How to Tell If an Interior Designer is Actually Luxury

Now, there are a lot of home improvements that easily maximize ROI, and these are fantastic, right? One major one that a lot of homeowners gravitate towards would have to be interior designers.

Some people think interior design is just about picking nice furniture and throwing together a Pinterest board. And sure, if the goal is a basic makeover, a quick online consultation, and a 2D floor plan might do the trick. But that is not luxury interior design. That is decorating with WiFi.

A true luxury interior designer is not sitting behind a laptop, guessing which sofa might fit based on a blurry iPhone photo. They are in the space, walking the rooms, touching fabrics, and studying the way the light changes throughout the day. They are thinking about the textures, the flow, and the tiny details that no virtual design service could ever account for. Luxury design is not just about what looks good on a screen. It is about how it feels to live in.

Alright, so a luxury interior designer is not the person emailing over a few digital sketches and calling it a day. They are standing in the space, seeing it with their own eyes, and making adjustments in real-time. They do not just say, “That area could use a lamp.” They check the shadows, the sightlines, and how the space changes from morning to evening. They don’t just pick a coffee table because it matches the sofa.

Basically, they walk the room, measure every inch, and make sure it actually fits the space and the way it is being used. This level of detail cannot be achieved through a screen. While sure, a floor plan might look great in theory, a luxury interior designer makes sure it actually works in reality.

Now, this one can’t be stressed enough, but a high-end designer is not running to IKEA and calling it luxury. They are not browsing the same furniture websites (like Wayfair) as everyone else and pretending it is exclusive. They have connections, sources, and custom makers who create pieces that are actually unique.

So, just go ahead and take window treatments as an example. A standard decorator might suggest something from a high-street retailer because it is “good enough.” But is that luxury? Well, no, it’s not! A luxury design will know exactly where to source beautifully crafted, tailored Roman blinds that fit perfectly, rather than something that looks like it came straight from a warehouse shelf. This is just one example, but it basically pertains to large and small details all throughout the house.

Want to know something else? Well, a luxury interior designer isn’t just thinking about what will look good in a magazine spread. They are thinking about what will feel good every single day. For example, how textures interact. Does the fabric feel good to the touch? Will it hold up over time?

Maybe even how lighting changes throughout the day. Will the space feel cosy at night? Does the morning light make it too bright? And of course, there’s the flow and movement in the room too. It’s not about filling a space with expensive pieces, it’s about creating an experience in that room.