As autumn arrives and we start spending more time indoors, it’s naturally the time we look at our surroundings a little closer. We begin to notice the things we want to change, refresh, or finally fix, making September a wonderful starting point for a new chapter. Some are planning a brand-new home, others a renovation, or perhaps you just want a professional pair of eyes on your current space and a bit of advice on where to begin.

If this is your very first meeting with an interior designer, you might be wondering—how do I prepare, and how much do I need to have figured out? From my own experience, I can tell you there is no single “correct” way to get ready. Some clients walk in with floor plans, a Pinterest board, and specific furniture in mind, while others are just starting to gather their thoughts and aren’t sure which direction to take. Both are perfect starting points. The goal of our consultation is to understand your unique situation, your needs, and what kind of help would serve you best right now.

Your Floor Plan

If you happen to have a floor plan, it’s definitely worth bringing along. Looking at the room dimensions and current layout helps me better understand the proportions, the connection between spaces, the flow of movement, and any potential spatial challenges. At the same time, keep in mind that an existing plan doesn’t mean everything is set in stone. Often, a simple conversation reveals that shifting a partition or a doorway can unlock a much more functional space. And if you don’t have a plan yet, or if the project is in its very early stages, that is no obstacle at all. We can simply start with a broad chat about your situation and future plans.

How You Live and What You Expect

When designing interiors, my first priority is always to understand not just what you find beautiful, but how you actually live. Design solutions have to fit your everyday reality seamlessly. That’s why it is incredibly valuable to tell me about your family’s habits, your daily routine, and what matters most to you at home.

For instance, if you love to cook and there are often several people in the kitchen at once, we will plan it very differently than we would for someone who rarely cooks. If you work from home, we need to think about a truly comfortable workspace early on. Even small details, like a habit of reading in bed, a preference for having things hidden away, or the morning rush when everyone needs the bathroom at the same time, can shape the entire project. You don’t need a formal list of requirements. Just think about what currently works for you, what frustrates you, and how you want to feel in your new space. These insights often become the very foundation of a great interior.

Interior Mature aesthetic

A Preliminary Budget

It’s always a good idea to touch upon the budget right at the beginning. You don’t need to know the exact amount down to the last euro during our first meeting, but having a preliminary range allows us to look at future decisions realistically. It helps us understand where it makes sense to invest a little more, and where we can look for clever, rational alternatives. If you aren’t sure how much a project like yours might cost, we can easily discuss that during the consultation. Sometimes, a professional conversation is exactly what’s needed to understand the budget required for the result you are dreaming of.

Pinterest, Instagram, and Visual Clues

If you’ve been dreaming about your future home for a while and have saved photos you love, please do share them! This could be Pinterest links, Instagram saves, magazine clippings, hotel or restaurant interiors, specific furniture, colour combinations, or even a single detail that caught your eye.

Your saved images don’t have to match perfectly in style or form a ready-made concept. Sometimes you might love the materials in one photo, the colours in another, the lighting in a third, or just the overall mood of a space. Looking through these together, I can usually spot the recurring elements and understand what genuinely draws you in. And if you already have a very clear vision, that is wonderful too. A designer’s job isn’t to change your ideas, but to help evaluate how to best apply them to your specific space and weave them into a harmonious whole.

Interior A quite dream

Furniture and Pieces You Want to Keep

If you already own furniture, artwork, lighting, or other items you’d like to keep, let me know as early as possible. A new interior doesn’t mean everything has to be brand new. On the contrary, beloved pieces, family heirlooms, or simply things that are important to you give a home its unique character and history.

The same goes for appliances. If you are bringing current appliances with you, or if you know for sure you’ll want a specific size fridge, two ovens, a certain coffee machine, or a washer and dryer, this information is crucial during the planning stage. It dictates cabinet dimensions, electrical and plumbing points, and the overall ergonomics of the room.

And What If You Don’t Know Where to Start?

This is an incredibly common situation. Not everyone spends months collecting photos or building a clear vision before reaching out to a designer. Sometimes, you just feel that your current space isn’t working anymore, or you know a new home is on the horizon, but you have no idea which step to take first.

In that case, our first meeting becomes exactly that—a starting point. Through our conversation, we will clarify your situation, figure out what your home needs, decide which decisions are the most urgent, and outline the next steps. Sometimes clients arrive with detailed folders and clear ideas; other times, they arrive with nothing but questions. In either scenario, my job is to help organise those thoughts and turn them into a clear direction we can move forward with.

Interior Earthy elegance

The beginning of autumn is a beautiful time to finally revisit those postponed home plans or simply look at your space with fresh eyes. Whether you have a floor plan, a few scattered ideas, or just the question of “where do I start?”, I invite you to meet for a consultation. Together, we’ll talk through your situation and find the best path forward.

Read more:

> Furniture Design

> Bedroom Interior Design: How to Create a Calm and Restful Space