You’ve just closed on a new construction home in Fort Myers, and the great room is sitting empty except for a stack of paint chips and a Pinterest board that’s grown to 300 pins. Now comes the harder part: picking someone to actually turn that board into a finished room.
The fear most homeowners don’t say out loud is simple: hire the wrong designer, spend months and thousands of dollars, and end up redoing the whole thing a year later because the finished space never felt like yours.
After 20 years designing homes and commercial spaces across Southwest Florida, here’s what I tell people to actually look for before they sign anything.
Ask How Many Full Home Transformations They’ve Actually Completed
There’s a real difference between someone who’s picked out throw pillows for a few rooms and a firm that’s managed complete projects from empty walls to finished, furnished spaces. Our team has completed hundreds of residential and commercial projects throughout Southwest Florida over 20 years, and that volume is what lets us catch problems before they become expensive change orders.
Ask for a specific number, and ask whether those projects were full transformations or smaller refreshes. Both are valid work, but you want a designer whose experience actually matches the size of what you’re planning.
Understand Their Process From Concept to Completion
A real design process has stages: concept and space planning, material and furniture selection, ordering and procurement, then installation. Most living room projects run 4-6 weeks from concept to completion, while a complete home transformation typically takes 8-12 weeks depending on scope.
If a designer can’t walk you through their process in that kind of detail, that’s a sign they’re improvising project by project instead of running a repeatable system.
Act now: The biggest mistake I see homeowners make is picking a designer based on price alone, without asking about their process. A lower quote with no clear timeline usually costs more once change orders start piling up mid-project.
Look at Portfolios From Homes Like Yours, Not Just Pretty Photos
A gorgeous photo doesn’t tell you whether that designer works well with your home’s actual layout, your climate, or your budget. Ask to see projects specifically in Fort Myers or Southwest Florida, new construction if that’s your situation, and get a feel for how they handle homes with the same coastal humidity and light conditions yours will have.
Pro tip: Ask to see one project from the very first concept sketch through to the finished, furnished room, not just before-and-after photos. That full arc tells you far more about how a designer actually thinks than a highlight reel does.
Ask Whether They Handle Both Residential and Commercial, or Just One
Some firms only do homes. Others only do offices and commercial buildouts. We handle both, along with new construction interior design and full-service design, which matters if you’ve got a business project alongside your home, or if you simply want a
designer who understands how spaces get used at different scales, not just how they look in photos.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much does hiring an interior designer cost?
It depends on the scope, whether it’s a single room refresh or a full home transformation. Schedule a call and we’ll walk through your specific project to give you a real number.
How long does a typical project take?
Most living room projects run 4-6 weeks from concept to completion. Full home transformations typically take 8-12 weeks.
What’s the difference between an interior designer and a decorator?
A designer typically handles space planning, construction coordination, and full project management, not just finish selections. That matters most for new construction and renovation work where layout decisions happen early.
Do you work with new construction homes before we move in?
Yes, new construction is one of our core services. Getting involved before move-in lets us plan finishes and layout alongside the build instead of retrofitting after.
Can you help with just one room instead of a whole house?
Absolutely. We take on projects of all sizes, from a single room refresh to complete home transformations.
Do you only work in Fort Myers, or the wider region?
We’re based in Fort Myers and serve Southwest Florida broadly, and we’ve also worked with clients who have homes in other parts of the country.
Schedule a Call Before You Commit to a Designer
If you’re planning a new home or a full transformation in Fort Myers, call 239-980-1689 or schedule a call to talk through your project. Take a look at our gallery to see the kind of work we do across Southwest Florida.
We’re a family owned interior design firm, and every project gets my direct attention as lead designer, not handed off to a rotating team. If you’re ready to stop scrolling and start building, I’d love to talk through your space.
— Lisa Green, Owner and Lead Designer, Lisa Green Interiors