What Executives Get Wrong About Hiring a Designer

After years of creating homes for C-suite clients, I've noticed a pattern. Most executives approach hiring a designer the same way they'd approach any other business decision: they focus on credentials, portfolio, and process. All important, yes. But they're missing the most critical factor that determines whether their investment delivers an extraordinary result or just another beautiful space that doesn't quite feel like theirs.

The Mistake: Thinking Design Is About Picking Pretty Things

Here's what most people get wrong: they believe a designer's job is to make things look good. Choose the right sofa. Pick a stunning light fixture. Create a cohesive color palette.

That's not design. That's decoration.

Real design—the kind that transforms how you experience your home—is about strategic decisions that enhance your life. It's about understanding who you are, what you need, and translating that into a space that serves you at the deepest level.

This is especially true for executives. You're not hiring a designer to copy a look from a magazine. You're hiring someone to create a sanctuary that restores you, a space that reflects your success without performing for it, and an environment that works with your life, not against it.

Interior Design - Before-After Living Room, by Designer Barbara Nyke Interiors & Design

What Full-Service Actually Means

Let me be clear: full-service design isn't just about handling logistics so you don't have to shop. It's about protecting your most valuable asset—your time—while delivering a result you couldn't have achieved on your own.

Here's what that looks like:

• I manage every detail from concept to completion, you show up to a finished space

• I anticipate problems before they become your problems and when I make a mistake, it's my mission to resolve it for you

• I translate your vision (even when you can't fully articulate it) into a cohesive reality

• I make decisions that balance aesthetics, functionality, and your actual lifestyle

The executives I work with don't want to be involved in every fabric selection or paint sample. They want confidence that someone who truly understands them is making the right calls. That's the difference between a transactional service and a transformational one.

The Best Designers Listen to What You Don't Say

Here's where most designers miss the mark: they take everything at face value.

A client shows me inspiration images of club-like spaces—rich leather, warm woods, intimate lighting. On the surface, it's about aesthetics. But what they're really asking for is something deeper: a sanctuary. A space that feels protective, exclusive, and deeply personal.

The wrong designer copies the look. The right designer captures the feeling.

This is why I pay attention to subtext. When someone describes wanting a space that feels like "a private members club," they're often telling me they need retreat from a high-pressure life. They crave privacy, not showiness. They need a space that cocoons them, not one that performs for others.

Understanding Your Archetype: The Psychology Behind What You Need

We all carry certain psychological archetypes, patterns of behaviour and motivation that shape how we move through the world. In my work, I've found that understanding a client's dominant archetype is invaluable in creating spaces that truly resonate.

Consider three common archetypes I see among executives:

The Ruler is the archetype of control, power, and leadership. At work, you command rooms and make high-stakes decisions. But here's what many Rulers won't admit: the constant need to be "on" is exhausting. At home, the Ruler often craves the opposite—a space where they can let their guard down completely. They need a sanctuary that doesn't demand anything of them, where they can simply be rather than lead.

The Sage seeks knowledge, wisdom, and truth. These clients value depth over flash. They want spaces that feel intellectually rich: libraries with carefully curated collections, rooms designed for contemplation and meaningful conversation. The Sage's home should feel like a private think tank, a place where ideas can breathe.

The Creator is driven by innovation and self-expression. These executives need homes that inspire them and reflect their unique vision. Cookie-cutter design feels suffocating to the Creator—they want spaces that break rules intentionally, that showcase original art, that tell their story in unexpected ways.

When I understand which archetype resonates with you, I'm not just designing rooms,
I'm creating an environment that supports who you are at your core. That's the difference between a house that looks successful and a home that feels like success.

Why the Best Results Come From Trust, Not Micromanaging

Here's a truth that might make you uncomfortable - the clients who get the most extraordinary results are the ones who trust me to do my job.

I'm not saying you shouldn't have opinions or preferences, of course you should. But there's a difference between sharing your vision and second-guessing every decision. When you hired me, you hired my expertise, my instincts, and my ability to see possibilities you can't.

The executives who understand this get homes that exceed their expectations. The ones who don't often end up with spaces that are compromised by indecision or diluted by too many voices.

Think about it: you wouldn't hire a top surgeon and then tell them which instruments to use. You trust their expertise. The same principle applies here.

Red Flags When Hiring a Designer (So You Know You're Making the Right Choice)

Not all designers are created equal. Here's what to watch for:

🚩 They show you a portfolio where every space looks the same This tells you they have a "signature style" they impose on every client. You don't need someone's aesthetic—you need your aesthetic, elevated.

🚩 They ask what style you like before asking about your life Design should start with understanding how you live, not what's trending on Pinterest.

🚩 They're eager to agree with everything you say A good designer pushes back when necessary. If I think a decision won't serve you, I'll tell you—diplomatically, but honestly.

🚩 They don't have a clear process or timeline Full-service means professional. If they can't articulate how they work, they probably don't work well.

✅ Look for: A designer who asks probing questions, challenges assumptions, and makes you feel deeply understood—not just aesthetically, but as a person.

The Investment You're Really Making

When you hire a full-service designer, you're not just paying for furniture and finishes. You're investing in:

• Time regained: Hours (hundreds of them) that you don't spend researching, shopping, coordinating, or problem-solving

• Stress avoided: The confidence that someone expert is handling everything

• A space that serves you: Not just now, but for years to come

• A home that reflects who you are: At your most authentic, most successful, most yourself

The executives I work with understand that their home is an extension of their personal brand. It should communicate success, taste, and values without trying too hard. It should impress the right people while feeling deeply personal to you.

That's not something you can achieve with a decorator who picks pretty things. It requires a designer who understands you.

Getting It Right

If you're considering hiring a designer, ask yourself:

• Do they seem genuinely curious about me, not just my taste?

• Do I feel confident they can handle everything, or will I end up project-managing them?

• Do they understand the subtext of what I'm asking for?

• Will they create a space that reflects who I am, or impose their aesthetic on me?

The right designer becomes an extension of you, someone who translates your vision (spoken and unspoken) into a reality that exceeds what you imagined.

The wrong designer gives you a beautiful space that never quite feels like home.

If you're ready to work with a designer who understands not just what you want, but what you need, let's talk. I work with a select number of clients each year to create homes that are as intentional as they are beautiful.