Interior designers actually look after the entire project

Every so often, a comment stops me in my tracks, not because it’s offensive, but because it highlights just how misunderstood the interior design profession still is.

Recently, someone said to me: “Interior designers don’t actually look after the entire project.”

I’ll be very clear: this couldn’t be further from the truth.

That statement reflects a broader misunderstanding of what registered & licensed interior designers actually take on particularly when we are hired as Prime Consultant. It also overlooks the sheer amount of project management, financial oversight, coordination, and accountability that interior designers carry from day one through to occupancy.

So let's talk about it.

Not all interior designers have the same level of experience, training, or technical expertise. The profession encompasses a wide range of practitioners, from those focused primarily on residential decorating to teams delivering complex healthcare, commercial, and institutional projects.

For clients, it is important to understand an interion design firm's background and the types of projects they are experienced in delivering. Asking questions about:

• Licensing
• project experience
• technical capabilities
• code knowledge and
• construction administration

can provide valuable insight into whether the interior design team is the right fit for the scope and complexity of a project.

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Interior Design Is Not Just About Finishes, It’s About Leadership

There is a persistent belief that interior designers simply select colours, finishes, and furniture, while “someone else” manages the project.

In reality, registered & licensed interior designers are trained to:

• Lead multidisciplinary consultant teams
• Manage budgets and schedules
• Coordinate technical documentation for building permit
• Oversee tendering and construction phases
• Protect the client’s interests throughout the entire process

When an interior designer is retained as Prime Consultant, we are often responsible for the entire consultant team, the construction coordination, project management and the financial oversight, depending, of course, on project scope and client needs.

Let’s break down what that looks like.

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1. Building the Consultant Team

One of the first responsibilities of a Prime Consultant is assembling the right team for the project.

This can include:

• Electrical engineers
• Mechanical engineers
• Structural engineers
• Code consultants
• Cost consultants
• Elevator consultants
• Specialized consultants depending on the project type including acoustic and security consultants.

This isn’t a casual process. It requires:

• Understanding project complexity
• Matching consultant expertise to project needs
• Ensuring compatibility between disciplines
• Protecting the client from unnecessary scope or fees

The interior designer acts as the central coordinator, ensuring all consultants are aligned from the outset and through to project completion.

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2. Consultant Proposal Review & Financial Oversight

Once consultant proposals are received, the work doesn’t stop there.

As Prime Consultant, we:

• Review proposals for scope accuracy
• Ensure fees align with project size and complexity
• Identify gaps, overlaps, or unnecessary services
• Confirm deliverables match client expectations

Once approved, we:

• Issue purchase orders to consultants
• Track consultant contracts and deliverables
• Review and approve monthly progress billings
• Ensure billing aligns with actual work completed

This is real financial management, not theoretical oversight.

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3. Overseeing the Tender & Bidding Process

Another major responsibility interior designers often take on is managing the tender process.

This includes:

• Preparing and issuing combined tender packages
• Identifying and inviting qualified General Contractors
• Answering bidder questions and issuing addenda
• Managing timelines to ensure fair and competitive bidding

The goal here is simple: protect the client’s budget while ensuring quality and constructability.

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4. Reviewing General Contractor Bids

Once bids are submitted, they must be carefully analyzed, and this is where experience matters.

Interior designers:

• Review each bid for scope completeness
• Identify exclusions, assumptions, and risks
• Compare pricing apples-to-apples
• Create detailed pricing comparison summaries
• Flag inconsistencies or red flags

From there, we make a clear recommendation to the client regarding which contractor should be awarded the project, not just based on price, but on value, experience, and alignment with project goals.

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5. Issuing Award & Rejection Letters

Following the client’s decision, we:

• Issue award letters to the successful contractor
• Issue formal rejection letters to other bidders
• Ensure contractual clarity moving forward

A small but critical step in maintaining professionalism, transparency, and good industry relationships.

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6. Construction Phase Financial Control

Once construction is underway, interior designers continue to manage financial accountability.

This includes:

• Reviewing the contractor’s monthly progress billings
• Confirming work completed aligns with claimed values
• Coordinating consultant input where required
• Issuing certificates of payment

This process protects clients from:

• Overbilling
• Premature payments
• Cash flow misalignment
• Budget creep

This is not “decorating.” This is project governance.

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7. Construction Administration

Licensed interior designers don’t just contribute to project management; we often lead it.

• Scheduling meetings and take on meeting minutes
• Issuing site instructions, proposed change notices & change orders
• Completing and coordinating site reviews and issuing reports
• Schedule coordination
• Consultant integration
• Budget and scope control
• Change management
• Client communication
• Risk mitigation

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Can Clients Take on Some of These Tasks Themselves?

Absolutely. To manage costs, some clients choose to:

• Self-manage consultant contracts
• Handle portions of tender administration and GC award
• Review billing internally

That choice can reduce the Prime Consultant’s administrative scope and associated fees.

But let’s be clear: These tasks can still fall squarely within the interior designer’s scope of work.

Choosing not to include them doesn’t mean designers don’t do them, it simply means the client has opted to take on that responsibility themselves.

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Why This Distinction Matters

Misunderstanding the role of interior designers:

• Undervalues the profession
• Creates unrealistic expectations
• Leads to scope gaps and project risk
• Often results in higher costs later

Licensed interior designers are trained to think holistically, balancing aesthetics, functionality, code, constructability, budget, and human experience.

We don’t just design spaces. We lead projects.

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Final Thoughts

Interior designers, particularly licensed interior designers are often the connective tissue holding a project together.

We translate vision into buildable reality.

We coordinate experts.

We manage risk.

We protect budgets.

We advocate for clients.

What is true, however, is that not all interior designers have the same level of experience, training, or technical expertise. The profession encompasses a wide range of practitioners, from those focused primarily on residential decorating to teams delivering complex healthcare, commercial, and institutional projects.

For clients, it is important to understand a firm's background and the types of projects they are experienced in delivering. Asking questions about licensing, project experience, technical capabilities, code knowledge, and construction administration can provide valuable insight into whether a team is the right fit for the scope and complexity of a project.

The goal is not simply to find a designer whose work looks appealing, but to find a partner with the knowledge and experience to guide the project successfully from concept through construction.

So, the next time someone suggests interior designers don't look after the entire project, feel free to send them our way.

Because the truth is: We’ve been doing it all along for a long time.

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