There are two types of people who normally get in touch with me.
The type who don’t know what sofa to choose or what colour to paint their walls. They are so paralysed by indecision that they make no decisions at all.
And then there are the type who also weren’t sure what sofa to choose or what colour to paint their walls, but went for it anyway and are disappointed with the result.
Does this sound familiar?
Most of my clients have a good sense of style and they know what they like and what they don’t like. They just can’t put all the pieces together. And that’s not because they’re stupid. It’s because good interior design is hard!
Think about how many elements make up a room. There is layout, flooring, lighting, furniture, storage, paint colours, patterns, window treatments, soft furnishings, accessories and artwork. That’s a lot of stuff to think about. Not only do all these elements need to work together aesthetically, but they need to meet your practical and lifestyle needs too. So don’t give yourself a hard time if you’re struggling. That’s what I’m here to help with.
How my interior design service works.
1. Get in touch
First up just give me a call. Sometimes you just need a friendly, non-judgy person to listen to what you are struggling with. Tell me about your project and I’ll offer whatever advice you need.
If you feel you would benefit from my interior design service then we can talk about which one would be suitable.
I offer three fixed-price design services if you are taking on a single room. You can check them out here.
I also offer a full design service for large open-plan spaces. The price will be dependent on the size of the space and the number of functions it needs to perform so give me a call and we can chat about your exciting project.
We’ll book your home consultation and then you can stop worrying about all the decisions and start to get excited about the end result!
2. HOME CONSULTATION
This is the fun bit and most of my clients relax into it and really enjoy it. The most important thing I do as a designer is listen. So don’t worry I won’t be waltzing around your house, spouting off about light and space, using confusing designer lingo. I’ll be listening to you talk. I want to hear everything about you and how you and your family live. I’ll ask hundreds of questions to really understand what you need and want from your home. It’s a bit like being with a shrink. You can lie on the sofa and I’ll be the one asking questions and making notes.
The whole process takes about 3 hours and I’ll also use that time to measure the space as well as measure and photograph all the existing elements that you want to keep as part of the new design.
By the time I leave, I will have a very clear idea about the design and I’ll head back to my studio (aka my dining room table) to get working on it.
3. THE ROOM CONCEPT
Over the next two weeks, I will work on your design and this will be emailed to you for you to peruse at your leisure.
The design is made up of several elements.
Audio commentary – My clients love this bit. It’s basically a recording of me talking you through every element of the design, explaining why that particular flooring or sofa has been chosen and how the whole scheme works together. It gives you a greater understanding of the design rather than just looking at pictures and thinking “That looks nice”. When seeing and hearing a design for the first time it can be a bit overwhelming and there is a lot to take in, so it’s great to be able to listen to the commentary a few times to help it all sink in.
Moodboard – This is a visual of all the elements of the room on one page, this gives you a sense of the cohesiveness of the design and how the colours, textures and materials all work together.
Floor Plan – This is a visual to show you where all the furniture and accessories are placed.
Wall elevation – This shows you the furniture and accessories to scale along one wall so you can start to get a feel of how the space will look when you implement the design.
Shopping list – This is every single product that makes up the design along with clickable links so you can browse the items and get shopping when you come to implement the design.
4. REVISIONS
Once you have had a chance to digest all the information we will have a catch-up to discuss your thoughts on the design. There may be some elements that you want to consider alternatives for because they may be stretching your budget or you may want to see some different styles or colours. Just let me know what you want to revise about the design and I will spend a few days preparing some alternatives for you.
5. REVIEW
Once you have considered the alternatives we can make some final decisions. It may be you want to go with the alternative items or you may want to go back to the original choice, it’s up to you. We can talk through them all and I can help you decide.
6. FINAL PRESENTATION
Your final presentation will be emailed to you. You will also receive a presentation folder of the design sent to your home. With the folder, there are also my ‘how to guides’. These give you all the information you need to implement the design. So it’s things like how to find and manage tradespeople if you’re hiring a painter & decorator or a carpenter. It also gives you loads of styling advice which will really help you dress the room like a pro. You can implement your new room at your own pace but my service makes sure you have everything you need to take your design from paper to real life.
7. SUPPORT
If you get stuck at any point when you come to creating your room at home then just give me a call. I’d always be happy to hear from you and offer any advice or support you need. And of course, I would love to see the after pictures when you are finished.
Completed design for a client in a ground floor flat
So that’s how my design service works. An affordable and simple way to have a professionally designed room.
I live in Southampton and work across Hampshire. But if there is one thing that Covid19 has taught me it’s that distance isn’t always a problem. I’ve created several designs for clients in Somerset and Cambridge, all done over Zoom. So if you are capable of using a tape measure then I can probably help you wherever you live!
Let’s have a chat about your next project.
Sarah x
