From my perspective, I would want to be the first one involved, as long as you know you are not planning an addition. My plans for your home would allow for detailed labor bids (not just rough estimates), the budget needed for materials and will determine if you need an architect or engineer. You need to find a designer who specializes in construction design, not just decorating. Designers can also offer contractor recommendations.

If you are planning an addition, you need to start with the architect. You'll need one for changing a roof line, but if you decide not to do that, you do not generally need an architect to move windows or non-load bearing walls. But every city is different with their requirements. A good designer would be able to assess the need for an architect’s involvement.

I did an addition and actually interviewed GCs before architects to make sure I could afford the work I wished to have done. We know many friends who paid for architects' plans only to realize the cost to see the plans to completion was well outside of their budget and neighborhood's return of investment. When we found we could afford to move forward we hired the architect and paid to keep him on during the build as a consultant and got finalized bids for work scope. We hired an interior designer last and she was not very involved and I wish I had hired a more involved person in this area.

@roarah: kudos to you for involving a contractor early on to ensure the budget for your project was realistic before investing a lot of time and money in design. I've seen lots of folks plunge into design without any idea of the construction cost. The most typical outcome is a project that goes nowhere and lots of wasted time, energy, and money. Architects will tell you that you need to hire them to protect you from builders. A builder--engaged early on-- can help protect you from wasting money on a design that won't get built.

I suggest you interview a couple of remodeling companies with experience in whole house remodeling. Ask each company how they would approach your design; some may have in-house capabilities and others may outsource design either to an architect or designer. Check with some of their past clients to see how it went and pick the one best suited for your project.

Best wishes for a successful project.

There’s a home show this week and that is one if the things we plan to do, check out some of the local companies. I’m sure we can’t get into too much detail at a home show but hopefully they can tell us if our project is the kind of thing they do, which will help shorten the list of phone calls to make.

I think a designer who does both construction design and interior is the first person to have on the job. They will pay attention to more of the finish details of how you will live in the home.