Making the world a better place, one room at a time.
Frequently Asked Questions?
Confused? Don't know the difference between interior design from space planning? Too afraid to ask?
Don't worry, below are a host of articles answering the most common questions, they've been grouped into shared topics to help with searching. these are: What are the costs? How does it work? Why use an interior designer? Remote Design? and About me?
What are the costs?
How much will it cost? Will I have the budget for this?
A simple question, unfortunately it's not a simple answer: There are three main areas of cost to consider:
The cost of the designer and design.
Purchasing the materials, furnishings etc for the design.
Paying the trades needed to complete the design.
It’s
dependent on so many variables that each room and proposal is in effect
unique, costs for rooms can vary dramatically, as can the way interior
designers price their services. I have a prices page which will give you
an idea on how much my typical services might cost in the top menu.
As a guide, roughly 5-10% of the total cost will be for the design, with the rest split roughly evenly between purchases and trades, favouring trades if there is a lot of work to be done, and purchases if there is very little work needed.
How do interior designers charge?
I prefer to keep things simple and have an agreed fee for my services before we start working together with a 10% deposit, so you can be confident in the price you’ll be paying from the start. The only time this might change is if the scope of the project increases beyond the reasonable limits of the original fees.
There are other common ways for interior designers to charge: many will charge by the hour with a retainer fee, this works similar to a pay as you go contract, which can be a great way of keeping a tight rein on the cost of the design but may be slightly more expensive over all as you’ve no guarantee on how long a design will take, with multiple revisions becoming costly.
If the design is offered free of charge then the most common way will be for the designer to be adding a percentage to every item you buy through them (In effect a commission based structure), this can be great if you get put off by upfront costs, but can create a conflict where the designer is incentivised to recommend the most expensive things over alternatives
Will you save me money?
The short answer is it CAN, but it shouldn't be the main reason for using an interior designer, as you won't get the best out of them.
If money is a major concern, then using an interior designer may not be the right choice for you, instead look for free advice and guides available online to help steer you through.
What it should do is make your money go A LOT further;
It can prevent mistakes down the road (like buying the wrong items or making costly design errors)
It can save money through trade discounts from well known suppliers, and accessing less well known suppliers which might take months to find on your own.
Using years of experience and inventive approaches, effects can be achieved with a lot less outlay as your consulting an expert.
These are all still dependant though on having a sufficient budget to start with.
Why is interior design expensive?
Interior design is rather like a swan: graceful on the surface but furiously paddling below. There are many parts of the design process that go unseen but are essential to delivering a polished high end design, sadly all this activity makes it a more luxury service, it is often not viable to work on projects with a modest budget as the fees wouldn’t cover the costs of design AND allow for the design to be implemented.
If the cost is more than you are wanting there are alternatives, a lot of great advice is freely available online and even in forums such as HOUZZ where professionals will give you the benefit of their experience. Alternatively many companies such as Arighi Bianchi, John Lewis and even Ikea offer some form of design service, but be aware that they will only be able to recommend products that they themselves sell which will limit the potential for the design.
How does it work?
Can interior design and diy work together?
Yes of course, a good interior designer will be able to work with you to create a design tailored to both your needs and abilities.
How does the design process work?
Will I get the design I want? I don’t want to lose control of my room.
Interior designers work with and for you to create the best design for you and your tastes, keeping you in the loop every step of the way to ensure you are perfectly satisfied and confident in the design. They may advise alternatives, as a professional it is our duty to advise clients on what we believe to be the best course of action for them, but that is only our recommendation, your room can be however you want it to be.
What is my style? How do I choose?
There are many interior styles that you can choose from, and its important to know what your style is so you can communicate it effectively and understand what is being proposed. Here are a few simple ways to consolidate and get a perspective on your personal design style:
Pinterest: Pinterest is a wonderful recourse for images to inspire you, you can collect them together in a board which makes them easy to share.
Style Article: There are many articles about styles you can find online which will showcase the most common options for you, and importantly help you know what they're called, its worth browsing through them if you confident in your style but not sure of the name or variants which are possible.
Use the 'Style Guide' to open an article on the 14 most common styles in a new tab.
Interactive style app: There are interactive web pages which can help you narrow down what your style is, usually by answering questions by choosing from a number of images. The Designer Society of America has a great tool in the form of an interactive quiz which will only take a few minutes but can really help if you're struggling.
Use the 'DSA style quiz' button below to open the quix in a new tab.
Why use an interior designer?
Why use a professional?
Peace of mind. A good interior designer will handle all the nitty gritty parts of the design as well as helping create a stunning space, while ironing out the kinks and hiccups along the way. Ultimately when you use an interior designer you are buying their expertise in design and project management, and you're buying your time back which would have been spent looking for that perfect part.
Why pay for a consultation?
You can get some excellent advice free of charge, but it is
worth remembering that usually free advice is only free at the point of
use, you WILL still be paying in the end with the assumption being you
will buy through them. The designer in this circumstance is usually be
working to commission, meaning there can also be a conflict between
giving you the best design, and earning as much commission as they can
(bare in mind, they are often on minimum wage + commission)
If
you pay for a consultation you can be certain the designer is working
for you and only you, able to recommend parts from any supplier which
best suits you and your budget.
Are there tradesmen you can recommend?
I will have some tradesmen I can recommend and will use, though even a professional like me has difficulties finding good tradesmen who are available to do the jobs required. One of the benefits of an interior designer is even if they don’t have a tradesman they use regularly, they will often know where to look for one and have the time and experience to vet them beforehand.
Do you get trade discounts & do you share them?
Sometimes and yes, when I get them I will make it clear what they are and will pass the majority of them on to you. Though nowadays with the internet trade discounts are not as effective as they used to be, as most things are freely available at trade prices if you know where to look. There are still many high end suppliers who will only sell to the trade though, which is a far more useful option to have access to through an interior designer.
Remote Design?
What are the advantages & disadvatages of remote design?
Remote design can be cheaper than in person design, as there are fewer expenses to cost into the price.
You'll have a greater choice of designers to choose from, not just those local to you, meaning you can find the exactly right one to suit YOU and YOUR STYLE.
You can have more control over the design as its created, as the designer will be able to share content with you live.
There is greater flexibility as there are no in person meetings to schedule, which is great for busy people on the go.
The designer can't perform a site visit or measure
Whilst this isn't imperative and there are workarounds, it can add a small degree of complication which have to be factored in during the design process. You might need to be prepared to do some measuring yourself.
The designer's trade contacts will probably not be in the area, meaning finding local tradesmen to do the job will likely fall entirely to yourself on the ground.
It's perfectly possible for the designer to find and evaluate trade remotely, but there is an element of unknown as they are not able to inspect the work in person or have prior experience with them.
Impossible to provide physical samples to the client.
While it is possible to order samples for many products such as wallpaper and fabric, this will often be an extra expense for the customer and may take a little extra time.
It is reliant on technology, video communication can be bad sometimes and if you're not comfortable using a computor or have access to one it might make the process a bit frustrating at times.
Is remote design cheaper?
Remote design will usually be slightly cheaper as there are fewer expenses to cover such as site travel etc.
How does remote design change what I will get?
In essence, what you get shouldn't change substantially whether it is in person or remote. You'll still get the same digital copies of the proposals, plans, sourcing lists etc. The parts which may not be available are
Site measure / visits.
Printed booklet of the completed plans.
Project management.
Do I need to measure my room? what should I do?
First thing is DON'T PANIC; its not difficult and even an inch or two out will likely not be fatal for most designs. That being said, accuracy is key, so follow the suggestions below, and you can't go far wrong:
Get someone to help you measure, its a lot easier to measure a room with two people to hold the tape.
Draw the floor plan out and measure EVERY wall. Don't assume it'll be the same, you'll often find rooms are not as square as they look.
When measuring windows and doors, make sure to note if you are or are not including any architrave, and take measurements from at least two points (usually corners) to position them on the plan.
Measure where plug sockets, switches and other things of note like box etc. are to their nearest fixed point, such as a corner or the side of a doorway. If the box is large, measure the overall dimensions as well. DON'T gloss over these, they are important.
And finally:
Photograph everything! They cost nothing and are invaluable as a reference, they don't need to be a work of art, just make sure you can see what's there. A good rule of thumb is to take photographs of:
Every wall straight on, showing both corners as best as can.
From every corner looking into the room, this can give perspective on what might have been missed.
The floor and ceiling as best as can be done, as well as any light fittings.
Out of the windows, to give the designer an idea of the view and also to place the view into any rendering to make it more realistic.
Any furniture which is staying, from at least two sides and a perspective.
Any obstructions or weird bits of the room like boxed in pipes, fuse boxes, protrusions. These can be invaluable as they often get missed even by designers and a photo can quickly help fix any misunderstandings.
If you don't feel confident measuring your space, or its too much for you to handle you can always find a local designer or surveyor who will be willing to measure it for you, though this will be an extra cost.
About me?
What are your qualifications?
You'll find a full description of my skills and qualifications on my 'about me' page, but in summary:
I studied Architecture, gaining a degree (Architecture BA Hons) from De Montfort University in Leicester. Making me very practically minded and highly skilled with space planning.
I have been working as an independent interior designer since 2019.
I have worked as a kitchen and bathroom advisor for Wickes and Homebase for a number of years.
What styles do you work in?
I can work in any style required, but I specialize in more traditional styles than overtly 'modernist' or 'minimalist' ones.
What does a proposal look like?
Proposals are the package of sketches, images and estimates costings you will recieve after a consultation, which form the template of any full design work. You'll find a sample proposal by clicking the 'proposal' button.
All proposals are unique and may feature elements as required.
How does 3D modelling work?
3D modelling involves me laser measuring your room and taking detailed photos of the space, then re-creating it in software to create a fully adjustable digital model. In this model all elements can be changed and visualized such as changed to colour, moving walls, trialling furniture etc. 3D video walk-throughs and high resolution renders are also possible enabling you to explore and visualize the space, even if it hasn't been built yet.