How I work:

Flexible and pragmatic. Let’s be productive and help.

I work in a collaborative way. I advise, give guidance for those who want to do as much as they can themselves, or I am full hands on deck front start to finish, for those who would prefer or need to get it done for them.

Where and when other specialists are needed, I work in partnership with them or recommend them in to work as a team with me. I can lead or I can support. So you can choose:

Design Mentor: a helping hand. giving you top tips on your project - how to approach it; what to focus on; giving pointers as and when you need it. Your go to for advice giving you confidence to do it right.

Creative Consultancy: all the way through, from start to finish. Design concept to detailing, getting it done and ensure it’s completed.

Whilst every brief is different, I find I can broadly group projects into two camps, and I have a design process for each to get the most effective and efficient result for each:

Home Design: what I call a revamp: refresh adding character and interest. This is more than just the style, as my care and consideration ethos is still very much at the heart of any recommendations I make. We explore ways to enhance with lighting, materials, how to use colour, furnishings and fittings in the most considered way.

Home Renovation: A rework, renovation of your home/ office/ space… This could involve reconfiguration, structural alterations, adding onto a space/extensions. A new build will sit in this camp! There is a scale here, to the extent with which you might be changing a space. The greater end of the scale will need to be in collaboration with an architect. Smaller scale alterations, especially if just internal, I can cover in partnership with a structural engineer. In any aspect of alterations across this scale, we may strip back to the bare bones of a building, carefully, so that we can ensure it’s fit for the future and achieve in the most efficient way. It’s my commitment that all projects I am involved with are well insulated. These projects will include the full spectrum of design from the reconfiguration of walls all the way through to lighting, fixture, fittings, art and so on.

Working with others:

One of the big questions I get asked is “How do I work with an architect?”, and “What is the difference between an architect and an interior (architectural) designer?”

An architect specialises on the form of the built environment and how it interacts with its surroundings: it’s situation/landscape. If your project is considering reshaping the building, be that adding, extending, changing the exterior facade, then you need an architect. From my point of view, they bring expertise looking outside in.

An interior architect designer brings expertise looking inside out. We specialise in the ergonomics of interior spaces, how it functions, the practicalities of family living, how spaces flow from one to another, to suit and enhance your life, health and wellbeing, as well as how it is presented: the style and character to suit you and the architecture of the building.

For a full renovation project, having both specialisms is a benefit, because we explore the brief in different and complementary ways. An architect has to consider the impact of any external alterations on the internal configuration and likewise, an interior architectural designer does the other way too.

Whilst there is an initial overlap as we explore the opportunities of your brief, what will and what won’t work. Once a design idea/ concept is agreed upon, each specialist focuses on their area of expertise, and details the required elements. An architect will detail any build up / external connection details from old to new; planning. An interior architectural designer, will detail the interior ‘fit out’ from architectural details through to furnishings and fittings. Working in parallel with each other, but meeting at key points to ensure cohesion and efficiencies. Both will consider what and how materials are used.

I have worked with lots of architects, and in different ways, to suit the given project requirements: where I am the lead consultant, or where I work alongside an architect, adding to their recommendations and developing the detailed interior design. I can happily talk through your specific brief and what would be best for your project.

Ultimately, we all work as a team. It’s a team effort that gets a great project done. Other key team players include, but not exclusive to: structural engineers; surveyors, construction teams; trades; makers ; suppliers; other specialist designers.