How to work with an interior designer
- Jill Coombs
- Apr 15, 2021
- 6 min read
Updated: Apr 23, 2021
Demystifying the services and the processes to create your ideal home.
If you’ve never worked with an interior designer before then you may be wondering how involved I’ll be, which services I can offer (and which you may not need), and ultimately how I can help you to achieve your interiors goals.
Taking an example of a past project this post outlines the services used by the client and how I was able to meet their brief to create a sophisticated yet fun living room makeover in a very dated property.
THE BRIEF & THE CLIENT - ART DECO INSPIRED LIVING ROOM
In this instance the client had moved into a late 1920s property which needed a complete overhaul so this was to be tackled on a room by room basis. The living room had great original features such as wooden floors, tiled Art Deco fireplace and Crittall Windows, but everything looked tired and dull and wasn’t the striking Art Deco style she was hoping for.
At this stage I like to get to know my client and find out as much information as possible about their likes, dislikes, practical requirements, budget, and just as important, how they want their room to make them feel and how it can positively improve their lifestyle. The client was keen to incorporate bolder colours to give the room more of an impact but in a sophisticated way. With the client’s love of blue (currently an on-trend colour but also a timeless colour) I designed the scheme using deep blues and hot pinks against a backdrop of pale grey and whites to keep the room looking elegant, fresh and timeless.
THE MOOD BOARD
Firstly, I collated a digital mood board (and also supplied physical samples of wallpaper, paint, material finishes (e.g. brass) and fabrics to be used in the design. This mood board gave the starting point for colour, design and feel of the space and the opportunity to see suggested materials together. At this point I had already identified some specific items such as the artwork and lighting which I thought may create nice focal points in the room. A subtle grey fern wallpaper for the chimney breast alcoves was suggested to add a little funky glamour to the design.
THE TRADES PEOPLE
There was a lot of decorating to do in this room as the ceiling was already coming down and the walls and woodwork were in a bad condition. I put together a list of what needed doing by the relevant trades so the client felt organised with coordinating the required jobs. As you can see there was a long list of jobs (and this was just for one room!) but having a to-do list helped the client to organise trades in the right order and tick off the jobs so she could see progress.
THE FLOOR PLAN
Sometimes a room doesn’t need a floor plan as the placement of the furniture is dictated by the room anyway, e.g. where the window is, the internal door, the chimney breast. But even if you can’t play around with moving furniture to different places a floor plan can still show you how much room furniture will take up so you can assess things like flow through the room, eyelines (to the TV, other rooms or outside) and whether you have space for additional items like side tables and floor lamps.
VISUAL ROOM ELEVATIONS
Computer software enables designers to create both room elevations and 3D visualisations of a space. 3D visualisations weren’t required as the client felt that the room elevations gave her a clear enough idea of how the finished room would look. These 2 wall elevations show the scale of the furniture in the room as well as the colour scheme and the accessory detail and placement.
THE SHOPPING LIST
With regards to purchasing for the room the client was happy to shop for items herself and at her own pace. In a few instances I was able to arrange trade discounts which offset the interior design fees to some extent which is an added bonus to working with an interior designer. Shopping lists have clickable links which go straight through to the suggested item online and that’s a real time saver for the client. However items can sell out or have a long lead time so I provide alternatives for all products in case this happens. The client also double checked that all items would fit into the room and that access to the property didn’t hinder delivery of large items.
THE SPECIFICS - NEW WINDOW TREATMENT
A new window treatment was required for the room so these details show the style of curtain, the curtain heading type, the recommended track type and the fabric and lining specification. This level of detail enabled the client to be able to source quotes from a few different curtain makers (which I recommended) before deciding on the supplier.
THE SPECIFICS - FIREPLACE MAKEOVER
The original fireplace was a great feature but the murky beige and blue tiles weren’t going to give the room the sophisticated look we were going for. We did discuss replacing with a marble fireplace surround but as we were keeping to a strict budget this would have required a lot more spend. However the fireplace makeover was a simple and achievable suggestion, and with a repaint in white with black accents it now adds drama to the space and the client loves it. Just goes to show that a bit of upcycling can easily work in a redesign and help to save the pennies too!
STYLING TIPS
If I'm creating a detailed design document for a client who will then coordinate the work themselves and bring the designs together then I provide detailed styling tips to make it as easy as possible for them to achieve the desired look. These tips can include things such as displaying art work or arranging simple floral displays as shown here. Clients often ask for styling advice so they feel more confident with creating the finishing touches. Of course clients can book a finishing touches styling appointment if they would like me to help with this in their home.
THE RESULT
So there it is, an insight into some of the services I can deliver and the level of detail I provide to clients to enable them create a complete room redesign as shown here. The finished room is shown below and the client was blown away with the transformation. It's now a modern sophisticated space and a room she loves to spend time in.
If you'd like to see more details of this project head on over to our Design Portfolio.
As you can see there is a lot of work which goes into a full room redesign and the process doesn’t happen overnight. In most instances there are touchpoints with the client where they need to agree sign-off at each stage so I can then move onto the next stage. I need to ensure the client is happy with how the designs are progressing before I then go into detailed design phases such as sourcing furniture and decorative items. Finding the right style of furniture, which is available in the right sizes and at the right price can be a lengthy process, and often large items such as sofas have a long lead time (up to 12 weeks) and this needs to be allowed for.
As outlined above these are all services that were used in the process of creating this makeover. However not all services need to be used if you want to get stuck in yourself. You could just be looking for help with choosing colour to bring a room together, in which case a consultation appointment at your home is a great way to talk through colour options. Or you may be in the market for a few new furniture items such as a new sofa and coffee table and don’t have time to do the research into styles and sizes. This is where a clickable shopping list and trade discounts come in. Or you may want to be presented with mood boards and room elevations to be able to see how all of the suggested items work together, as well as demonstrating how the finished room could look.
Working with an interior designer can reduce the overwhelm of doing it alone, free up your time so you can do something else, or be a way to pull together the myriad of ideas and preferences you may have in your head and distil them into a cohesive scheme which can then be created in real life.
Jill coombs Interiors is a Hertfordshire based interior design studio and we’d love to hear from you if you’d like to give your home the makeover it (and you) deserves.