5 Essential Questions to Ask your Interior Designer about Art

Working with an interior designer can transform your home—and selecting the right designer is critical to the a good result. From sourcing original art to placing it thoughtfully, the best designers bring expertise, vision, and collaboration to every detail.

Therefore, we’ve pulled together five essential questions, based on years of experience partnering with designers, to help you select the right one. These questions will help you understand how the designers approach art, budget, and the unique pieces that make your space truly yours.

1. “How do you approach selecting art for a space?”

How a designer answers this question reveals whether the designer treats art as essential or ornamental. The right designer understands that art sets tone, scale, and emotion. Will they consider your personal taste? Will they help you build a collection? Are they collaborative? Do they know when to seek the expertise of specialists? Even just asking this question will show let your designer that art is a priority for you.

2. “What is your process for managing budgets—especially for décor and art?”

A good designer is transparent about where money goes. Budgets are telling. Do they prioritize long-term investments like original art? Or are they prioritizing trendy furniture? Will they’ll guide you toward smart choices that enhance your space and avoid costly mistakes. Having this discussion up front will prevent the pain of having to squeeze art in at the end, or delay the investment entirely because the budget has already gone over.

3. “Do you collaborate with specialists or outside vendors?”

Designers who embrace collaboration bring richer expertise to your project. Does this designer often partner with custom fabricators, artisans, or art consultants? No one is an expert in everything. Therefore, partnering with the right expert leads to designs that feel custom. And this will create a home that is unique to you and expresses who you are.

4. “How will you incorporate pieces I already have or love?”

A great designer curates around your life—not the other way around. Incorporating an existing collection requires much more nuance than starting from scratch. Thus, learning how this designer will honor sentimental art, collectibles, and existing pieces is important. Will they guide you gently through the editing process of deciding which art represents your current identity, and which art no longer aligns with who you are? Will they be able to blend the art you love into a refreshed and seamless new design?

5. “How do you ensure the artwork you select is placed intentionally?”

Placement is just as important as the artwork itself. You’ll want to uncover whether the designer thinks deeply about scale, lighting, and sight-lines. And furthermore, how art interacts with the architecture of your home. Placing something too big, too small, poorly lit, or looks awkward unless viewed from one particular spot. Lighting can change the colors of art dramatically. Will the art be damaged by sunlight? Or cause uncomfortable glare? In addition, proper installation is critical. Art poorly installed can damage the art, your home, and in some cases cause physical injury.

Bringing It All Together

Asking the right questions is the key to a design partnership. The resulting work will transform your home into a space that feels personal, thoughtful, and alive. Find a designer who listens, collaborates, and considers art as an essential element of your environment. With curiosity, clarity, and collaboration, you can ensure every piece of art—old or new—finds its perfect place. creating a home that truly reflects you.

We work with a long list of very talented designers of all styles and specialties. They are essential partners in placing art in homes and businesses across the country. If you need a referral, just reach out to us and we’ll give you some recommendations that will fit your project just right.