I can do that! A perilous tail of not following advice.

Ever heard someone say "I could do that"?  Maybe you've heard someone say that at a market, or when looking at a piece of art.  On the surface, some things can look easy....but underneath is years of work, education, experience, trial and error...the list goes on.

The same applies to interior design.  In all honesty, anyone can design the interior of a home - a lot of it isn't rocket science, but like everything there are specific skills, knowledge and experience required to ensure a beautiful outcome.  I always tell my clients, I'm not going to pretend like you can't go and pick tiles.  But what I am going to tell you is that yes, I can do it better and faster! 

Not following the advice provided can lead to more than an mismatched look.

• Poor functionality: Interior designers are trained to understand how a space should be used, and how to optimise its functionality. Ignoring this advice can impact the success of how you utilise a space or how your home flows and functions.

• Lack of cohesion: Interior designers are skilled at creating cohesive design schemes that tie together different elements of a room or home. Even simple changes to a colour palette can create a space that looks disjointed or haphazard.

• Wasted resources: We help you make the most of your budget by recommending the best materials, furnishings, and finishes for your space. If you chose to not follow these recommendations, you may end up wasting money on items that don't work well together, or that are of poor quality.

• Safety concerns: There is a lot of knowledge required when designing a space, including building codes and safety regulations. It’s important to ensure you work with the advice given otherwise you may unwittingly create a space that is unsafe or that violates local regulations.

• Missed opportunities: Interior designers can help you see possibilities for your space that you may not have considered on your own. You may miss out on opportunities to create a truly unique and functional space.

If you engage the services of an interior designer, I implore you to stick with their selections when you get to the implementation stage.  If there's something you're not certain about or happy with, let us know! Ideally during the feedback stage so we can adjust or explain the rationale.  Once we hand over to you or your build team for implementation, deviating from those selections can cause all sorts of dramas and lead to a home that just doesn't feel cohesive or properly finished.

You may find a handle that you like more or is cheaper, or you may think your paint selection is better...but please, value the advice the designer has given you as they have looked at your home holistically and made strategic choices - it's not as easy as just changing one thing...it's the sum of the parts.

I was recently working with a client who was preparing their house for sale.  They were moving into the next stage of their life having purchased a retirement unit, and wanted to do a cosmetic refresh of their existing home. The goal was to create a contemporary feel, streamline finishes and provide a neutral backdrop for a potential buyer to start to imagine themselves in the property.  I was really impressed that this client took the initiative to do this, their family didn't think it was necessary and they had never worked with an interior designer before, however they really embraced the process and were fully engaged with the decision making and selections.

So what went wrong?

When it came time to implement, the client went back to their own ideas and unfortunately this resulted in a very polarising approach to colour. This was the number one thing we were trying to avoid - the client loved really bold colour and had previously painted unusual bold coloured stripes on some walls.  After some discussion and persuasion, they were able to see that when you're living in a home it's fine to inject your personality but when preparing for sale, the demographic that would be interested in this property would want a blank canvas.

We created a beautiful, simple concept for them to implement which included new flooring, some basic changes to light fittings, paint colours and some wall treatments.  We also offered advice on furniture placement and reducing some of the personal items on display which the client agreed with.

After introducing the client to some suppliers and trades, it was over to them to implement the suggestions.

I noticed recently that the house had been listed, and eagerly flicked through the photos to see how everything had gone (now yes, normally I'd be more involved but this was a quick turnaround and the client was happy to manage things as part of preparing the house for sale).  To my horror I saw the final result.  Whilst they had taken on board the flooring suggestions and main wall paint colour....the rest had gone....awry.

This is a classic case of the client thinking they know better, and whilst I fully support the fact it is their house and their money, it seems a missed opportunity to me to have engaged a designer only to go your own way.  As you can see, a polarising colour has been selected for the "feature" walls and there's still far too much clutter and dated items dragging the property down.  To me, this colour would have been a deterrent to many buyers, who would have either dreaded the thought of getting rid of it, or reduced their offer based on the work they'd have to put in to change freshly painted walls.  

From my designer's perspective, it's also not just the colour, but the way it clashes with the flooring - the saturation and tone of the colour is just all wrong and creates a really harsh mishmash that would be quite jarring to walk into. 

How can this outcome have been avoided?

It’s simple really, I encourage you to embrace the process of working with a designer! We’re not going to suggest crazy ideas, our focus is on enhancing your home and creating spaces for you - or occasionally, for a future buyer. We’re here to help and guide you through that process with our experience and expertise in working with colour, hard finishes and furnishings. Don’t go it alone!