In a recent blog post we talked about myths around using interior designers. One of the biggest myths that we come across is that interior design is expensive. Is it ever possible to get affordable interior design?
Yes it really is! In this blog I’m going to share how many of our customers use Create Perfect services achieve a designer look in their own homes for a fraction of the cost of a full interior design service.
Interior design does involve a lot of decisions about spending money which is where the expensive myth comes in. However think about it like this. In most cases your home is probably the most expensive thing you will ever buy. After this it is most likely to be a car and then home renovation or furnishing. As well as being life essentials all of these things are assets which will serve you well if you invest in them and look after their welfare. An obvious example of this is that if you invest in a beautifully designed home when you come to sell it you will achieve the best possible price for the market.
When you think about interior design as an investment rather than an expense it is one that makes good sense. Here is exactly what you’re investing in:
An interior designer to make the right decisions
This can cover anything from colour palettes to layout and furniture choices. Designers have seen hundreds of homes in every condition. From a dilapidated period building to a new build apartment. From compact spaces to large open plan schemes. Each of these buildings and the lifestyle you want to live in them come with their own challenges. With their knowledge and experience they will recognise them all. Investing in their knowledge ensures you make the right decisions the first time around and avoid expensive pitfalls that you may regret later.
Quality fixtures and fittings
If you are upfront about your budget an experienced designer will guide you in a choice of quality fixtures and fittings which don’t necessarily have to be expensive. The main thing is an experienced designer will know exactly where is pays to spend and where you can save but still achieve a designer look
Affordable interior design with Create Perfect
Create Perfect design packages are available at many different levels. The full service package is a fully hands on personal service taking all of the tasks on board to leave you free of any concerns about your renovation. Floor and wall covering calculations, colour charts from room to room, bathroom and kitchen fixtures, window treatments and a full shopping list of everything you need.
However not all of our customers require this level of service. They may already have a good idea of how they want their homes to look and they just need some help to tie it all together. Additionally there is always the key issue of budget. So here’s 3 ways they use Create Perfect’s affordable interior design services to make it happen
1. Layout Review - £175
Layout is one of the hardest and most important areas of your home design to get right. With this package, after a questionnaire on your existing design you get a professional second set of eyes look over your plans. Clients maybe looking for feedback for more detail on architects designs or how kitchen company plans will work with the rest of the room. Alternatively they may simply be looking to improve on their own ideas for existing rooms. This package ensures a room is effectively designed to suit their lifestyle.
The 6-7 page PDF report provides honest and professional feedback as well as expert tips and advice on how to improve your plans to work for you. *please note we do not offer new plans/designs as part of this package
2. Room Decor Review - £195
After reviewing online questionnaires from the client Gina reviews their basic ideas on room design and layout and pulls together a 5-9 page PDF decor report with sections on layout, lighting, colour and pattern, furniture and accessories. She’ll reveal how to design the space based on an initial brief. Reports are specifically tailored to your needs and can often include how to integrate your existing treasured furniture into a new and refreshed scheme.
Following the report step by step, taking useful tips and advice allows them to confidently create their perfect space for less than the price of a new washing machine!
3. Room by Room Advice
Many Create Perfect clients have recently completed large renovation projects. Whilst budgets may be stretched they still recognise the importance of creating the perfect finished look by adding a designer touch to their decor. Staggering the cost by working room by room is an effective way to progress your interiors as budget becomes available. This can either be with full service on a single room design or a pdf report on the room the wish to work on next.
Often clients use this service to ensure a consistent design scheme as they progress from room to room. Or for example how to incorporate a new addition such as a kitchen extension to flow with the rest of the house.
How it works
You can easily book these reports on our website. After booking you are asked a few basic questions around what you’d like to achieve with the package. We then forward a more in depth questionnaire to look at the specific areas we are going to be discussing in the report. So, for example, if it is around a bedroom the questionnaire is tailored to this room to make sure we have all the information needed to be as much help as possible.
The reports take 2-3 days for the questionnaires and briefing stage and then 4-5 to complete depending on the complexity.
Create Perfect Projects
Here are some examples of Create Perfect projects created with PDF reports
Hilary's Kitchen
For this kitchen design Gina provided colour advice and lighting design remotely by PDF report
Here's what Hilary said about working with Gina remotely to create her kitchen plan. Read the full review on the Create Perfect Houzz Profile
"I have never used an interior designed before and was a bit nervous to be honest... Because a kitchen is so expensive I wanted a bit of help... I already had plans drawn up but wanted her to look over them and give advice on layout and decor. The report was very detailed and every item was well thought and and considered... Gina seemed to get what I wanted very quickly and came up with ideas and suggestions that were very close to what I was looking at but that just seemed to look so much better. Her lighting plan was fantastic and I would never have come up with what she suggested on my own. I think that will really raise the kitchen up to another level not only with how it looks but how well it will work. Working over email was great, even though Gina was never inside my house, she managed to understand what I was trying to do and how I wanted it to look. Couldn't recommend enough."
Claire's Loft
Claire worked with Gina on a whole house renovation using a full service to complete her kitchen whilst loft rooms were designed using PDF reports to define the colour schemes and layouts
Claire says:
"Prior to working with Gina I was under the impression interior designers were all about paint colours and cushions and whilst she is undoubtedly incredibly talented at colour schemes and pulling everything together, it was undoubtedly her skill and knowledge on space planning that was worth its weight in gold.
She listened carefully to all of our requirements (extensive and unusual in some cases!) and then presented us with 6 different spatial layouts all with 3D designs to help us visualise how the space would look with walls removed, replaced and repositioned.
Not only did she present us with the different options to consider but provided detailed, professional and well laid out documents that highlighted the pro's and con's of each design to help us make out decision."
Read the full review on Houzz
Contact Gina if you'd like to find out more about Create Perfect's affordable design services or book a PDF report to put your plans in place to create your perfect home