As Spring slowly springs into action, you may be considering undertaking a home renovation project or perhaps even looking to acquire a new home to renovate in time for summer. The work involved in planning and managing an interior design, renovation or refurbishment project is daunting. This high-end interior design and architectural practice (highly recommended by Almost Essential) have some rules of thumb that will help turn the burdens of such an undertaking into a joy!

1.Ensure There is Chemistry

From an interior designer’s perspective every client is different in every way. How they live and how they want to live. How they entertain and spend their leisure time. What style of decor they feel comfortable with and what architectural features of their home, that they adore or have a distaste for. Before any project is commissioned, we always insist upon a chemistry meeting, it is simply essential for designer to know their client, as it’s only by understanding the person that it is possible to produce a design that will meet every aspect of the brief. Similarly, a designer cannot become a clients’ trusted advisor without first establishing a chemistry.

2.Engage Your Designer Early

Whether you want to renovate or extend, or perhaps even  demolish a property to build a new one in its’ place. Many of us want answers to the same questions before throwing ourselves into a project. These include: “Will I be able to make the changes I want to my property?”, “How can I make the best use of space?”, “How much is the project likely to cost?”, “How long will it take to complete?”, and “How can I best mitigate any conservation or planning risks?”. These risks, become more costly to fix the later they occur on a project. It is therefore essential to take advice early on in the process (even at a pre-purchase stage) from a designer. Our architects and design team offer complimentary appraisals to prospective clients, looking to undertake a project. This gives owners the confidence that their aspirations can be realised.

3.Know Your Requirements, But Be Open Minded

When discussing with a designer the aspirations for your home, it’s important to have a list of your key requirements. Whether that means incorporating a contemporary or period aesthetic, or you want to find the space to build a media room or gym. More importantly than this is being open-minded about your requirements and aspirations are interpreted by the designer. They will use their experience and skill to present ideas to you that at first glance may appear different from how you envisaged, but once presented to you in a drawing, CGI, moodboard or in the space itself may more naturally entwine the character of your property with your overall aspirations.

4.Indulge In The Process

Undertaking an interior or renovation project should be an experience, not only a process. As one of the foremost luxury interior designers in the country, we source the materials, objects, furniture and art for our projects from a diverse array of the best artisans and craftspeople internationally. It’s about much more than taking a pleasant trip abroad, it’s about discovering an Aladdin’s’ cave of ideas and inspiration and very often our clients decide to join us too. This is one of the great pleasures of undertaking a project.

5.Open Up

On the journey to renovating your property, we get to know our clients very well and during the latter stages of the project we invite our clients to join us in search of what the french call objet trouvé. This word translates as ‘object found’ and to the interior designer it refers to personal treasures perhaps found in the studio of an unknown artist, an unassuming antique market or perhaps something very personal to the client. It is important that the personal touches create a vibrant and exciting living environment that clients’ can call their own and requires our clients to open themselves to us.

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Janine Stone & Co. are an architectural, interior design and build practice with experience designing and renovating high-end residential property in London and internationally. The company uniquely acts as a main contractor and single point-of-contact throughout any design, development or new build project and therefore lifts the many burdens of managing contractors, budgets and timelines off individuals they are working for. For more information or to discuss a project please contact Janine Stone & Co. via Almost Essential.