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Katy Anderson on Balancing Client Interests

interior design

client communication

Interior designer Katy Anderson explains how to find a happy medium for clients who can't agree.

Words by 

Megan Hill

Published on 

October 18, 2022

understanding clients, understanding interior design clients, client goals and drivers, client intake questionnaire, client intake questions, interior design questionnaire, interior design client intake, interior design questions, interior design client questions, interior design questionnaire, interior design consultancy, advice for interior designers, interior design resources,

Katy Anderson is the founder and principal designer of her namesake interior design firm, Katy Anderson Interiors. Katy and her team work across construction, decoration and restoration but their commitment to delivering a unique home for their clients remains consistent.

No comparison

"A meeting in person will always outweigh an email or zoom call—having clients see fabrics in person, to feel the texture and see the true colour in person is extremely valuable. We want clients to examine the exact samples of finishes for their kitchen and bath hardware in advance, which means our meetings are critical to our success."

Every aspect of design needs scrutiny and a personal meeting solidifies our ability to provide our clients with everything they hoped for!

Never too much detail

"Getting an understanding of a client’s style is relatively simple but understanding their lifestyle, that’s the crux for us."

Spending quality time in an initial meeting to discover how a client uses their space is critical. We have an extensive Q&A process where we uncover how much time they spend in certain spaces, how important stain-resistant fabrics are to them, whether their dog sleeps on their bed at night, if they wear shoes in the house, whether they use the front door or the side entrance to their home—there are so many important factors that come into play."

Unpredictable inconveniences

"The most challenging part of the design process continues to be the current pipeline delay. We are still facing unprecedented lead times and it’s been very frustrating to give clients dates that can change—we care about setting expectations."

Client deep dive

Katy and her team conduct a thorough investigation into the tastes and requirements of their clients. But what happens when those requirements clash? We challenged Katy to find a happy medium for a couple with vastly contrasting design tastes—if she had just ~3 questions to work with...

1. Who will use the space the most?

For example, which of you will use the home office the most? We can find an equally appealing room for the other person to enjoy their own space.

2. What time of day do you find the most enjoyment out of your favourite rooms in the house?

We can design the room around how they use the space.

3. Which colour makes you both happy?

We can always find harmony in colours.

Find out more about Katy's services on her website, or browse an archive of her work on Instagram.

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