HOME DESIGN SOLUTIONS

Creating comfortable and inviting homes for the whole family

STEP ONE

Tell us about your project

Complete our short questionnaire so we can make sure we have the capacity to help you. We can then set up a free 30 minute discovery call, so you can tell us about your project.

We’ll discuss the brief at an on-site meeting and use this information to write your design proposal, which is then discussed with you in person.

* Please note that there is a fee of £400 for the work in step one, which allows us to dedicate the time to get to know you and provide an accurate fee proposal.

STEP TWO

We’ll listen

The first part of our design process is finding out about you and your family: what styles you are drawn to, what you like and don’t like and how you want your home to make you feel. We take the time to consider all of these aspects and then interpret the results into our designs.

This approach means you will receive a meaningful design that fits in perfectly with your lifestyle and style preferences and also reflects your personality.

STEP THREE

Creating your design concept

Your design journey starts with the concept, as this drives the design and serves as a reference point throughout the process.

Your design ideas will be presented to you using pictures, drawings and moodboards (digital and physical), so you can see and feel how the different colours, textures and materials interact with each other.

Once the concept is approved, your furniture layout, colours, and the finishes are presented, so you can visualise all the ideas as a whole and see how they come together.

STEP FOUR

Developed design

Once the concept is approved we get down to the details. This stage is all about refining your design and specifying the finishes and materials for the key surfaces. The technical drawings, lighting and electrical plans are created at this stage.

STEP FIVE

Procurement

We have an extensive network of trusted suppliers, so will source and supply the materials, finishes and furniture to complete your design.

We'll save you time by purchasing these items for you. We’ll arrange the delivery and installation, so you don’t have to get bogged down with the logistics.

STEP SIX

Installation

We understand that a home project is a big undertaking - especially for families who already run busy lives.

That's why we aim to make the design and renovation process as stress-free and time-efficient as possible. We'll support you and will be on hand to deal with any queries.

How we've helped our clients

"Alison was brilliant to work with throughout the course of our 18-month major house renovation project. She was able to quickly understand our style and requirements, from which she developed design plans and recommendations with great vision and masses of creativity. Her sourcing work was a critical element in the ultimate success of our project - she was a trustworthy, positive, energetic and imaginative force who gave us the inspiration to soldier on through a very difficult and complex renovation. And the end result is absolutely stunning! We highly recommend Alison!"

— Paul & Bruce, Gerrards Cross

Frequently Asked Questions - Home Design Solutions

  • We have written a blog post which outlines our process, which can be found here.

    The design steps that we follow for each stage of our work can be found above.

  • The best time to hire a designer is as soon as you know you are going to be designing a home or a room. If we can be a part of the conversations with the architect (where they are involved) it gives us the advantage of being able to influence things like the placement of doors and windows as well as getting a detailed understanding of your requirements. We may not need to be present at every meeting, but the more engaged we early on in the process, the better the results will be.

    If you are just designing one room, then again, as early as possible, so we can be involved in the design process from start to finish.

  • We have a range of services to fit different budgets and the level of help you need. You’ll find the prices for each service on the packages section of our website.

  • We offer a free 30 minute discovery phone call, so we can find out how we can help you and check your timeline, to ensure we have the capacity to work with you.

    If you would like to move forward with one of our Design Solutions packages, we will then set up meet and greet in person, so we can discuss our services and how we can help with your project.

    This initial site visit is priced at £400 (Inc VAT). During this time we will find out more about your project, and take photographs. Using this information, we create the scope of work document.

    This charge is fully deductible from our fees if you decide to go ahead with the proposal.

  • We charge a 15% procurement fee. We then pass on the full trade discount, which ranges from 5% to 50% depending on the supplier and the products (this excludes fabrics, see below).

    We act as an agent for the sourcing and supply off FF&E, which means we are acting on behalf of our clients and with their authority. This means that the liabilities in regard to the products rest with the supplier.

    We offer a 10% discount on fabrics. This only applies to the suppliers that we have accounts with.

  • Our larger scale projects tend to be based in Hertfordshire, Cambridgeshire and Bedfordshire, but we are always happy to work with clients who live further afield.

    If you live outside of our usual area, please contact us so we can discuss how we could work together on your project.

  • There are lots of different factors involved in a project, so this is a tricky question to answer. It can range from a few weeks to a couple of years, depending on the scope and scale of the project.

    Time estimates are given in the scope of work document, but this can change due to factors outside of our control, such as building work and supplier delays.

  • We work in a very collaborative way, so our clients are fully involved in the design process and direction. We offer one round of revisions at the end of each design phase, so if there is anything you would like to change, this can be done at these stages.

    If changes are made later on in the design process and it has an impact on the scope of work, we charge an additional fee at our hourly rate. Any additional fees are always discussed with the client and approved in advance.

  • We specialise in kitchens and full home renovation projects for family homes in Hertfordshire, Cambridgeshire and Bedfordshire.

    However, we also offer smaller, less hands-on Zoom based design packages, so clients are able to pick the services to suit their needs, location and budget.

    Most of our projects tend to centre around period properties and reflect our love of pattern, beautiful fabrics and a relaxed interior style, that's suited to the buildings and families we work with.

  • Our Helping Hands Design Consultation will deliver design ideas and the inspiration you need for one room.

    Your consultation will be personally tailored so that we can make sure everything is perfect, from the fabrics and paint colours, to the finishing touches. More information can be found here.