11/05/2026
In our experience, it comes down to when the designer joins the team. On one of our current renovations, the builder invited us to the first meeting before our clients had even closed on the house. While the sale was in escrow, we walked the rooms together and started shaping what the home could become.
When the architect came on, we designed side by side as the plans took shape. Layout questions were solved on paper, like a window that would have left no room for a queen bed.
By the time framing was finished, the trades had more than 100 pages of specifications in hand. The scope grew to four times its original size, and the build still hasn't paused once waiting on a decision.
This project is a perfect example of why the most successful renovations have an interior designer hired from day.