How I Work
The Interior Design Process, Step by Step
Redesigning your home should be one of the most enjoyable things you ever do. Here is exactly what happens when you work with me, so there are no surprises and nothing to feel daunted by.
My Role, Simply Put
My primary role as an interior designer is to capture the essence of your unique personality, and to translate that understanding into a complete interior design scheme perfectly suited to your individual taste and lifestyle.
More than 25 years of experience means I am equally at home designing a wide range of styles: traditional and co-ordinated, modern and on-trend, informal and relaxed, or quirky and eclectic. The style is always yours. The craft of getting there is mine.
And whatever the scale of your project, you work directly with me from the first conversation to the final cushion.
The Journey
Five Stages, One Beautiful Home
01
We Meet and I Listen
We start at your home with a proper conversation. The first step in any project is to define the use of the space and, just as importantly, the people who will be using it. How do you live? Who else lives here? What do you love, what frustrates you, and what have you always wished this room could do?
You do not need to arrive with answers or a mood board. Bringing a feeling is quite enough. Afterwards you receive a clear written proposal setting out the scope and fees, so you know exactly what is included before you commit to anything.
02
The Design Takes Shape
Next comes the design of suitable floor plans, colour and materials, furnishings and finishes. I present this to you through drawings, sketches and sample and mood boards you can hold in your hands, so you can see and feel the scheme long before a single wall is painted.
This is a conversation, not a verdict. We refine together until it feels right, because a scheme you have shaped is one you will still love in ten years.
03
Sourcing and Selection
I purchase items for the interior from a wide variety of sources, with in-depth knowledge of the interiors market at every price level, both trade and retail. That means access to pieces you would never find on your own, and honest guidance about where to invest and where to save.
If you would like to come along, personal shopping trips to high street and trade showrooms are, by common consent, the most enjoyable part of the whole process.
04
Making It Happen
I write the specifications your contractors work from, order the fixtures and fittings, coordinate and monitor the work of trades and suppliers, and hold ongoing site meetings with you and the team. Nothing gets lost in translation between the drawing and the room.
Where there is extensive building work, I am very experienced in working alongside architects, structural engineers, builders and trades of all sorts, and I keep the whole thing moving calmly.
05
The Finishing Touches
Art and accessory selection, styling, and the small details that turn a finished room into a home that feels lived in and loved. Then the moment I look forward to on every single project: watching you walk in and see it for the first time.
Building Work
For any extensive building work, I am very experienced in working with architects, structural engineers, builders and trades people of all sorts. I also have a large and varied address book of trusted, highly skilled craftsmen and trades, built up over two decades in North London, who I am always happy to introduce to my clients.
Suppliers
I am able to purchase items related to the interior from a wide variety of sources, and I have an in-depth knowledge of the interiors market on all price levels, both in the trade and retail market. Beautiful results that respect your budget, whatever that budget happens to be.
What Your Project Might Include
Depending on the scale of the project, this can involve any number of the following design stages:
Floor plan design
Interior product selection
Custom furniture design
Built-in cabinetry design
Window treatment design
Lighting design
Paint colour schemes
Kitchen design
Bathroom design
Drawings, sketches and mood boards
Written specifications for contractors
Coordinating trades and suppliers
Ordering of fixtures and fittings
Ongoing site meetings
Personal shopping trips
Art and accessory selection
Common Questions About Working Together
How long does an interior design project take?
It depends entirely on scale. A single room refresh might take a few weeks, while a whole-house renovation involving building work can run across several months. I give you a realistic timescale at proposal stage rather than an optimistic one, and I keep you updated throughout.
Do I need to know what I want before I contact you?
Not at all. Most clients arrive with a feeling rather than a plan, and drawing out that feeling is precisely my job. If you have collected images and ideas, wonderful, bring them. If not, we will start from a conversation.
Will the finished home look like your taste or mine?
Yours, always. My role is to capture the essence of your personality and translate it into a scheme suited to your taste and lifestyle. After 25 years I am comfortable designing in any style, so I am never trying to impose a signature look on your home.
Do you work with my builder, or bring your own?
Either. I am very experienced in working alongside architects, structural engineers and builders already appointed by clients. If you would prefer, I have a large address book of trusted, highly skilled craftsmen and trades I am happy to introduce.
What happens at the first consultation?
We meet at your home, walk the space, and talk about how you live and what you want the space to do. There is no obligation, and afterwards you receive a clear written proposal setting out scope and fees so you can decide in your own time.
Shall We Start With Stage One?
A conversation costs nothing and commits you to nothing. Tell me what you are dreaming of and I will tell you honestly how I can help.