The quality of a finished interior is usually decided long before anyone chooses a fabric. It is decided by the brief. A clear, honest brief helps a designer understand what you actually need, keeps decisions anchored when choices multiply, and protects your budget from the slow creep of changes made halfway through a project.
A brief doesn't need to be long or written in design language. In fact, the most useful briefs are written plainly, by someone describing how they want to live. This guide walks through what to include.
Why the Brief Matters So Much
Coming from a business background, I think of a design brief in the same way as any well-run project: it sets out the objective, the constraints and how success will be judged. Without it, decisions get made on instinct and in isolation, and the result can be a collection of individually lovely things that don't work together. With it, every choice can be tested against a simple question: does this help achieve what we set out to do?
A good brief also saves money. Most budget overruns in residential projects don't come from one expensive decision; they come from changes of direction once work has started. The clearer the brief, the fewer of those there are.
1. Start With How You Live
Describe the people who will use the space and what an ordinary week looks like. Who lives in the house? Do you work from home? Do you entertain often, and if so, is it relaxed kitchen suppers or formal dinners? Are there children, pets or elderly relatives to think about? Do you have hobbies that need space or storage?
This is the part of the brief that most shapes a successful design, because it tells the designer what the rooms are really for.
2. Be Clear About What Isn't Working
Frustrations are some of the most valuable information you can give. "There is nowhere to put coats." "The living room feels dark in the afternoon." "We never use the dining room." Each of these points directly to a design problem that needs solving, and they are often more revealing than a list of things you would like.
3. Set the Scope
List the rooms or areas included in the project, and be specific about the level of work in each. Is this a decorative refresh, new furniture and lighting, or a full renovation with structural, electrical or plumbing changes? Note anything that must stay, such as a family piece of furniture, a recently fitted kitchen or artwork that needs a home. If you are planning work in stages, say so, so the first phase doesn't make the later ones harder.
4. Share Your Budget Honestly
Many people are reluctant to share a budget, worried that it will simply be spent. In practice, a realistic budget is one of the most helpful things you can provide. It allows the designer to prioritise where money will have the most impact, to be candid about what is achievable, and to avoid presenting ideas you would then have to reject.
It helps to say whether the figure includes furniture, building work, fees and VAT, and to mention any contingency you are holding back. If resale is a consideration, my article on whether interior design increases property value may help you decide where to focus spending.
5. Explain Your Time Frame
Note any fixed dates, such as a move-in date, a family event or the sale of another property, as well as any periods when work can't happen. Bespoke joinery, upholstery and some imported furniture can have long lead times, so it is worth knowing early whether a date is a firm deadline or simply a preference.
6. Gather Visual References, and Say Why
Pictures are useful, but only if you explain what you like about them. Is it the colour, the light, the sense of calm, a particular material or the way a room is arranged? It is just as helpful to include images of things you dislike. A small, considered collection of images with a sentence of explanation each is more useful than hundreds of saved pictures.
If you are unsure where your taste sits, browsing articles such as interior design trends to watch in 2026 or my interior design tips can help you put words to what you are drawn to.
7. Think About the Long Term
How long do you plan to stay in the property? A home you expect to live in for decades can be designed around your personal needs; one you might sell in a few years may benefit from broader appeal. Also consider how your needs might change: a growing family, working from home, or rooms that need to adapt over time.
8. Include Practical Information
Finally, gather the practical details that will save time later: floor plans or measurements if you have them, photographs of each room, any known issues such as damp or uneven floors, whether the property is listed or in a conservation area, and whether you own the freehold or need consent for works. None of this is glamorous, but all of it affects what is possible.
A Simple Brief Checklist
- Who lives here and how the space is used day to day
- What currently isn't working
- Rooms included and the level of work in each
- Items that must be kept
- Budget, and what it includes
- Key dates and constraints
- Images you love and dislike, with reasons
- How long you plan to stay, and how needs may change
- Plans, photographs and any known property issues
Start Your Project
You don't need a perfect brief to start a conversation; a few honest paragraphs covering the points above are enough. If you would like to talk through a project, please get in touch, or read more about Rachel Buscall and the Rachel Buscall approach to interior design.
Rachel Buscall Interiors
Where Business Excellence Meets Design Innovation