Property Professionals: My Interior Stylist

We're back with another Property Professional Profile! This time, we interview interior designer, Zoe Brewer. Zoe is the director of My Interior Stylist, a one-stop shop for various interior design needs, including residential and business styling, home-staging and TV and event styling. Zoe will soon open a pop-up design shop in Willesden Green as well.

What is "interior styling" and what are some examples of your projects?
Interior styling covers a large area of design. The title describes all manner of styling from interior re-design to weddings, home-staging and anything that involves making a place look pretty! I started out with home-staging, show homes and residential interiors, all of which I still do, but my favouite jobs are "one-off" styling moments, i.e. events, editorial or TV.

What are the most important pieces and/or rooms you focus on when styling a home?
This varies depending on the person and the house. I think it's important to work out the person and what they want from their home before the design process begins. However, personally, I think the bedroom is very important to get right. We spend something like one-third of our life in bed, so it's worth spending as much as you can on a good quality bed and mattress. A few styling touches such as cushions and throws can quickly change a bland room into a luxury hotel bedroom!

What are your go-to interior design shops and inspiration sources?
My favourite designers at the moment are Lee Broom and Jonathan Adler. I also know I can always find something unusual from smaller designer makers such as Kissher and Lou Rota. Car boots and markets are like catnip to me — I have to restrain myself from over-purchasing! For inspiration, I always use Pinterest.

Can you share some simple styling tips for readers to implement in their own homes?
Styling a room needn't be costly. In fact, some things don't cost anything! Simply moving a sofa to a new position can change the whole feeling of a room. If you're on a tight budget, you may not be able to afford a chair re-upholstered in your favourite fabric, but you could buy a metre and make a cushion or two. Repurpose or up-cycle items that are past their best — it's cheaper, avoids waste and is better for the enivronment. Spray paint is a perfect way to give a new lease of life to old furniture, etc. Try to arrange your accessories in groups and keep items in odd numbers (3 or 5 candles rather than 2 or 4). Use different heights and shapes, but stick to one or two colours. Have the confidence to go with what looks good to you — it's your house!

Thanks for these great tips, Zoe. To learn more about My Interior Stylist and Zoe's work, click here.

Property Professionals: Architect

We’re adding a new feature to the Tiptoe Builders’ blog. Occasionally, we will feature property professionals. These profiles will focus on the various people working in property and making buildings beautiful. From architects to designers, painters and more, we hope you enjoy this glimpse into all the many facets of property restoration.

First on deck is Dylan Haughton, an architect we featured in our winter newsletter. Here’s a more in depth look into our interview with Dylan: (photos from http://www.dylanhaughton.com)

What are the benefits of using an architect?

          

·     Design, co-ordinated information, less time spent problem solving on site, clearly broken down pricing information for management of costs on site

Can you share some top design strategies in London homes?

·     Making efficient use of client’s existing space as London’s housing stock comes under increased pressure.

·     Many families are choosing to live centrally downsize and avoid long commutes and school runs, trading space for time and quality of life. Architects working in central London can help with this decision.

·     The large kitchen-diner space continues to be popular, shared appreciation of life around the cooking space is settling in as an  important part of UK culture.

What are an architect’s priorites when designing for a client?

·     Time, quality cost, but more than anything quality of design and outcome.

·     Other construction professionals are not in as strong a position to take an overview and offer clients a clear vision of how the money they spend will increase their quality of life within the constraints that each project has. Keeping the overview clear is a priority.

How much does an architect typically cost?

·     Architects charge in one of three ways, hourly rates for short consultations, percentage fees based on construction costs and lump sum fees. If the scope of the work both in terms of the services provided (design, on site management etc.) and the size of the job can be clearly defined then lump sum fees are the clearest solution.

·     The RIBA clients guide suggest that for residential refurbishment work architects fees are roughly in the range of 7.5% for a 500K job to 11% for a 25K.

When should an individual contact an architect?

·     Architects are all about ideas and are trained to criticize and reflect on their thinking and proposals. If you have said to yourself “I’m thinking of building a………” then get an architect round to listen to your ideas, share your thought processes and give your project a context.