No project is the same and not all projects are blessed with the right resources or the same level of commitment from the stake holders, so it’s an impossible question to answer unless a few parameters and guidelines are set in place.

As a client you will have an idea of a time frame that you would like to complete within. A good Interior Designer should be able to tell you if this is possible, and will go on to tell you exactly how it would be achievable. ]

If it is an aggressive time frame and you have a capable and willing party eager to deliver on your part, you will be half way there. So what is the other half of the equation? The good news is at this is in your good hands. Two simple, yet critical aspects to healthy project flow lie with you, the client. The first is decisive decision making. If you can do this you will cut the time spent on two and fro. When in doubt, ‘Know thyself’ and revisit the findings delivered at the front end of the project in the Analysis and Emersion stage. The second is to take great care with your feedback at the end of each stage, making sure that you have made yourself understood, and that all stakeholders are on the same page. These two elements seem straightforward, and they are, but sometimes I wonder if they fall into that category of being a little too obvious to notice.

Encouragingly, however, there is a sequence of project stages that are common to all successful projects. The first stage, if taken seriously, will save you time and money. 1.  Analysis or Emersion 2. Design Concepts 3. Design Developments 4. Technical 5. Procurement 6. Project Co-ordination.

My best piece of advice, on this rather flavourless topic, is make sure you are in capable hands and this rather dry and uninteresting process will transform to a rewarding and enjoyable journey.