How to Determine the Length of Your Interior Design Project?

From developing a relationship with your interior designer to crafting a home that brings ease to your daily life, the design process is an interactive one worth doing right. When clients come to us, they often share this sentiment. But what do most of our first-time clients not know?

How long does an interior design project take?

Here’s the simple truth. Design timelines? Complicated. (Just like budgeting.) Every project is different, even the ones that might look similar. And be warned that home renovation shows aren’t painting an accurate picture of real life. In most cases, you should double or triple their quoted timelines.

You and your neighbor, Shah's, both decide to renovate your family home. You both hire Creator's Den (we’re honored), the homes are fairly equal in size, and your projects start around the same time. Are they likely to finish at the same time? Nope!

So, what will influence project timelines? How can you predict yours in advance? When should you reach out to your favorite design team? Let’s talk about it.

Steps In The Interior Design Process

CONSULTATION

Always start with consultation on the design process, so you get an idea from the professional point of view. The designer will analyze the process in every detail and acquire the necessary information from the client-side. Project-specific outlines, budgets, and time scales are discussed in detail. The designer company will provide you with their brief for your project to start the work.

SCOPE OF WORK

Hands down, the single biggest factor in determining your renovation timeline is the scope of work, which is simply industry-speak for all of the things that will be happening in your space.

Let’s say your family room updates will include refacing the fireplace, making some cosmetic refreshes (like paint and lighting), and bringing in new furnishings. By contrast, your neighbor wants to change their whole floor plan to create the open concept they’ve been dreaming of.

You can see how these timelines would be very different. Scope of work is everything.

DESIGN PHASE

We usually schedule your project kick off 2-3 months before the projected construction start date. This gives us 6-12 weeks for the design and planning process which includes a week for revisions.

PROCUREMENT AND PROJECT MANAGEMENT PHASE

This phase has the most variation by scope. First, we assess whether permits are required. If so, the timeline will vary greatly depending on the scope of the project and whether we are working within established norms or asking for a variance of some kind. It also depends on how backlogged the permit office is at the time of submission.

We then create a renovation work timeline based on the scope of the project. Basic cosmetic renovations can take 2-4 months to complete. Larger scale renovations can take upwards of 6 months. Again, this number largely depends on scope and what you are actually doing in your space.

For furniture and finishes, we expect 3-18 weeks of lead time (key term!) from the order date. If you are furnishing an entire home or have several custom-designed pieces, this time frame may increase. While procurement and project management overlap in the interest of efficiency, we always make sure that the lead time for construction materials coincides with when the trades will need them on site.

YOUR ROLE

Believe it or not, you have an equally important role in keeping your project on schedule. Timely decisions, invoice payments, and smooth communication all impact how quickly your project gets done.

TIME TO DELIVER INTERIOR DESIGN PROJECT

I tell clients that on average a residential interior styling project can take between 3-4 months. This is dependent on pieces of furniture being in stock and availability of certain trades required to implement the design concept.

For example, some pieces of furniture have a lead time of 12-14 weeks. Also, some trades people are so busy it might take two weeks to get a quote from them. And another two weeks to a month to actually book them.

If there are any significant changes, problems or holidays taken by the client or the interior designer then the time frame extends beyond four months.

The bottom line is it doesn’t take a week or weekend like it does on TV.

THE DESIGNER/CLIENT RELATIONSHIP

You, my friend, know how to make quick, confident decisions. You have been following Creator's Den for a while now, and you trust that we have the know-how and eye for design that you love. When we present our design concept to you, you sense that it’s perfect for your family, and you tell us to run with it!

Your neighbor, well… Shah’s a little indecisive. She has a general idea for what she likes, but she prefers to see multiple options before making the best choice for her family. If she keeps reselecting items or rearranging the floor plan, that’s okay — iteration is part of our job. But her project is going to take longer than yours (and will cost more).

All that is to say that your relationship with your designer and your ability to trust their decisions really does impact your timeline. We do our best to spend quality time upfront, diving into your likes, dislikes, goals, and lifestyle, so when we do finally present your design concept, saying yes will feel like a no-brainer.

UNFORESEEN SETBACKS

This is the one thing TV gets right: expect the unexpected. It is not a matter of IF setbacks will happen, but WHEN they will happen. It could be anything from permitting delays, manufacturing delays (COVID), shipping delays (COVID), items arriving damaged, scheduling conflicts with tradespeople…. you name it!

If you live in an older house, sometimes we won’t know what we’re working with until we begin to open up the walls. This can add to the timeline if we find problems that need to be repaired right away. (What’s under your neighbor’s floorboards might be different than what’s under yours.)

The upside of all this is that you will have a highly experienced team managing these setbacks for you. You can cruise along stress-free knowing that it will be handled in the best way possible. We always stay in constant communication with you through weekly updates, and sometimes even daily, if we’re in the midst of a remodel. We’ve got your back.

DOING THE MATH TO CALULATE YOUR PROJECT TIMELINE

If you added up the low and high time estimates for each phase, you’ll see that there is a LOT of variation from one project to the next. If you do the math based on your project scope, this should give you an idea of a general timeline for your project – then add a buffer of ⅓ more time and that will probably be about right.

Here are a few examples of timelines — from the day you sign on to work with us to completion — for a few different types of projects:

GENERAL EEXCUTION TIME TAKEN FOR INTERIOR DESIGNS FOR MEDIUM-SIZED PLACES

3 to 4 Months for 3 or 4 bedroom apartment

8 to 10 Months for a large luxury villa

2 to 4 Months for office space up to 5000 sq. feet from the start of the fit-out period

2 to 3 Months for small to medium-sized retail space

5 to 8 Weeks for modular kitchen set up

GENERAL TIMELINES TAKEN FOR RENOVATION AND FURNISHING A PLACE

Furnish a single room with no renovation- 4 months

Main floor project including some basic cosmetic renovations, like painting, flooring, Carpentry, etc. with kitchens or bathrooms- 7-9 months

A full renovation from planning to completion will require a minimum- 3 to 6 months

FINAL WORDS OF ADVICE ON DESIGN TIMELINES

Now that you have a better understanding of what goes into defining the timeline of your design project, the best advice I can give you is to be flexible and comfortable handing over the reins to a team that does this for a living (and genuinely loves it). It will lessen your stress levels and make the process as enjoyable as the final destination.

Still confused is it worth hiring an interior designer? We have got you covered, check out the link at the end of this article

If you have any questions or feel ready to create an inspired home that supports your ambitions, let’s chat. Get in touch with us here & let’s get to know each other.

Cheers!