What to expect during a design consultation
Whether you are refreshing a single room or planning a larger renovation, the first design consultation sets the foundation for everything that follows. It is an opportunity to align your vision, lifestyle, and budget with professional expertise, ensuring the final result is both beautiful and highly functional.
At CPI Interiors, our consultations are structured, collaborative, and tailored to your needs. Below, we walk you through exactly what to expect, so you can feel confident and prepared before we step through your door.
A home tour to understand your style
Every first consultation begins with a tour of your home. This is our opportunity to understand how you currently live in your space and how it could better support your day-to-day routines.
As we walk through your home together, we observe more than finishes and furnishings. We look at flow, layout, light, storage, and how each room connects to the next. We may identify existing furniture pieces, architectural details, or under-utilized areas that could be reimagined to better serve your needs.
This part of the consultation is also a chance for you to see how we approach design. Our goal is always to enhance comfort and function while keeping your personal style front and centre.
Understanding your goals and lifestyle
At the end of the tour, you will guide us to the room or rooms where you would like our help. We will discuss your goals for the space, how you want the room to function, how you want it to feel, and what is most important to you in terms of design and usability.
This part of the consultation is essential because it ensures that every recommendation we make is tailored to your lifestyle. For example, we may ask questions like:
Do you eat meals in your living room or kitchen?
How many people do you typically seat in your family room?
What is the primary purpose of this room?
Do you read or work in bed?
Do you regularly put your feet up on the coffee table?
While these questions may seem simple, they provide critical insight. Design is not just about how a room looks; it is about how it works. By understanding your routines, we can create solutions that feel intuitive, comfortable, and enjoyable long after the project is complete.
Designer Tip: Before your in-home consultation
Before your consultation, resist the urge to tidy up too much. A home that looks lived in tells us far more than a perfectly staged one. Seeing where shoes pile up, how you use your coffee table, or which chair everyone gravitates toward helps us understand your real habits. That insight allows us to design solutions that support how you actually live, not just how a room looks on its best day.
Discussing budget and service fees
A successful design project requires clear expectations around budget from the very beginning. During your consultation, we will discuss your overall investment and explain our flat-rate service fee, which is based on the scope of work.
If you are unsure what a realistic budget looks like, we will work through it together. This includes identifying the items required for your space, discussing quality levels, and establishing comfortable price ranges. We then calculate a total budget that reflects both your goals and the level of finish you expect.
For renovation projects, we also reference budgets from previous projects of a similar size and scope. This ensures we are always aligned on the budget and the quality of design you want before any fees are collected.
The benefits of a first consultation
A design consultation is not only your opportunity to meet your designer; it is a strategic planning session that brings clarity and direction to your project. It helps you:
Identify the potential in your existing space
Explore design solutions tailored to your lifestyle
Establish a realistic budget and timeline
Understand the full-service design process and how it works for you
By the end of the consultation, you will have a clear plan and a sense of how we work together to create spaces that are both beautiful and functional.
Our full-service design approach
We specialize exclusively in full-service design projects. This means we manage every detail, from sourcing and ordering to delivery and installation.
All furnishings, finishes, and materials are purchased through us at the design presentation. This approach allows us to stand behind every recommendation we make and to address any product issues directly on your behalf. It also ensures consistency, quality control, and a seamless experience from start to finish.
By handling the logistics, we free you to focus on enjoying the transformation rather than managing vendors, tracking orders, or coordinating deliveries.
What happens after the consultation
Once we confirm that we are a good fit and agree on an overall budget, the service fee is collected in full. From there, the next steps depend on the scope of your project.
For a single-room decorating project, we take all necessary measurements and schedule your design presentation appointment.
For renovation projects or multi-room designs, we arrange a site visit. Your design team will attend alongside one of our trusted contractors to ensure precise measurements before moving into the design phase.
Each step is carefully planned to maintain momentum and ensure your project progresses smoothly.
Ready to get started?
If you are ready to get started, book your initial call today and take the first step toward a home that is functional, beautiful, and uniquely yours. Don’t forget to explore our portfolio for inspiration.
