Behind the Scenes at LS Design Studio: Our Design Process
One of the biggest questions we get from potential clients is: “What does the interior design process actually look like?” Whether you’re remodeling your kitchen, building a new home, or furnishing an entire space, the process can feel overwhelming if you’ve never done it before.
At LS Design Studio, we’ve built our process to feel collaborative, organized, and clear from start to finish. Our goal is to help clients feel informed and excited throughout every phase while we handle the behind-the-scenes details that bring the project to life.
Here’s a step-by-step look at how our interior design process works.
Step 1: The Quick Chat & Initial Consultation
Every project starts with a Quick Chat. This is a short introductory phone call where we learn more about your project, timeline, budget, and overall goals for the space. It also gives us a chance to explain how we work and determine if we’re the right fit for your project.
From there, we schedule an Initial Consultation where we walk through your home either in person or virtually. During this meeting, we evaluate the scope of work, brainstorm ideas, and start discussing both the aesthetic and functional goals for your space. After the consultation, we put together a Design Fee Proposal tailored specifically to your project and the level of design involved.
Step 2: Defining Your Style & Functional Needs
Before we begin designing, we spend time getting to know how you actually live in your home. We send a detailed design questionnaire that helps us understand everything from your visual style to your functional priorities.
This includes questions about organization needs, lifestyle habits, material preferences, and even things like allergies or durability concerns. We also collect inspiration images from clients while gathering our own references to ensure we’re fully aligned on the direction of the project before we begin the behind-the-scenes design work.
This phase is incredibly important because great design is not just about making a home look beautiful — it’s about creating spaces that work for your day-to-day life.
Step 3: The Design Development Phase
Once direction is established, we move into the full design phase. This includes measuring and scaling the space, developing layouts, selecting materials and finishes, creating renderings, and building out the overall vision for the home.
When presentation day arrives, we walk clients through a detailed design presentation complete with floor plans, furniture layouts, exact material selections, renderings, and physical samples whenever possible. From cabinet details to tile orientation, every part of the design is thoughtfully planned out so clients can clearly visualize the final result before construction begins.
This is often the most exciting phase because the vision finally starts to feel real.
Step 4: Construction Documentation & Contractor Coordination
After final selections are approved, we prepare concept construction drawings along with coordinating material specification sheets for the contractor. These documents include concept measurements, installation notes, and all of the details needed to execute the design properly.
We also attend a pre-construction walkthrough with the contractor to review timelines, priorities, and design details before work begins. For clients who need contractor recommendations, we’re happy to connect them with teams we know and trust based on past project experience.
Throughout construction, we stay involved through contractor communication, site visits, and project management coordination to help keep the design vision consistent as the project progresses.
Step 5: Ordering, Procurement & Installation
Once construction is underway, we begin managing furniture, lighting, and hardware procurement on behalf of our clients. We source through trade-exclusive vendors, coordinate ordering and fulfillment, and oversee deliveries from start to finish.
Each piece is delivered to a local receiver where it is inspected before being brought into the home through white glove delivery and installation services. We handle everything from placing the orders to coordinating final placement inside the home.
For construction materials like tile, plumbing fixtures, and flooring, contractors typically handle ordering directly using our specification sheets. This creates a smoother process for tracking and installation while ensuring everyone stays aligned on the design intent.
Step 6: Communication Throughout the Project
Communication is a huge part of a successful design project. We use a platform called Basecamp to keep everything organized and accessible throughout the process. Clients are able to view updates, timelines, presentations, material selections, meeting notes, and project communication all in one place.
Our goal is to make the experience feel streamlined and collaborative while helping clients stay informed without feeling overwhelmed by all of the moving pieces involved.
Interior design projects involve far more than selecting finishes or choosing furniture. Behind every finished space is an extensive process of planning, coordination, problem-solving, and collaboration.
At LS Design Studio, we aim to make that process feel exciting, approachable, and personalized to each client. Whether we’re designing a large-scale remodel, a new build, or furnishing an entire home, our focus is always on creating spaces that feel beautiful, functional, and authentic to the people living in them.
You can explore more of our projects and design work at LS Design Studio Portfolio.