We all know your luxury home demands some luxury interior design. But it’s often tough to figure out how to do it, which firm to go with and how much of it you can do on your own.

Well, we sat down with luxury interior designer, Keith Lichtman, of KL Interiors, for some quick tips.

Haute Living: What does everyone know when getting ready to interior design a home?
Keith Lichtman: That interior design is a process. It is about comfortable collaboration and communication with your interior designer. The design process should be enjoyable, as well as productive. Keep your beliefs about your likes and dislikes, but always be open to possibilities you have not considered. An interior designer can expose you to design elements that fit within the realm of your taste, but elements you may have never have envisioned or been aware of.
HL: What are some quick tips we can all use when we are setting up our interiors?
KL: Always start with a furniture plan with everything drawn to scale before making any purchases. You want to know that all pieces will fit comfortably and “work” the space the best way possible. Also, be able to envision the big picture; selecting individual pieces that you like is not enough to make a room come together beautifully. It is the clever combination of elements and materials — and how they co-exist together — that creates the optimal effect.

HL: How do you choose the right interior designer?
KL: First and foremost, have the best sense possible of the look and aesthetic you are trying to achieve. Are you a pure modernist? A traditionalist? Are you eclectic and transitional in your taste and style? Look at your potential designer’s portfolio to make sure you are compatible. If he/she leans heavily in one direction, be sure that is your direction!

Understand that every client and project should, ultimately, be based on an individual client’s preferences, so a portfolio may not include precisely the colors and pieces that will work in your spaces. However, an intuitive and communicative designer who works within your general aesthetic will be able to interpret what suits you perfectly.

Keith Lichtman is a New York City based interior designer specializing in residential design. His projects range in scale from one bedroom apartments to multi-bedroom homes, and are focused in Manhattan, as well as in several states across the U.S. You can find more of his work at www.kl-interiors.com.