Whether you’re dreaming of remodeling your existing home or planning to build a custom home from the ground up, there’s one question that almost every homeowner asks first: Where do I start?

At Basil & Tate, we specialize in guiding clients through every phase of the home design journey — from concept to completion — and we’re here to make sure your experience is inspiring, intentional and ideal from day one. Let’s walk through what the process actually looks like, why it’s important to start with the right team, and how our Denver interior design studio supports you every step of the way.

Where to start with a kitchen renovation or custom new-build project

Step One: Contact an Interior Designer First — Here’s Why…

It’s a common misconception that your first call should be to a general contractor. While contractors are essential to the process, your project should actually begin with a design expert: an interior designer, or in some cases, both an architect and interior designer working together.

Why? Because starting with a clear, cohesive design plan ensures that everything from layout to finishes is aligned before construction bids are made. This gives you more control over your budget, timeline, and overall outcome.

If you’re building a custom home or doing a full-scale renovation, we recommend contacting an interior designer (like our team at Basil & Tate) first. If you also need architectural services, we can collaborate with your preferred architect — or happily provide trusted recommendations based on your project scope and needs.

This design-first approach is how we set the stage for truly elevated design and long-term success.

Step Two: Work With Your Designer to Develop the Vision

Once you’ve engaged with an interior designer, we’ll begin developing your design plan — taking into account your lifestyle, personal style preferences, any existing architecture, and how you want to feel in your home. For clients in the south Denver suburbs or nearby areas, this often means designing with a neutral color palette that blends earthy design elements and organic design touches to create a sense of calm, warmth, and timeless sophistication.

At Basil & Tate, our signature full-service design process includes:

1. Discovery Call & In-Home Consultation

We start with a complimentary 15-minute discovery call to learn more about your project, followed by an in-home or on-site design consultation. This helps us understand your space, project scope, and goals in more detail.

2. Design Concept Presentation

After your initial meeting and design proposal, we prepare a personalized design concept presentation — complete with space planning, inspiration boards, finishes, and layout options tailored specifically to you. We’ll walk you through it all, so you can confidently visualize your future home.

3. Refinement & Collaboration

Once your feedback is gathered, we refine the design together and collaborate with your architect (if applicable) to finalize layout decisions, cabinetry designs, finishes and more.

4. 3D Renderings (Optional)

Many of our Denver interiors clients opt to add 3D rendering services to their design package. These photorealistic visuals offer peace of mind by showing you exactly how everything will look — down to the paint colors, lighting, and furniture placement — before construction even begins.

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Step Three: Bid the Design Out to Contractors

Once the design is finalized, it’s time for general contractors to review the plan and submit bids. This is where your design team really becomes a valuable asset.

When contractors are bidding on the same complete design plan, you’re able to compare bids apples-to-apples. This prevents miscommunication, avoids unexpected costs, and helps keep the project aligned with your goals.

By partnering with a Denver designer like Basil & Tate early in the process, you’re giving yourself a clear roadmap — one that supports accurate pricing, minimizes design revisions later on, and ensures a smoother construction experience overall.

Step Four: Proceed With the Project

Once your contractor is selected and the design is in place, we continue to be your advocate and design partner. Our team communicates directly with your contractor throughout the construction phase — making site visits, reviewing install details, managing vendor deliveries, double-checking trades work, and ensuring the final result matches your design vision.

This is a key part of our full-service design experience. Rather than juggling dozens of decisions and coordinating with contractors yourself, we do the heavy lifting for you — all so you can relax and watch your dream home come to life.

A Note on Structural Engineering

As interior designers, our focus is on interiors — we are not structural engineers. However, when needed on large-scale projects, we collaborate with structural engineers and ensure their involvement once your general contractor is in place. This added layer ensures the necessary safety and viability of your renovation or new-build project, while still keeping design integrity front and center.

Where to start with a home renovation or custom new-build project

Why Work With an Interior Designer First?

Here’s why high-end homeowners across the Denver metro area choose to begin with our interior design studio:

We help you avoid costly mistakes. By finalizing the design before hiring a contractor, you can avoid scope creep and ensure accurate cost estimating.
We bring creative solutions to the table. With a deep understanding of transitional, elevated design, we blend style and function in every space.
We coordinate the details. From cabinet heights to faucet finishes, we manage the minutiae so you don’t have to.
We offer clarity and confidence. Whether you’re drawn to neutral palettes and earthy textures, or something entirely unique, we’ll help you visualize it every step of the way.
We serve as your advocate. You’ll never have to chase down answers or coordinate tradespeople on your own — we’ve got it covered.

What’s Next?

Whether you’re just beginning to gather ideas or you’re ready to take the first step toward designing your dream home, we’d love to connect. If you're planning a Denver home renovation or building a new custom home in the south Denver suburbs, Basil & Tate is here to help.

With our warm, refined design style and seamless project management, we make it easy to bring your vision to life. Book your complimentary discovery call today at basilandtate.com/contact. Let’s design a home that feels like you — elevated, inviting, and entirely your own.

book your discovery call

Welcome to Basil & Tate— a full-service residential interior design studio serving Denver, Colorado & beyond, curating bespoke interiors that seamlessly blend comfort, nature and timeless design. We describe our design aesthetic as earthy, organic, and elevated. If you like a combination of classic and modern design, mixed with soft neutral colors and natural textures, you’re in the right place.

Whether you’re looking for an interior designer to save you time on your custom home renovation or to help bring your luxury new-build vision to life, the interior design experts at Basil & Tate will be with you every step of the way to deliver a turn-key, white-glove design experience.

Looking for interior design services within the Denver, Colorado area? Let's get in touch.