The Interior Design Process & Services Offered
I offer a personalised, full service approach for both residential and commercial interior design, focusing on mid to high end residential projects, and small scale commercial spaces. This covers new builds, renovations and refreshes. Furthermore, I can seamlessly collaborate with your architect or building designer, to ensure a cohesive project and unified design approach.
My process is a creative journey that takes the interior design aspect of your project off your plate. I implement systems and processes that help manage the project design, budget and timeframe. To address all three key points of your design project, I not only focus heavily on the design aspects, I also have touch points for your budget and timeframe throughout the design process. The purpose of the process is to build upon ideas as I receive feedback from you, to ensure the final design package meets your expectations and results in a design that is both functional and beautiful. As we move through the process, the details become more specific but it all starts with a concept.
When is the appropriate time to engage my services?
As soon as you have a new build, renovation or refresh project in mind. For new builds, I recommend reaching out to me either before or concurrently with contacting your architect or building designer, to ensure seamless professional collaboration.
What is the process?
• Phase One - Discovery and Concept
• Phase Two - Design and Documentation
• Phase Three - Implementation and Design Project Consultation
My services include selecting either Phase One and Two only, or selecting all three phases. You do not need to select Phase Three up front, as this can be decided upon towards the end of Phase Two. Phases One and Two are flat fee services, while Phase Three is an hourly rate.
What is involved in each phase of the process?
Phase One
DISCOVERY & CONCEPT
• Your initial inquiry via a short online questionnaire.
• Briefing: Complimentary, 30 to 45 minute phone or Zoom design exploration, to discuss a brief overview of your project and determine if we are both a good fit to work on your project together.
• Consultation: Paid, in person, on-site design consultation of approximately 2 hours, where we take a closer look at what your project entails, enabling me to compile your design brief and gain details of the scope of the project. We discuss your requirements, vision, investment and timeframe.
• A further online questionnaire may be required after the design consultation, depending on the project.
• Proposal delivery: Complimentary in person or Zoom meeting, where I apply all of the details captured in our design consultation to present your personalised design and fee proposal, which outlines a summary of your project phases, confirmation of the scope of works, design fees, payments schedule, examples of work for each stage, agreement for signing and deposit invoice for payment. If after you have viewed your design proposal, you feel comfortable moving forward, the scope of works are updated if required, and we move on to the Concepts and Schematics stage.
• Extensive research is conducted to develop and refine the design concepts.
• Concept presentation is compiled, featuring an abstract overview of design ideas, including concept images and initial schematic sketches.
• Concepts & Schematics delivery: In person or Zoom meeting where I deliver the project design concepts and schematic sketches.
• Upon approval of the design concepts and schematics, I visit the project site to take detailed measurements and before photos. For new builds, this will be collaborating with your architect or building designer, or simply acquiring all detailed plans already in place.
• I organise and attend meetings to bring together all of the major contractors on the project, such as builders, engineers, plumbers, joiners and electricians, to review design concepts, assess investment requirements, discuss any structural prerequisites, buildability and timeframes.
• In person or Zoom meeting, where I present to you a draft project investment forecast based on feedback from meetings with contractors (draft estimate, not quote), along with a draft design program based on estimated time frames.
Phase Two
DESIGN & DOCUMENTATION
• Specification of details, such as furniture, fittings, fixtures, appliances, equipment and materials (FF&E Schedule).
• In person meeting where I present your initial set of designs, in both 2D and 3D, along with presentation of material and hardware samples. An updated investment forecast is discussed and design feedback noted. This meeting can be done via Zoom for projects out of the mid north coast area, where I will post material and hardware samples to you prior.
• In person meeting where I present your detailed design and documentation package, including detailed floor plans, elevations and sections, electrical and lighting design plan (RCP), FF&E schedule, and colour 3D renders. This meeting can be done via Zoom for projects out of the mid north coast area, where I will post updates of any material and hardware samples to you prior.
• At this point, you can elect to either take your design package and manage the implementation yourself, or, continue to work with me through the implementation and design project consulting phase.
Phase Three
IMPLEMENTATION & DESIGN PROJECT CONSULTING
• Submission of tender documentation packages to all relevant contractors.
• Tender documentation and investment estimates from relevant contractors is presented to you, along with final quotes for all items in the FF&E schedule.
• You would sign contracts with any relevant contractors at this stage, such as builders and cabinet makers, and pay any invoices for items in the FF&E schedule.
• Creation of design documentation packages for all relevant contractors.
• Ordering of all items in the FF&E schedule.
• Project consultation of all design implementation stages, with regular site visits by me to check on progress.
• Weekly progress updates emailed to you.
• Regular meetings with you during relevant stages, depending on the project, with meeting notes emailed to you.
• Project consultation for installation of all furniture and fixtures, such as window treatments, lighting, wallpaper and other relevant decor pieces by relevant contractors.
• Final clean by contractor.
• Styling for photography.
• Photography day to document the completed design project.
• Walk through with you and hand over of the design project, including a package with all relevant documentation.
• Follow up meeting one month after hand over.