Frequently Asked Questions

Why do I need to use an interior designer?

There is no requirement for you to use an interior designer at all and many people are very happy with the results they achieve for themselves.  Where an interior designer can help, however, is when you get stuck which may be at the outset or could be when you've tried everything else but that wallpaper still doesn't go with the flooring.

It's not that you don't know what you want it's just that you don't have the experience or time to work out how to achieve it (weekends are never long enough!)  This maybe because the house you/re living in is a real period gem that you're trying to restore sympathetically or may be a modern office that lacks a sense of identity.

The purpose of an interior designer is to use their imagination ton aid you to put your thoughts into reality.  This may, sometimes, even mean coming up with a scheme that takes you totally by surprise but which you love immediately!  See Our Services to find out how, at Style by Design Limited, we can help you get the most out of your living or working environment.

Isn't it only the rich and famous who can afford an interior designer?

Not these days, there are many designers out there offering all kinds of services and many offer a free first consultation, just like your solicitor should do.  A good interior designer will ask lots of questions right from the start, take copious notes not just about the room itself and the work you think needs doing, but how your want to use that room, your near future aspirations and so on.  Above all a good interior designer will listen to you.

The next contact you have with an interior designer may be face to face at home, or if you prefer, sometimes at your place of work or other convenient location and this will be charged at an hourly rate (occasionally with an additional fee to cover travelling expenses if outside a given area).  At this time they should have a selection of ideas some quite detailed, others just small notions to be exploited if appropriate - they should come with examples of fabric, pictures of furniture etc which should aid you, and them, to ascertain how the project should go forward.

From the information they receive during this meeting the designer should be able to give you a written quotation for the work to be completed and a idea of timescales from time of being given the go ahead.

If there is no agreement at this second meeting most designers are more than willing to go away and come up with some more ideas to put to you ... some make no charge for this services, others only make a small charge.

OK, you tell me how much you're going to charge me but how do I work out how much I can afford?

From the start you must be upfront about how much you can afford.  If you really are on a really strict budget tell the designer from day one.  If money is really no object (ha - if only!) then tell the designer who'll silently jump for joy.

I know that there is a fear that the job won't be done properly if it appears there isn't sufficient money available or that you'll be ripped off if you admit you can afford a significant sum.  But if the designer is good then they should be able to work to both scenarios and you should feel comfortable working with them.

It is, however, your responsibility to ensure that the interior designer knows how much you feel comfortable paying and you must have realistic expectations of what can be achieved with that sum (and if deadlines are set - these too must be realistic).  Once you have calculated this figure it is best to allocate portions of it to different aspects of the project, so, for instance, if the designer is coming to help with redesigning your kitchen consider individual sums (in percentage terms preferably) for the likes of:

plumbing
electrics
new white goods
flooring etc

and don't forget to keep a little bit back just in case something nasty turns up during the work such as a major rewiring job or a need to handle dry rot.

Oh, and don't forget to to include the fees for the interior designer (and other professionals such as architects) as well!

If when you give the designer your budget they find it is going to be tricky achieving a certain aspect of the design for the money you have allocated they can then come back to you and discuss how to resolve the issue.

Is there anything I can do to help the process along?

We've all done it - we've seen a picture in a magazine of some film star or model and loved they way they're hair's done (and there's got to be a male equivalent of this scenario).  We've taken the picture along to our hairdresser and said 'I want that'.  Even if the hairdresser was the actual one you created the concoction in the picture and wouldn't that be great, it still wouldn't look quite right when we left the salon because we're not that film star or model - our colouring might be different, our face shape might be different and, well we just wouldn't have the time to maintain it anyway.

So it is with interior design - there are pictures that pop up in all sorts of magazines and newspapers either directly related to interior design or not and we think 'I want that' but in reality even if we got it the chances are that it wouldn't be what we thought it was going to be (just like that hairstyle).  However, having said that, by collecting a series of pictures over time that reflect design styles, colours, textures etc it is possible to identify what sort of look you are generally after (and don't worry you don't have to fix them to a 'mood board' just give then in an envelope and most designers will be happy!)

An ideal way to assist an interior designer to make sure that they complete the design to your taste is to collect together as many images as possible - perhaps marking them up to say 'I like that cooker but not the tiles', 'I like that shade of purple but it looks too Gothic - don't know if you can do something with it?', even when you're on holiday if you see a plant, an archway or whatever that inspires you take a picture and give it to the designer.

I like going onto Hampstead Heath for inspiration - picking different times of year to go and sketch or photograph the trees and the ponds in different light, in different weather - two days are never the same.  So for you inspiration might come from an old movie, exhibits at the Natural History Museum, the new model of a performance car or even a picture your child drew at school.  Look at everything with an open mind (like that of a child) and you never know what you might find out about your design style.

Do you work to any particular design style?

At Style by Design Limited we don't turn down any client without good cause and where possible we recommend they try other designers we are associated with we feel they're better able to help.

I personally like clean lines so I go for Art Deco or Beidermeier designs - I also like a lot of modern interiors because of their use of natural materials.  But I'll turn my hand to any scheme, even themed ones.

Hope you find the above helpful - do Contact Us if we can help you further.

Best of luck and I hope to speak to you soon.

Anne Brockett
Director
Style by Design Limited