One of the most frequently asked questions we hear from new clients, and from people who’ve never worked with an interior designer before, is a simple one: what exactly do you do? It’s not always obvious from the outside, and the answer varies considerably depending on which studio you work with and which level of service you choose. This guide walks through exactly what a full interior design service includes, so you know what to expect before you begin.
Why the Answer Matters
Interior design is a broad term that gets applied to everything from a quick furniture arrangement consultation to a transformation spanning multiple years and an entire property. Understanding what a full service includes, and what a partial service leaves out, helps you make the right decision for your project, your timeline, and your budget.
At BD Interiors, we offer a genuinely comprehensive service for clients across London, Kent, and Surrey who want a high quality, well managed result with minimal stress. Here’s how that service is structured.
Stage 1: The Initial Consultation
Every project begins with a conversation. We visit your property, listen carefully to how you live and what you’re hoping to achieve, and walk through the space together. This isn’t a sales meeting. It’s a genuine opportunity to understand your brief, your aesthetic, your lifestyle, and your budget.
By the end of the consultation, we’ll have a clear picture of what the project involves and we’ll be able to advise on the most appropriate service level, a realistic scope, and an honest indication of what your investment might look like. If we’re a good fit for each other, we’ll agree the next steps and get started.
Stage 2: Concept Development
This is where the creative work begins. Based on the brief you’ve given us, we develop a design concept for your space: a clear, coherent vision that addresses layout, palette, material direction, and mood. This typically involves:
Mood boards: A considered set of visual references that communicate the aesthetic direction of the project. Not a Pinterest board, but a carefully considered set of references that demonstrates tone, texture, colour, and the spatial language we’re proposing.
Initial material selections: Early direction on finishes, flooring, paint colours, fabric families, and key material choices.
Space planning: Scaled drawings showing how the space will be arranged, where furniture will sit, and how movement through the room will work. Good space planning is the foundation of every successful interior.
This stage results in a concept presentation: a coherent package of references, drawings, and direction that you review, respond to, and help us refine before we move into detailed design.
Stage 3: Detailed Design and 3D Visualisation
Once the concept is agreed, we develop it in detail. This stage transforms the direction into decisions: specific products, finishes, dimensions, and configurations. It includes:
3D renders and visualisations: Photorealistic imagery of your space so you can see exactly how it will look before anything is ordered or built. This is one of the most valuable tools we offer, and one that clients consistently tell us gives them enormous confidence in the decision making process.
Detailed drawings and specifications: Technical drawings for any bespoke joinery, built in furniture, or architectural details. These are passed to contractors for pricing and construction.
A full specification document: A comprehensive record of every product, finish, and material in the scheme, with supplier details, product references, and quantities.
Stage 4: Procurement
Once the design is finalised and approved, we handle procurement on your behalf. This means placing all orders, for furniture, fabrics, lighting, flooring, wallcovering, accessories, and artwork, through our trade accounts. We track delivery schedules, chase suppliers, manage lead times, and ensure everything arrives in the right condition at the right time.
This is one of the most underappreciated parts of a full design service. Coordinating ten suppliers across a single room, each with different lead times, different payment terms, and different delivery requirements, is a significant operational task. We manage it as standard.
Stage 5: Project Management and Contractor Coordination
If your project involves any building work, from structural changes and new joinery through to electrical rewiring and decorating, we manage the contractor side of the process too. Our project management service includes:
- Scoping and briefing contractors accurately so they can provide reliable quotes
- Reviewing and recommending contractors from our trusted network
- Coordinating the sequence of work to minimise delays and conflicts
- Visiting site regularly to review progress and resolve issues as they arise
- Acting as the central point of communication between you and all trades
For clients who don’t want to be drawn into the daily complexity of a building project, this is invaluable. We know the right questions to ask, the right standards to hold contractors to, and how to resolve the inevitable challenges that arise during construction without drama.
Stage 6: Styling, Installation, and the Final Reveal
The final stage is one of the most rewarding. Once construction is complete and all furniture and furnishings have arrived, we oversee the full installation and styling of your space. Every piece is placed exactly as specified, accessories and artwork are arranged, and the space is prepared for you to walk in and see it complete.
This attention to the final detail, the cushions, the books, the ceramics, the way light falls across a particular surface, is what transforms a designed space into a finished one. It’s the difference between a room that looks like a photograph and one that feels like a home.
What Is Not Usually Included in a Full Interior Design Service?
It’s worth being clear about what sits outside the typical design fee:
Construction costs are paid directly to contractors, not to the designer. Your designer manages these works, but the costs flow separately.
The cost of furniture and furnishings is also separate. These are procured on your behalf, but the expenditure is yours. A studio like BD Interiors is transparent about the full expected spend across all categories before you commit.
Architectural and structural services: if your project requires planning permission or structural engineering input, these are specialist services provided by registered professionals and are not part of an interior design fee.
What Level of Service Do You Need?
Not every project requires a complete service from start to finish. At BD Interiors, we offer a range of options:
Design Consultation: A focused two hour session for clients who want expert guidance on a specific question: colour, layout, furniture arrangement, or material selection. Ideal for those who are broadly confident but want a professional steer.
Design Only: Concept development and a full specification that you take away and implement yourself or through your own contractors. Ideal for experienced renovators who want the design intelligence without the management overhead.
Full Service: Concept through to completion, including procurement management, contractor coordination, and installation. The choice for clients who want a genuinely smooth, considered experience and an exceptional result.
Working with BD Interiors
BD Interiors is a luxury interior design studio based in Bromley, working across South London, Kent, and Surrey. Whether you’re approaching a single room with fresh eyes or planning a complete whole house transformation, we bring the same level of care, creativity, and precision to every commission.
If you’d like to understand more about how we work, or simply want to discuss your project before committing to anything, get in touch. We’d love to hear about your space.
