FAQ’S

In British Columbia, the title 'interior designer' is not protected by legislation. Anyone can use it. A Registered Interior Designer is different: the designation requires a Bachelor of Design or equivalent, passage of the NCIDQ, the national qualifying examination for the profession, and an active commitment to continuing education in health, safety, and building code compliance. RIDs carry professional liability insurance and are held to a code of ethics through their provincial and national associations.

Carly Neal is a Registered Interior Designer and an active member of VISID, IDIBC, and IDC. She currently serves on the IDIBC board, working to advance the legislative designation that would bring BC interior designers the same professional standing as architects and engineers, because clients deserve that assurance.

When you work with Dashwood, you are working with a designer who is educated, examined, insured, and professionally accountable. That is the standard every project is held to.

Interior Designers understand the pros and cons of the vast amount of choices available, and can narrow them down to a tidy few options that best suit your project. We can save you from pricey mistakes, and ensure that your time and money is spent in the right places for the best results and value.

Every project is unique and has its own set of requirements and conditions that contribute to the budget. In order to get a sense of one another and listen to your project goals, I like to have an introductory meeting with potential clients. This initial meeting is not a design consultation, however it allows me to collect information that I may use to prepare a Design Fee Proposal tailored to your specific project.

Sooner than you think. If you have started talking to an architect or builder, or if your renovation is more than a thought but not yet a plan, that is a good moment to bring a designer into the conversation. The earlier we are involved, the more we can shape the outcome, and the fewer costly course corrections happen later.

If you are not ready to commit to a full project but want to get clarity on your goals, direction, and priorities first, ask us about our Design Clarity Session. It is a focused standalone offering designed to help you arrive at the process feeling confident and prepared.

That is one of the most common places to begin, and it is not a problem. Many of our best projects started exactly there. Part of what we do in the early phases is help you understand what you actually want: what matters most to you, what the space needs to do, and what is realistic within your means. You do not need to arrive with answers. You need to arrive curious and willing to have an honest conversation.

If you are not quite ready for a full project but want to get your thinking organized first, our Design Clarity Session is designed for exactly that moment. It is a structured, standalone session that helps you clarify your goals, understand your options, and decide with confidence whether you are ready to move forward and how.

Dashwood works on residential renovations and custom home builds, typically with construction budgets starting around $300,000. If you are unsure whether your scope qualifies, the discovery call is the right place to have that conversation. We would rather be honest and point you somewhere more suited to your project than have you invest time in a process that is not the right fit.

Dashwood takes on a select number of projects each year. If we are at capacity, we will tell you directly, and we will never rush an answer just to fill a spot. The best way to find out is to reach out. We are always happy to talk about timing, even if your project is still taking shape.

Dashwood offers full-service, holistic design scope. In our experience, this is how clients get the best value from the investment: by looking at the whole before committing to the parts. We work with you to establish a complete picture of your home, and from there we can prioritize the areas you are most eager to address. If a phased approach makes sense, we will tell you so. But starting from the whole ensures that every decision, whether it happens now or in three years, fits naturally into the larger story of your home.

Both, in the best possible way. Dashwood does not have a signature look that gets applied to every home. What we bring is a signature lens: a refined, considered hand that is drawn to natural materials with integrity and authenticity, to the honest expression of place, to colour and joy where they are invited, and to spaces that feel purposeful rather than decorated. A kitchen that has rhythm. A library that has stillness. A living room that makes people want to linger.

That lens will shape what we bring forward, but it is your life and your values that anchor every decision. The result will feel unmistakably like you, seen through the filter of a designer who thinks carefully about what a space should do for the people who live in it. You can read more about how we approach design on our Philosophy page.

No, and many of our best projects began with a client who had no idea where to start. Part of what we do in the early phases is help you understand your own taste: what you are drawn to, what you are tired of, what your home has always been missing. If you have strong opinions, we will work with them. If you do not, we will help you find them. Either way, you will be surprised by how much you know once someone asks the right questions.

We will always explain our reasoning, because a good designer should be able to tell you why. If you push back, we listen. If you still disagree after we have made our case, we respect that it is your home. What we ask is that you give us the space to advocate. That advocacy is part of what you are hiring us for. The clients who arrive at the best results are the ones who stay curious rather than defaulting to the safe choice.

Yes, and we would rather start by understanding what you love than by starting from scratch. Some pieces carry too much history to replace, and others simply work. We will tell you honestly if something is holding the design back, and we will explain why. But keeping what matters to you is not a compromise. It is often the difference between a home that feels layered and one that feels purchased.

Typically three to four homes per year, depending on scale and complexity. Dashwood is a focused practice, not a volume studio. Limiting the number of active projects is what allows every client to receive real attention throughout: not a summary at check-in, but genuine sustained involvement from the designer who knows your project from the inside out.

Measure twice, cut once. The time we invest before construction starts, in thorough documentation, clear specifications, and resolved details, is precisely what protects you during it. But even the best-prepared projects encounter surprises. When they do, we are there: conducting regular site visits, reviewing shop drawings, coordinating with your contractor, and solving problems before they become costly. Our sustained involvement is not oversight. It is stewardship. Our job during construction is to make sure the process feels managed, not chaotic, and that you cross the finish line with a result that reflects every decision made before a single nail was driven.

Not if we are doing our job well. Dashwood is not here to spend your budget for you. We are here to help you spend it wisely. Whether your budget is modest or generous, what matters to us is the same: being intentional about where value is placed, making choices built to last, and ensuring that every dollar is working toward a home you will love for decades, not just on the day it is finished.

What does cost clients money is working without a clear goal. If we do not know what we are aiming for, the process involves more options, more revisions, and more time. Honest, early conversations about budget are not uncomfortable. They are the foundation of a project that stays on track.