What Should I Bring to my Interior Design Consultation?
The all-important design consultation is one of the most important parts of the interior designer’s client journey. I have written a blog post about why I only offer a paid consultation here.
One of the design consultation goals is not only for your client to get to know you but for you to provide a lot of value in this consultation. That means that you arrive at this consultation fully prepared with a bag of resources you can use to help you help your client.
So what should you bring? In this blog post, I will explain what you should have in your consultation bag. I have also prepared a checklist that you can download.
Before the design consultation, in the discovery call, you will have some idea of the main pain points for the client. Your design consultation should address these pain points and issues that the client has highlighted. You have completed your research into the area and site and written your report, looked at the home, if you can, on Google maps and arrived at the site 10 minutes before, calm and relaxed to hold the meeting.
In your hand, you will have your consultation bag thoroughly checked the day before. You may not need all the items that you have in your bag, but you bring it anyway- and you are ready for anything that the client may throw at you.
By having a consultation bag ready to go, you immediately give the impression that this is a working session and that you have the tools of your trade. You probably would not be impressed if your plumber or electrician arrived at your site and asked to borrow your tape measure or screwdrivers.
In this article, I will link the items that I use. There are no affiliate links at all in this article. I am linking to illustrate the items, so you know what I am talking about.
In your consultation bag, pack the following (and don’t forget to put your business name on everything):
The bag itself: I prefer a tote bag rather than a backpack as this can sometimes crease my clothes and gives a more casual vibe. I usually travel by car and only need to carry it short distances. However, your samples may be heavy, so I suggest bringing a small rolling overnight case if this is the case.
Tape measures: I prefer to bring a laser measure. Mine is made by Leica, though you can get a lot of other brands. I’m a bit of a Leica fan. Ensure that your measure is fully charged or you have spare batteries. Sometimes when measuring long distances or there may be drapes or plants, it is easier to rest a piece of cardboard against an opening to get an accurate distance. I bring a piece of A4 black foam core to lean against the wall. I also have some Blutack if I want to attach it to the wall.
I will also bring a conventional tape measure in both inches and mm. Sometimes clients who may come from the UK or US will describe a measurement in feet and inches, so it’s helpful to have a tape measure that measures both. I like tape that is 5 m long.
IPad and charger: I use my iPad to take notes and photos, and I can also use Canvas (if you have wifi access or it comes with a data plan) on it if I want to survey to bring into SketchUp. Otherwise, use your phone.
Apple Pencil: I love my Apple Pencil and use it to take notes in Goodnotes during my design consultations.
My phone & charger: I use my phone also to take photos for reference. I also use the internet data on my phone to send my design consultation notes.
An angle measure: My Leica measures angles, but a digital angle measure can be helpful to measure rakes of ceilings and oddly shaped windows.
Rulers: I bring a conventional ruler as well as a scale ruler. This can be helpful if your client has plans that you might want to look at. Choose one that is suitable for interior design- you may be going as small as 1:5. You may also have stencils like circles and templates that you use in your drawings. You can use these too.
Finally, I bring a profile tool (contour gauge). This tool is made of tiny plastic teeth that you push against a profile like a baseboard or skirting. It copies the profile so that you can trace it onto paper.
Tracing paper: I bring a roll of unwaxed greaseproof paper from the supermarket. This is the cheapest option. You can also spend big bucks on yellow trace, but it's unnecessary.
Pencils and pens: I like bringing a variety of writing implements. I’m a bit of a writing implement fan. I bring felt tip pens in a couple of weights. I use Artline pens in 0.4 and 0.6 weights. I also have a couple in contrasting colours. I bring a couple of highlighters- I like pastel highlighters, particularly the Stabilo boss and Zebra Mildliners. I have a couple of ordinary retractable pencils, which I make sure I fill up with leads, but I also like the blue clutch pencils.
Pencil case: I have a beautiful pencil case by Il Bisonte, but I also like the ones from Muji.
Cards: If you have business cards, bring a couple to give to your client. They may have friends that need your assistance.
Clipboard, notebook and paper: I bring a clipboard (love these!) that is useful if I want to give the client handwritten notes. On infrequent occasions, the client may prefer analogue notes other than the electronic version that I produce with my Apple Pencil and iPad, so I have around ten sheets of consultation notes that I have printed off. I will also bring some plain paper and graph paper for any sketches I want to make. I usually have my notebook/planner/diary if I need to schedule another meeting or make some additional notes.
Colour samples: I usually have a paint deck or two from different suppliers. The other thing I would bring is a Color Pin tool. These calibrated lasers can scan a colour and link it to your phone. Taubmans have a good one, or you can use one from NCS systems. The good thing about this is that you can scan a fabric and have some reference for colour later.
Finishes: I also bring a selection of finishes to show clients. It’s impossible to bring a whole comprehensive range, but I like to bring things that show different options. I might bring some natural stones and synthetic stones, for example. Other types of finishes that you might want to include in your toolkit are paint finishes, metal finishes for tapware, different types of fabrics, veneer finishes, carpet finishes, and flooring finishes. These are intended to show the feel and use cases rather than a comprehensive list of colours. Select the ones you can carry, and use the most in your designs.
I have a lot of photos, my portfolio and catalogues saved on my iPad so I can show my clients. I will write a separate article about this which I will link here when it is finished.
I hope this has helped you put together your design consultation bag. Thanks for reading…I’ll see you at the next one!
Hi 👋🏽 I’m Joanne!
I’m an interior designer, educator and business coach. After studying Economics and Education at uni, the design world beckoned, drawing me to Christie’s in London, where I completed post-grad studies in art & design and then to Hong Kong, where I founded Eclectic Cool, a design firm and design store. . Eclectic Cool represented international brands such as Gubi, &tradition, HAY, Armadillo Rugs & Dinosaur Designs to name a few. My work and store have been featured in Monocle, Conde Nast Traveller, Elle Decor, Expat Living, Cathay Pacific inflight magazines, South China Morning Post and the ABC (Australia) network and more. I live on the south coast of Australia on a country property between the beautiful Australian bush and the Pacific Ocean with my husband and cavoodle. I’m the mum of three adult children.
