FAQ's
What makes TDI different from a traditional interior design engagement?
Traditional interior design typically involves an ongoing, full-service relationship with pricing based on the size and scope of the entire project.
TDI offers a more focused approach. After booking your consultation, you complete a detailed questionnaire about your space, style, priorities, and the decisions you are trying to make. Your designer reviews your responses in advance, allowing the session to center entirely on your home and your goals.
Once your consultation is booked, you also receive access to TDI’s Signature Room Collections and Room Design Guides. You can explore these resources before your session and note the pieces, colors, or design directions that appeal to you, as well as anything that does not feel right for your home.
During your consultation, your designer can answer questions about the collections and make additional recommendations based on your preferences, needs, and space. The collections provide a thoughtful starting point, while the consultation allows the guidance to become more personal to you.
You leave with clear, expert direction without the site visits, project management, open-ended timeline, or broader financial commitment of a full-service design engagement.
Can I shop on my own without booking a consultation?
Yes. You can browse and shop TDI independently at any time.
Consultations are available when you want personalized guidance, help making decisions, or a professional perspective before purchasing. They are never required to access or shop the site.
Is a TDI consultation right for me?
A TDI consultation is ideal if you want experienced design guidance but do not need a designer to manage your entire project.
It may be a good fit if you are furnishing a room, refining a layout, choosing finishes, navigating renovation decisions, or need professional clarity before moving forward.
TDI is designed for clients who are ready to participate in the process and carry out the recommendations themselves, with expert direction from a senior designer.
How much does a consultation cost?
A 30-minute consultation is $600, and a 60-minute consultation is $1,200.
Both options include time with the senior designer you select, along with access to their Signature Room Collections and Room Design Guides after booking. During checkout, you will complete a detailed questionnaire so your designer can review your space, priorities, and questions in advance.
How do I choose between a 30-minute and 60-minute consultation?
A 30-minute consultation is typically best for addressing three to five focused design decisions.
A 60-minute consultation is better suited for six to nine design decisions or a project involving several connected elements, such as layout, furnishings, finishes, lighting, or renovation considerations.
When choosing your session length, consider how many decisions you need help making and whether those decisions affect one another. For a more layered room or project, the 60-minute consultation will allow for a more complete discussion.
What should I prepare before my consultation?
During checkout, you will complete a detailed questionnaire about your space, style, project, and the design decisions you are currently navigating.
You will be asked to provide the information your designer needs to prepare for the session, which may include photographs, measurements, floor plans, inspiration images, product links, and any existing selections you would like reviewed.
The more complete and specific your responses are, the more focused and productive your consultation can be.
What will I receive after my consultation?
After your consultation, a personalized Action Plan will be delivered directly to your inbox.
Your Action Plan will outline your core questionnaire responses, the designer’s recommendations, and any products or design solutions discussed during your session. It is designed to give you a clear record of the conversation and a practical path forward.
This allows you to stay fully engaged with your designer during the consultation rather than trying to take detailed notes as you talk.
What kind of experience do TDI designers have?
Every TDI designer has at least 15 years of experience in high-end residential interior design.
You are not automatically assigned to whoever is available. You choose the designer whose work, aesthetic, and point of view best align with your own, and that is the designer you meet with.
Why does experience matter for a design consultation?
A focused consultation is only valuable if the designer can assess your situation and give you clear, confident direction quickly.
That kind of judgment comes from years of working through real design challenges across many different homes, rooms, budgets, and project conditions. Experienced designers recognize patterns faster because they have seen how decisions involving construction, layout, lighting, finishes, furnishings, and styling affect one another.
A senior designer can step back, see the full picture, and identify issues or opportunities that may not be immediately obvious. That broader perspective leads to stronger recommendations and helps prevent isolated decisions that do not support the overall design of your home.
That is why every TDI designer has at least 15 years of high-end residential design experience. You are not simply paying for the time spent in the consultation. You are gaining access to the judgment developed over an entire career and leaving with informed guidance you can confidently act on.
Why pay for a TDI consultation when some retailers offer complimentary design help?
Complimentary retail design services can be helpful when you need assistance selecting products. Their primary purpose, however, is generally to support the shopping and sales process.
A TDI consultation is a dedicated professional design service. Your designer reviews your questionnaire before the session and uses the consultation to evaluate the project, room, or decisions you are actively navigating.
The guidance is not limited to choosing individual products. Your designer can consider layout, scale, proportion, function, architectural details, lighting, finishes, furnishings, and how each decision contributes to the room as a whole. They may also advise against a selection or suggest a different direction when it would lead to a stronger result.
TDI does offer a curated online catalog of premium furnishings, but the purpose of the consultation is not simply to help you complete a purchase. It is to give you direct access to a senior designer’s professional judgment, personalized guidance, and a clear design direction based on the needs of your home.
Why would I use TDI instead of hiring a designer for my entire project?
A full-service design engagement is ideal for clients who want a designer to manage a project from concept through completion. It often includes site visits, detailed selections, procurement, coordination, installation, and ongoing project management.
TDI is designed for clients who want expert direction without that level of involvement. You book one focused session, at a fixed price, with an experienced designer you select yourself.
It is a practical option when you need clarity, validation, or help solving a specific design challenge but are not looking to enter into a long-term design agreement.
What can I talk to the designer about?
Your consultation is centered on the project, room, or design decision you are currently navigating. The more specific you are in your questionnaire, the more focused and useful your session can be.
TDI designers can advise on:
- Selecting furnishings and decorative pieces
- Planning furniture layouts and improving spatial flow
- Evaluating room layouts and functional planning
- Styling walls, surfaces, seating areas, beds, and shelving
- Choosing paint colors and wall finishes
- Selecting window coverings and other soft treatments
- Coordinating decorative hardware, lighting, and finishes
- Developing concepts for built-ins and cabinetry
- Reviewing renovation or construction ideas at a conceptual level
- Suggesting alternative products that preserve the overall design direction
The consultation is intended to provide expert guidance, creative direction, and decision-making support. It does not include technical drawings, construction documents, engineering, site verification, or project management.
What if a designer’s Signature Room Collection is not my style?
When choosing your designer, review their profile and portfolio to find an aesthetic and point of view that feel aligned with your own.
After booking, you will receive access to their Signature Room Collections and Room Design Guides to explore before your consultation. These collections are intended to provide inspiration and a thoughtful starting point, not to limit your options.
During your session, your designer can tailor their recommendations based on what you like, what you do not prefer, and the specific needs of your space. If certain pieces, fabrics, finishes, or design elements within a collection are not right for you, your designer may suggest alternative products or directions that feel more personalized to your home.
How easy is it to book time with a senior designer?
Booking is completed directly online. There is no referral requirement, discovery call, proposal process, or project-scope negotiation.
Choose your designer, select a 30- or 60-minute consultation, and complete the questionnaire during checkout. Your designer reviews it in advance so the session can begin with context and focus immediately on the decisions you need help making.
There is no long-term agreement or ongoing commitment.
What is not included in a TDI consultation?
A TDI consultation provides professional design guidance, creative direction, and conceptual recommendations.
It does not include site visits, field measurements, technical drawings, construction documents, engineering, permitting, contractor management, purchasing management, installation oversight, or full-service project execution.
Clients are responsible for verifying measurements, site conditions, product fit, code requirements, and technical feasibility with the appropriate contractor, architect, engineer, installer, or other qualified professional before proceeding.
What makes TDI’s furnishing selections different from typical retail products?
TDI offers access to premium, trade-only furnishings that are not typically available through traditional retail stores. Many of these products would ordinarily be sourced through a designer as part of a full-service interior design engagement.
Our exclusive upholstery is made in the United States using time-honored construction methods. Each frame is handcrafted by skilled artisans and built with eight-way hand-tied suspension and spring-down seating for lasting support, comfort, and longevity.
We have intentionally selected upholstery options designed to perform beautifully over time, along with an array of fabric styles, colors, patterns, and textures that allow you to make each piece feel personal to your home.
These are not mass-produced, disposable furnishings. They are thoughtfully made pieces chosen for their craftsmanship, comfort, durability, and ability to help you create a space that feels distinctly your own.
How long will it take to receive my order?
Lead times vary by vendor and product category. Estimated lead times are provided on each product page.
In-stock pieces may ship relatively quickly, while custom, made-to-order, or special-order products generally require additional time. Manufacturing and freight timelines can occasionally change, but the TDI logistics team will communicate updates throughout the process.
What is your return policy?
Return eligibility depends on the product category.
Custom and made-to-order items—including upholstery, casegoods, custom drapery and hardware, custom rugs, artwork, and pillows—are final sale and cannot be returned.
Eligible items must be returned within 30 days of delivery, in their original packaging and in unused, undamaged condition. Restocking fees apply to most returnable categories, and customers are responsible for return shipping.
Discontinued items are final sale. If an item arrives damaged or defective, contact support@thedesignerindex.com immediately so our team can arrange a replacement, onsite repair, or refund.
Please review the full Return Policy before purchasing for category-specific requirements and restocking fees.