Design Advice · Getting Started
Before You Redecorate, Ask Yourself These 25 Questions
The questions I ask every client — because great rooms start with clarity, not shopping
Most redecorating projects don't fail because of bad taste. They fail because they started in the wrong place — with a paint colour, a sofa, or a Pinterest board — before anyone had gotten clear on what the room actually needed to do.
I've seen it happen more times than I can count. Someone falls in love with a look online, buys the rug, commits to the accent wall, and six months later the room still doesn't feel right. Not because the pieces are wrong. Because the brief was missing.
Every project I take on starts the same way: questions. Specific ones. The kind that slow you down just enough to save you from a very expensive course correction later.
I've pulled my full client questionnaire into a free downloadable checklist — 25 questions, organized into five sections that cover everything from how your light moves through the space to what your splurge-worthy non-negotiable actually is.
But before you download it, let me walk you through what's in it and why each section matters.
Section 1 of 5
Your space and what you're working with
Every room has a physical reality that no amount of style can override. Ceiling height, natural light, architectural features, proportions — these are your constraints and your opportunities. Before you think about what goes in a room, you need to understand what you're actually working with.
- What room (or rooms) are you redesigning, and what's the square footage?
- What's the one thing about this room that bothers you most right now?
- What's actually working — and should stay?
- How does natural light move through the space during the day? Morning, afternoon, or evening sun?
- Are there any architectural features you love or want to work around? Fireplace, built-ins, awkward angles, low ceilings...
Question 2 is one I always ask first, out loud, before the client has had time to overthink it. The answer is usually the real brief hiding in plain sight.
Section 2 of 5
How you actually live in the space
A beautiful room that doesn't work for the people in it isn't a success — it's a showroom. Understanding who uses the space, how often, and for what reveals all kinds of requirements that would never show up on a mood board.
- Who uses this room — and how many people at once? Adults, children, pets?
- What does a typical day in this room look like?
- Are there any activities this room needs to support that it currently doesn't? Working from home, hobbies, guests...
- What level of maintenance are you realistically willing to do? Be honest — this shapes every material choice.
- Is this room designed for everyday living, special occasions, or both?
Section 3 of 5
Feeling and atmosphere
This is the part most people skip straight to — and then get stuck in. Mood and atmosphere aren't about picking a style. They're about articulating what you want to feel when you walk through the door. That emotional brief is what ties everything else together.
- What three words do you want to describe how this room feels? e.g. calm, warm, energizing
- Are there any rooms — in real life or online — that make you stop and say "yes, that"?
- What moods or feelings do you want this room to create?
- Is there a colour, texture, or material you absolutely love?
- Is there anything you can't stand — a colour, a style, a finish — that must be avoided?
Question 15 is just as useful as question 14. Knowing what someone emphatically doesn't want is one of the fastest ways to narrow a brief.
Section 4 of 5
Priorities and budget
Budget conversations can feel uncomfortable, but they're essential. A room designed without a realistic sense of budget and phasing is a wishlist, not a plan. This section also helps you figure out where to spend — and where you can afford to save.
- What's your overall budget — and is it firm or flexible? Being clear here prevents disappointment later.
- Are there any items you already own that need to be incorporated? Furniture, art, heirlooms...
- If you had to rank them, what comes first: furniture, lighting, or finishes?
- Is this a one-phase project, or are you comfortable doing it in stages?
- What's the one splurge you'd allow yourself if the budget allowed?
Section 5 of 5
Style, storage, and the details
The practical stuff — storage, clutter, accessibility, flexibility — is often what derails a project that looks great on paper. Getting into these details early means you don't discover mid-install that there's nowhere to put the things that actually live in this room.
- How much storage do you actually need in this room — and for what?
- Is clutter a daily reality you're designing around, or something you want the design to eliminate?
- Do you prefer fixed, built-in solutions or flexible, moveable pieces?
- Are there any specific lifestyle or accessibility needs the design should consider?
- If you could only change one thing in this room right now, what would it be? This often reveals the real priority.
Question 25 is the one I always end on. After 24 questions, your instinct has had time to settle — and the answer that comes up is almost always the one that matters most.
The Room Planning Checklist
All 25 questions in a clean, printable format — ready to use before your next project, renovation, or room refresh. Sign up below and it's yours.
Get the Free Checklist ↓Whether you work through this on your own or bring it to a first conversation with a designer, the goal is the same: to help you walk into your project with a clear brief instead of a vague hope.
Because your home should feel like you — and that takes more than a new sofa.
— The Perfect Spot
