[Jedburgh Street by Karena Clayton]

We're often asked by clients buying new homes or thinking of extending their properties whether it is too early to engage an interior designer.  Invariably, the answer is "no".  We explain why...

If you have just bought a new home

Once you have found the house you’ve been searching for, you will want to make it the best it can possibly be. A few careful decisions now will guarantee that your new home will be a place of stylish comfort and warm hospitality for many years to come: a place that truly reflects your tastes and interests.

Which is where our interior designer service comes in. The secret is not to hesitate. Talk to us before you exchange and we will send portfolios of designers’ work to get you started. Once you have exchanged, you can meet with the interior designer of your choice, plan your project and hit the ground running straight after completion. 

If you have building work planned

When you are in the process of extending or updating your property, it’s key to think about the interior design alongside the structural work. Many of our interior designers are also architects and will be able to advise you on how best to marry the two.  Get a designer on board as soon as you can and sit down to discuss what you really want - designing it from the inside - out.  Consider how you will actually use the space and how it is best configured to suit your needs and your lifestyle.  Whether you are moving into a new home or improving the one you already have, engage an interior designer as soon as you can to ensure they aren’t busy with other clients and to give them plenty of time to book tradesmen.

Why sooner is better

Whatever project you are planning, the earlier you meet with your designer the more satisfying the result.  Cost-cutting measures suggested by a builder may compromise the design, for instance – your designer will be able to advise and offer alternatives.  He or she will also be able to check the architect’s drawings to make sure that everything is as it should be before it goes to planning.  Once this groundwork has been laid, and you are happy with how it is looking, together you can plan the furniture layout.  Then you can progress to the lighting and electrical schemes before the plastering begins.  It is essential to do this in the right order and to allow an appropriate amount of time. Also remember that lead times on furniture, even high-street sofas, often runs into months, and good joiners get booked up way ahead. 

An interior designer, with experience of co-ordinating projects, will anticipate all of this.  If you want to ease stress, enable a smooth-running project and create the home you really want, make engaging one the top of your to-do list.