Consultation

When her clients are ready to take photos, Lori Weatherly, an interior designer in northern New Jersey, asks that they take a shot from the south side of the room to show the north, east and west views. “Then, take another shot from the north showing the south, east and west.” To make sure your photos work, Weatherly suggested looking at pictures in Zillow or Trulia listings to see if you tell what you’re looking at and where you are in the house “This puts you on the receiving end of information and will give you a better idea of how to communicate.”

Share ideas with the designer

Create idea or mood boards on Pinterest, Houzz and other sites that display things you like.try to imagine that the designer correlates those likes into a cohesive vision, Weatherly

said. “Be as specific as you can. For example, if you need help with a dining room, pinning images of bucolic landscapes in the south of France won’t tell the designer what appeals to you or how to translate that into chairs and a table.” The designer may surmise you’re into French provincial when you’re actually a modernist. It also helps to put images in categories, such as colors, tables and lamps.

Make a keepers list

For each room the designer will revamp, make a list of furniture and any other items you want to keep and which you don’t. Take measurements of the keepers so the designer can take them into account when figuring out the renovation.

Take the room’s dimensions

“In general, we need measurements of the perimeter,” Busca said. Make a floor plan,

marking where doors and windows are in each wall, as well as their size. Also, note the ceiling height, and if there are soffits, they have to be specified. “For the kitchen, it’s also helpful to provide the current position of the sink, waste line and gas line. This is especially important if the home is an apartment building where dry and wet zones must be respected.” If there is an island with a sink, make sure to note the exact position on the floor plan and indicate the riser.

Once your designer has all the details planned out virtually, ask for a home visit — with both of you wearing masks and social distancing — to make sure the measurements are accurate before the renovation begins.