Our interior design process: Inspiration to installation, mood board to move-in

You can feel great design before you can name it. It’s that subtle shift when a room simply works, when everything around you feels intentional, calm, and quietly intelligent.

If only it were as simple as choosing between two sofas and calling it a day. In reality, exceptional interiors come from a thoughtful, layered process that turns inspiration into something beautifully livable.

Creative vision evolves out of a proven, repeatable process that begins with curiosity and collaboration. Inspiration becomes real only after research, conversation, and a clear understanding of the people who will actually live in the space. From there, the design takes shape through artistry, craftsmanship, and the kind of disciplined logistics that keep everything moving in the right direction.

The process is what enables our talent to shine so brightly. It’s why our projects win awards and why we continue to have many repeat customers and happy Hollywood endings.

Every Interior Design Project Begins With Discovery - The Art of Asking Questions 

Here’s what the design process looks like for us, from the first spark of an idea to the final reveal:

Before we touch any textile options or talk about finishes, we want to understand you and the way you live in this space. We want to know what brings you joy, what’s holding you back and what deserves its own space. So yes, you have to do a little homework. But it’s not the boring kind of homework, it’s the revealing, lie-down-on-the-couch kind

Our design questionnaire is written to help you think about how you move through your day and what you want your home to hold for you.

Do you love hosting dinners with friends? (I do!) Do you dream of quiet mornings in a reading nook with nothing but good coffee and soft light? Does your dog or cat have a favorite spot that absolutely cannot be disturbed? We respect that kind of clarity.

We also want to understand the rest of your world…your routines, your hobbies, your family, your rituals. These details help us begin a deeper conversation with your designer. That conversation brings out the insight and inspiration that shape our first creative deliverable: the mood board.

The Mood Board - Where Imagination Meets Intention

A mood board doesn’t just set the scene, it tells a story in the form of colors, materials, textures, architectural inspirations, and initial furniture ideas. It’s a curated visual narrative assembled to explore not just how your space should look, but how it should feel and what it should say about you and your family.

“Quiet calm”, “joyful energy”, “sleek and sculptural”, “tradition-rich comfort”. Whatever the creative spark may be, we capture that in a visual representation of the design concept that becomes the script for execution. All future decisions orbit around that point of view. 

This phase is collaborative and fluid. We obsess over the subtle things like how stone feels under foot, how walnut catches the afternoon light, or how a particular color changes the energy of a room completely.

Color is a powerful part of this process. It does more than fill a space. It sets the emotional tone and influences how you experience your home. The palette you choose is not a supporting detail. It is often the guiding star.

Want your living room to hum with energy? Your office to actually inspire you to work? Then your color palette isn’t just a supporting actor, it’s the leading star.

These design boards evolve through collaboration and conversation; they’re the first translation of our client’s ideas into design language. Even here, in the early phases of the creative process, every selection is intentional.

Beautiful, Thoughtful Spaces Take Longer Than You Think. Why interior designers Have to Master the Art of Timing and Trade-offs. 

Once the mood board is approved and the creative direction is set, the real work begins. And much of that work is behind the scenes.

Drawing. Revising. Selecting. Sourcing. Pricing. Scheduling. Ordering. Confirming dimensions. Approving finishes. Tracking inventory. Refining budgets. All while keeping your personal style and functionality perfectly aligned.

Bespoke design requires patience. Every project is unique, which means quality has its own pace. You cannot rush the work of true craftsmanship, and you would not want to. We avoid unnecessary delays by working with trusted suppliers who consistently deliver at the level our clients expect.

Custom furnishings often take sixteen to twenty-four weeks. Custom lighting can take even longer. The same is true for cabinetry and finish carpentry. What clients rarely see are the hundreds of small decisions behind each item, each one chosen to support the final result.

When World Affairs Affect Your Interior Design Project

If there's one thing we learned during COVID, it's how global events can affect delivery dates. Interior design in 2025 is a global logistical challenge. A fabric chosen in San Francisco may be woven in Italy, dyed in Portugal, and shipped from Spain. Hardware comes from England, granite from Italy or Brazil. Rugs from India.

So when a port slows down, or tariffs shift overnight, or a container gets lost on the docks for two extra weeks, we feel it in your dining room timeline.

This is why we partner only with vendors who consistently deliver, even when the world becomes unpredictable. They answer the phone. They troubleshoot. They care about craftsmanship as much as we do.

And through it all, we communicate with our clients so there are no mysterious delays. No guessing. Just clarity, collaboration, and well-chosen Plan B’s. Contingencies are also part of our process.

The Installation Phase: Rush Week — When Everything Comes Together

This is the cinematic moment of all the interior design phases. After months of decisions, sneak peeks and digital previews, it’s time for the goods to arrive.

Crates roll in. Artwork is curated and hung. Rugs are unveiled. Furniture arranged. And our team orchestrates every detail: inspecting, styling, adjusting, perfecting.

It’s high-energy, high-reward design adrenaline.

For clients, it’s pure magic - the dream becoming real. For us, it’s the finale of hundreds of quiet, careful choices finally standing together in the same room.

The Quiet Between Projects - Reflection. Reset. Relationship.

Our design process doesn’t end at installation. It grows, just like we grow.  

After every big reveal we pause to celebrate what went beautifully and acknowledge what challenged us. Because every new project is a learning opportunity. We check in with clients not just as collaborators, but as long-term partners.

Many of our projects snowball, but in a good way.. A remodel leads to a guest house, with its own unique interior. The guesthouse project leads to new ideas for a vacation home that's been craving a little personality of its own - waiting for a new color palette and decor.

Regardless of the project size, scope or location, we follow a proven process from that first spark of inspiration to the final piece of art perfectly placed on the wall. It's a wonderful journey - part creativity, part coordination, and completely rewarding. 

Let us walk you through it. Contact us and we’ll show you exactly how our process would apply to your dream project.