish. If you’re about to embark on a renovation or new build project and don’t want to do it alone/want an experienced designer alongside you, we’d love to connect. Click here to submit a Project Inquiry Form.
FALL IN LOVE with where YOUR LIFE UNFOLDS
ASR Design Studio is an exclusive residential interior design studio in Southern California.
We specialize in remodeling, new builds, furnishing, and thoughtful styling.
Our approach to creating homes blends our signature style of modern coastal design with our clients’ personal preferences, lifestyles, and objectives.
We believe that your home should tell the story of who you are.
