Nicole Yee Interiors

San Francisco Bay area and the New England Seacoast Interior Designer

Nicole Yee

What to Know Before Hiring a Designer

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A few months ago, my son, James, packed a backpack and set off to travel through Latin America…alone.

He’s twenty. I’m the one who raised him to love travel, to be curious, to go see the world. And then I had to sit with the part no one ever talks about: letting him actually go.

I couldn’t be there to monitor every decision. I couldn’t protect him from every risk. All I could do was trust that I’d prepared him well—and that the very independence I’d nurtured would serve him now.

That, I’ve realized, is the same trust my clients extend to me.

When you decide to hire a designer, it’s not just a business decision. You’re handing over something deeply personal. You’re saying, I trust you to see what I can’t yet see. I trust you to lead me somewhere beautiful.

That moment of trust—the emotional leap between hesitation and collaboration—is where the best work begins.

It’s also where most people get stuck.

So if you’re standing at that edge, wondering whether you’re ready to take the leap, here’s what I want to tell you.

1. Preparation matters more than perfection.

You don’t have to have all the answers before you start, not by a long shot (in fact, figuring it out together is one of the most enjoyable parts of the process). But the more clarity you have around your goals (how you want to live, what frustrates you, what feels missing), the stronger our foundation will be.

If you’re still in the “pinning” phase, that’s okay. Just start editing. Delete what doesn’t feel like you. Save what stirs something real. The through-line will emerge, and that’s where we begin.

2. The most valuable work happens before anything is ordered.

Design is about strategy as much as it’s about selecting finishes and furnishings. Before the first tile is set, we’re making hundreds of decisions about layout, flow, and proportion that determine how your home functions. Those invisible decisions are what make the visible ones shine.

3. Your home should look collected, not copied.

I’m not here to recreate something you saw online or generated with Ai. I’m here to design something that couldn’t belong to anyone else. That means curating pieces that carry meaning, layering in unexpected materials, and editing ruthlessly until every element earns its place.

4. Trust is the currency that makes design work.

Once we begin, you’ll feel the urge to double-check, to micromanage, to hold on. That’s human. But the best results happen when you allow a little breathing room—for collaboration, for creativity, for the unexpected detail that takes everything from “nice” to “extraordinary.”

5. The right partnership feels like an exhale.

When you find the right designer, it won’t feel like giving something up. It’ll feel like relief. Like knowing someone’s holding the vision and the logistics with equal care. My job is to carry the process so you can enjoy it—to make sure every choice connects back to your life, not just your Pinterest board.

Hiring a designer is an act of trust, one that begins long before we ever meet.

Because once you take that leap, you’ll see what I’ve learned watching James navigate the world on his own: letting go isn’t losing control. It’s what makes growth—and beauty—possible.

Xo
NY


Ready to take the leap?

Email me to schedule a chat about your project…I’d love to hear what you’re envisioning.

Seasonal Inspiration: A Round-Up of Nicole’s Fall Favorites

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  1. Pair of Early 19th Century Gilt Bronze Candlesticks 
  2. India Hicks Hand Block Printed Thistle Chocolate Napkins
  3. Chocolate Solea Enameled Ceramic Dish
  4.   Isa Tiger 100% Cotton Towel Collection
  5. Filigrana Black Canes Light: A 16-century glassblowing technique blended with a contemporary aesthetic
  6. Patch Pocket Wool Coat, Prince of Wales Plaid
  7. Tousket Kakukaku bag
  8. Onyx Framed Wall Mirror
  9. Kora Cotton Jute Contract-Grade Accent Stool
  10. 1700s Windsor inspired stool
  11. The Heeled Ballet in Italian Suede
  12.  Kravet Couture Josephine Munsey Palm Stripe Wallpaper

A Pantry Like No Other

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I’ve always believed that the most interesting spaces are created when you stop thinking of everything in terms of what it has to do.

A pantry, for example, has a very obvious job: storage. But when I designed this 12-foot pantry, I didn’t want it to simply disappear into the kitchen as a practical necessity. At that scale, it had the potential to become something much more.

So we made a moment of it.

The 12-foot ceiling presented its own design challenge. With so much vertical volume, the proportions needed to feel intentional rather than simply large. Instead of working around the height, I used it as an opportunity to create a strong architectural gesture.

Floor-to-ceiling brass inlay gives the pantry a custom presence. It still works exactly as a pantry should, but it also brings a sense of drama and permanence to the room. It became one of the first things you notice, and one of the elements that defines the kitchen.

That same instinct carries through the rest of the home: magenta drapery stretching nearly two stories, and a dramatic marble fireplace that looks through to the dining room. Each element embraces the scale of the architecture while adding warmth, drama, and personality.

I’m always on a quest to find that balance between function and beauty. Every element should work hard, but it should also evoke the feeling of the space. When you give a practical feature thoughtful proportion, material, and presence, it can become undeniably special.

Xo
NY