By the time most people call a designer, they have already made several decisions that are harder to undo than they realize. In this post we cover what an interior designer actually does, how your renovation team fits together, when to bring a designer in and why it matters, how design fees work, and how to choose the right person for your project — whether you are planning a full renovation or just trying to figure out where to begin.

Deciding to renovate and being ready to renovate are two different things. Here's the sequence that actually works — from your wishlist to your team to the domino effect nobody warns you about.