If you’ve ever worked with an interior designer before, you understand it’s a long-lasting, communicative relationship that requires clear dialogue, mutual patience, trust, and a willingness to embrace fresh ideas.
Just as it’s important for a homeowner to find an interior designer who is a good fit with their personality as well as their design aesthetic, interior designers also have a process for determining if a project will be a good fit for their company. As an exclusive residential interior design studio we take on a select number of projects each year to ensure we can fully support our clients and bring their vision to life, often working with them for up to a year or longer.
This is why it’s so important for me to make sure a project is a good fit from day one. By the time we’re revealing the finished product we’ve typically become very close with our clients, almost like family.
Here are a few things I consider before we take on a new design project for a client:
- Project Type
Interior designers work on a wide range of design projects, from new construction to room remodeling to kitchen and/or bath redesign to furnishings and material selections. Here at ASR Design Studio our specialty includes new builds, remodels, furnishing, and thoughtful styling in San Diego County. We’ve been collaborating with skilled tradespeople in the area for the past 19 years to bring our clients’ dream spaces into reality.
- Design Style
It’s important to choose a designer whose style aligns with your vision, just the same as it’s important for me to take on projects that align with our natural aesthetic.
Here at ASR Design Studio, we are known for our coastal modern aesthetic.
Our signature look always features colors and textures that tell a story. We love sourcing elements that are meaningful to our client’s experiences and tastes. Many of our clients are especially drawn to the thoughtful personalization we bring to each project. While every design is tailored to fit individual style preferences, functional needs, and budget, we’ve found that the most seamless and rewarding collaborations happen when our clients’ aesthetic aligns closely with ours.
- Appreciation For The Value Of Good Design
Here at ASR Design Studio, we prioritize intentional design and crafting spaces that are not only beautifully curated. We also ensure they reflect each client’s unique personality and lifestyle. But we also make sure every space we design is functional, inviting, and comfortable day in and day out. We love working with clients who embrace inspired design in every corner of their homes.
We tend to work with clients who have an appreciation for thoughtful design choices. They appreciate the importance of harmony between a home’s architectural style and the pieces within it. Understanding that a well-planned layout and intentional furniture selections not only enhance function, these elements also create a space that feels personal, purposeful, and reflective of how the homeowners live. Homeowners who value great design see their homes as an extension of themselves. These are spaces that support their lifestyle, tell their story, and express who they are. Our ideal clients recognize that investing in quality furnishings means surrounding themselves with pieces that endure daily life. These pieces also offer comfort, beauty, and meaning.
- Trust
When you hire a professional to provide a service — whether it’s a hairstylist who knows your perfect cut or a financial advisor who guides your investments — you likely trust them to meet your expectations. You trust them to meet your expectations.
We always hope the clients we work with feel assured we are devoting our expertise and knowledge toward creating a home that feels uniquely theirs—beautiful, functional, and personal. We want them to fall in love with their own home, knowing that we base every decision on their vision, lifestyle, and values.
When clients place their trust in us, we are able to perform our very best work. We then create the most inspired, thoughtful spaces.
- Communication Style
The design process unfolds more seamlessly when communication between the interior designer and client is open, timely, and respectful. We want our clients to feel comfortable expressing their thoughts, ideas, and concerns, and it’s what we’ve built our entire design process around: proactive and well-planned communication, VIP client portal access, and a set number of design meetings based on your scope of work. This also includes design documentation, regular email correspondence, project management, and full-scope oversight from concept to completion.
- Expeditious Decision Making
Executing a design project typically requires a myriad of decisions. The faster and more confidently you finalize decisions, the more efficiently your project moves forward. This means homeowners should thoroughly consider the scope of their project from the very beginning, or even before it starts.
When both the client and the designer have an aligned vision for desired project outcomes, the project can progress more seamlessly. After 19 years of designing for clients, we’ve refined our process to lift the burden of countless decisions and help bring their vision to life. Instead, we streamline the process by presenting only the key choices, each thoughtfully curated with options. This way, clients stay involved without feeling overwhelmed. We equip them with all the information they need to make confident, informed decisions for their home.
Experience tells us that when our clients place their trust in our abilities and skills to execute an intentional design, the entire process is much more enjoyable. It also becomes more affordable and efficient for everyone involved.
- Photography Opportunities
Maybe you reached out because the photos on our website impressed you. Those photos are of full-service projects we’ve completed for other clients. At the end of each full-service design project, once we’ve installed everything perfectly, we bring in our professional photographer. They capture the space for use in our portfolio and marketing.
Professional photographs of completed homes are the very best way for us to showcase our work and our design skills. Posting photos of our completed full-service projects is key to our business growth.
Our goal is to take projects we’ll be able to photograph and that align with our body of work and ideal project type.
- Professional Collaborations
Interior designers often collaborate with architects, contractors, carpenters, artisans, tradespeople, vendors and suppliers, and others. As a designer with 19 years in the industry, I’ve worked with many talented professionals. We’ve also worked with a few who have made our job and our clients’ experience much more difficult (and expensive) than necessary.
During our initial conversation, we ask potential clients which professionals they have already hired. We gladly offer trusted recommendations once they officially bring us onto the project and we clearly understand their needs.
As you can see, there is a lot we consider when we meet with potential clients to discuss their homes. We believe that our intentional process directly drives the success of our projects (for both us and our clients) by ensuring a strong client–project fit. I know you have choices when it comes to designing your dream home. I’d love to see if we’d be a good fit for your project. Learn more about working together by filling out our 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.
