You’ve spent eons tracking a project’s every detail. Then, all at once, those decisions come together just so. What separates a good installation from a bad one? We asked seven designers to share their secrets.

After months or even years of planning, being able to stand in the completed room you designed is widely regarded as one of the most rewarding moments of a project. But to get there, designers and their teams must clear one final hurdle: the installation. A smooth install day requires extensive coordinating in order to avoid chaos when a houseful of furniture and a team of subcontractors all arrive on-site. Without spending quality time on the logistics, pieces could be missing, damages could rack up and the final result could be a far cry from that gorgeous rendering you’ve been working toward bringing to life. But by diving into the details, a stress-free (or at least relatively seamless) install day can soon be yours.

Prep Talk
Getting ready for installation takes immense foresight. There are so many moving parts, all descending upon a house at the same time, with everyone working around each other to accomplish the same task: making a beautiful, livable house. All those parts and people don’t just come together overnight. Dallas-based Traci Connell’s team starts planning a minimum of a month in advance. “I like to be looking at an installation date at least four weeks out because there are so many people to coordinate with,” she says. “There’s an art installer, the delivery and moving team, and sometimes an electrician or drapery installer, all in addition to my design team—and then it obviously has to work for the client. It’s definitely something that can take a few rounds in order to get everybody to agree on one particular date.”