How can an Interior Designer Help You Save Time, Money, and Avoid Common Mistakes During a Renovation Project?

As a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, many companies have had to switch to remote working, in order to keep employees safe. Many businesses have had to adapt to a home-working model rapidly, but will remote working become part of the new normal?

A comprehensive guide by Muchmore Design

 

Renovating a home can be a daunting task. With so many decisions to make and details to consider, it’s easy to feel overwhelmed and not know where to begin. For any renovation project to be successful, you need to work with the right experts in the right areas.

Working with an interior designer gives you access to a partner who can be with you from before planning permission to placing the final cushion in your home—someone who helps carry the stress of a renovation project so you don’t have to.

You’ll gain access to design ideas, finishes, layouts, and suppliers you may never have considered, as well as benefit from working with someone with years of experience to help you save time and money on your project. Working with an interior designer can turn your renovation project from something scary into something exciting!

large_first

Maximising Budget and Minimising Waste

Interior designers can sometimes be seen as an additional luxury on a project—an added expense that would be best spent elsewhere. In practice, though, interior designers can help ensure every single pound spent on the interior fit-out is stretched as far as possible. Having a trained eye and working in the industry and on clients' homes as long as we have means we know exactly what elements of a design will add the most value to a project. With our knowledge, we can help clients achieve the design feel they want without breaking the bank. An example of that might be putting more budget behind statement kitchen cabinetry and bespoke joinery and saving elsewhere by using cost-effective materials in less focal areas. Or, rather than knocking down a whole wall in a room, removing a less critical partition and introducing a large, bespoke sliding door instead. Working alongside our accredited suppliers also gives you access to various trade discounts, meaning you can make a direct saving when purchasing items with us. There is no set budget you need to have when working with an interior designer; we work on a vast array of projects where clients can be spending £50,000 to over £500,000 on the project as a whole. Whatever the budget, interior design services can bring savings.

When curating a home, you want to remember all the senses, not just sight. Texture is important to help create a tactile, soothing environment you want to spend time in. Soften those clean architectural lines with natural materials that you can’t help but touch. When you’re surrounded by smooth, perfect surfaces, it helps to break it up with some subtle imperfections. This might be the rich grain on a wooden dining table, a leather armchair that beautifully patinates with time, or naturally creased linen that gives a relaxed, effortless appeal. Don’t forget scent as well – certain fragrances can help evoke happy memories or transport us to favourite places.

1

Full renovation of a family home, exploring the connection between living spaces

The Scenario House, Stoke Newington during NLA Open house event

If you’re considering a residential architectural project in Hertfordshire, we’re here to help, whether it’s a renovation, extension or new-build.

We've created a brief illustrated overview to help you understand each stage of the process, whether you’re planning a home extension, renovation or new-build in Hertfordshire. Most architecture projects in Hertfordshire require planning permission from the relevant district council within Hertfordshire. With our successful record securing planning permission on behalf of our clients, we can claim home advantage across Hertfordshire and neighbouring Buckinghamshire.

Most building projects in Fulham require approval from the local authority. Fulham architects can help you through the process, collaborating with council officials to see through your application. Scenario Architects has successfully steered clients through the permissions stage.

We’ve drawn up an illustrated synopsis to help guide you through the planning process for a Fulham-based renovation, restoration, addition or new-build.

Focal Shift fire place, first project as local architects in Hackney E9

The Scenario house, Hackney during NLA Open house event

Tip

Avoiding Common Pitfalls

Renovation projects are full of potential pitfalls that can derail even the best-laid plans. When you are spending large sums renovating your home, it’s critical that the project runs as smoothly and mistake-free as possible to help with costs. Having any project go well is all about working with experts in their respective areas and involving them as soon as possible. By working alongside a top architect like Scenario in the planning process, for example, we can review plans and layout suggestions well before anything is submitted, saving you time and money on having to do revisions later down the line. Another classic pitfall clients can sometimes run into is having their budget not account for every single detail in the design. This can lead to clients having to compromise on details purely because of a lack of remaining budget near the end of a project. Working with an interior designer like Muchmore Design means we will have already accounted for all interior cost elements and presented you with a budget breakdown well before the build is underway, ensuring that there do not need to be any last-minute compromises. Our early involvement can also help you obtain more comprehensive quotations from contractors. By clarifying the interior materials and configurations before starting the tender process you can be assured that your build and fit-out quotations cover all aspects.

Colour is a very subjective thing; we all have different reactions to different tones. What matters is how colour makes you feel. The colour red can remind us of emergency signs and impending danger, so might be best suited in a space where you want to stay alert and invigorated. Cooler colours, like green, have strong associations with nature and can make us feel tranquil. Blue, however, can leave some people feeling cold. The safest bet when creating a space that can stand the test of time is to stick to calming neutrals. They needn’t be dull and boring; think of them as a simple backdrop for everything else to tell the story. In uncertain times we need a bit of comfort, which maybe why beige is everywhere in the interiors world at the moment.

1

Tip

The value of a cohesive aesthetic

To create a cohesive aesthetic in any home renovation or design requires all elements of design to be considered, from the colour of the walls to the hinges on the doors. When renovating a home, clients typically focus on the "biggest" areas of the design, such as feature wood flooring or how the kitchen will look. While these elements are critical, it is just as important to consider all details in the design to create a cohesive aesthetic, not just the "big-ticket" items. Let's take ironmongery and sockets and switches as an example. When you are undertaking a large renovation project, the finishes of these items might be very low on your list of priorities, but it's details such as these that will make a home feel truly elevated. Getting these details right requires time and expertise; you need to know the right suppliers to not only provide the exact finish you want but also offer it within a price range that works for your budget. You need to have a sample of the fixture and place it alongside other sample elements in the home to see how they will work together. You need to be aware of how that particular finish might wear and age over time. This is a process we follow for every single element we design in a home. It’s how we can ensure that a design will work before the first item has even been fitted and why the expertise of an interior designer is so valuable in ensuring all elements of your home work together seamlessly.

We’re becomingly increasingly disconnected to the natural world, especially when it comes to living in urban spaces. This is where biophilic design can help. Biophilia literally translates as a ‘love of nature’. In the design world, it translates as a set of principles that can allow us to reconnect with nature and support our wellbeing. This might mean using natural patterns and forms that bring to mind those we might recognise from outside our homes, or maximising day light to create bright, airy spaces that help lift our mood. Plants can help improve air quality, and have also been show to reduce stress levels and even improve productivity in the work place.

1

The Real Value

Taking on renovations for your home is always a costly process, regardless of your budget. We understand that there is always going to be some trepidation that comes from spending that amount of money. This is why, upon request, we offer a free service where a design-conscious estate agent provides an appraisal of your property based on the proposed design. This way, you can compare your estimated project spend with a real-world valuation to give you peace of mind that your budget is being well invested. Even if you have no plans to sell for many years, you will still know your investment is secure.

It’s your home so you make the rules right? You home should be a personal expression of your tastes, hopes, dreams and aspirations. Right from the beginning of the design process, think about what you really like to do in your home and what makes you feel good. Then design around that so it can better support you everyday. Some people may need a quiet corner to read a book to feel calm, others might prefer to relax with friends by cooking a big, cosy meal. Look around you and surround yourself with familiar objects that evoke happy feelings. A home comes alive when it’s animated with books, unique finds and favourite artworks. If something is no longer serving you, let it go and try to live with less, but better.

1

Complete renovation and extension of a family home

With a strong belief that good design should be accessible to all, Cate St Hill set up her blog in 2011, sharing simple interior design for everyday living. She is drawn to Scandinavian-inspired spaces and pared-back interiors, where the neutral, understated decor becomes a backdrop for everyday life. On the blog, Cate aim's to show stylish spaces that are minimal yet feel authentic, honest, warm and inviting. It’s all about curating a home with less but better – prioritising simplicity, sustainability and design built to last.

Cate St Hill: design and interiors writer, blogger, stylist and consultant based in south London, UK

Introductions and existing relationships

A well-established design studio like us at Muchmore Design has developed and refined a network of accredited suppliers. Working with an interior designer can instantly introduce you to these suppliers and products, saving you time on researching and inquiring. Another plus is that, because we have already worked with these suppliers, you know you're not risking your money by buying items from people you have never worked with or ordered from before. We only work with suppliers that deliver time and time again. It’s just another way that working with an interior designer can help lift the stress of a project.

1

Design that works for you and your lifestyle

Here at Muchmore Design, being interior architects as well as interior designers, means when working on any design, we always consider the functional elements as well. A client may have their heart set on a big kitchen island, but if their kitchen is too narrow, no one would be able to comfortably walk around it. A great design has to be aesthetically pleasing as well as practical to live in; you cannot have one without the other. It's a bit like a restaurant serving amazing food but with terrible service! The two have to work hand in hand for the best experience. It’s imperative to feel comfortable in your home, and having a design that flows and works for your way of life is exactly what working with an interior designer can bring.   All in all, working with an interior designer doesn’t just mean you get an amazing-looking home at the end; along the way, you also get your time, money, and headaches saved too! If you’re thinking about having some work done on your home, please reach out to us today for a free consultation: info@muchmore-design.com / 020 8674 8352.

1

About Muchmore Design

1