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Thought you couldn’t afford an interior designer? Think again
Many retailers now offer in-house design services to help you decorate every room – and it doesn’t have to cost a penny
Imagine you have a room – or perhaps an entire house – that could do with a decorative uplift. You’ve trawled through the interior glossies, Instagram and Pinterest for inspiration, but you have no idea where to start. While hiring an interior designer or decorator is the obvious first step, for many of us right now it seems simply too expensive, or perhaps a little daunting.
Luckily, interior retailers are at hand to help with a range of burgeoning in-house design services that will help give you the advice and confidence you need to get going, but without breaking the bank. This could be as simple as working out how to play more bravely with bold colour and prints, coming up with a better furniture layout, or finding that spectacular statement piece that will make a room sing. Here are seven to consider, whatever your budget.
Soho Home
Candy Murray, Soho Home’s interior style manager, worked for the design side of Soho House before setting up the retail arm’s interior design service in response to Soho House members and Soho Home customers wanting to “take a bit of the members’ club design magic home with them”. “We can create a whole floor-to-ceiling look, advise on how to incorporate our Soho Home pieces with existing pieces, or just have a 10-minute chat about cushion options or choosing a rug,” she says.
What does the service involve?
Book online for an initial design consultation, either one-to-one at Soho Home Studios in London, or via Zoom (available nationwide). “We talk about the needs of the space – for example, is it for a young family needing more practical materials, or for glamorous entertaining – and then then work out the brief from there,” says Murray. Where appropriate, they can work through architect’s design plans and mood boards.
What makes it special?
“We’re not precious about keeping to one style – our focus is on comfy, cosy and relaxed,” says Murray. “Mixing different influences, from mid-century modernism and Seventies boho chic to beach-house neutrals, keeps things fresh and exciting.” A popular starting point is finding the right statement piece, such as a sculptural stone coffee table for the living room or a marble vanity unit for the bathroom.
How much does it cost?
This varies with each project: a quick chat or initial consultation is free, while the design fee for one room is £300 (redeemable on a £3,000 spend at Soho Home), or £500 for up to three rooms (redeemable on a £5,000 spend); sohohome.com.
House of Hackney
“We want to demystify the world of interior design,” says Steve Corcoran, House of Hackney’s decorating consultancy manager. “We know that people like House of Hackney for the way our prints and palate are rooted in nature, but they don’t always know how to apply that to their own homes. We will ask how someone wants to feel in a room – mood is so dependent on colour, pattern and texture – and then assess the orientation and function of the room, before finding the right look, whether that’s minimalism, maximalism, traditional or modern.”
What does the service involve?
Book an appointment online, either to visit the showroom or have the team to come to you (if based in London), or speak via Zoom (available nationwide). Complete a pre-appointment questionnaire so that the team can do the necessary preparatory work (initial mood boards and material samples) to present during the appointment. They will also recommend House of Hackney-approved carpet fitters, curtain fitters and painter/decorators around the country, who will verify exact measurements before the team orders furniture, tiles, paint, fabric and wallpaper (in a bid to be more sustainable, everything is made to order).
What makes it special?
No scheme is too big or small. “We’re happy advising on paint palette, upholstery, curtains or blinds through to interior styling (the finishing touches) or a full decorating consultation, where we create a whole scheme,” says Corcoran. “It can be a downstairs loo or a six-bedroom house – but it’s not just about putting ornaments and cushions in a room, it is really thinking about its function and creating a scheme with trust and purpose.”
How much does it cost?
It’s a completely complimentary service, providing advice, solutions and inspiration; houseofhackney.com.
John Lewis
With over 100 stylists around the UK, the John Lewis home-design service offers advice on anything from refreshing one room to transforming a whole house, with personalised advice and inspiration. While the design ethos behind John Lewis’s Anyday range offers clean-lined, contemporary British style, the mix of designer brands also available at John Lewis allows the team to work with myriad design styles.
What does the service involve?
After filling out a quick questionnaire about the space, you meet with your chosen or local Home Design Stylist either virtually (30 minutes) or instore (60 minutes), to discuss ideas, requirements and inspiration before agreeing next steps. The stylist will then present a mood board, floor plan and 3D-visualisation to help visualise their suggestions.
What makes it special?
The John Lewis team of home stylists are certified by the British Academy of Interior Design, and can draw on the John Lewis ranges as well as brands such as Tom Dixon, Ercol, Axminster, Miele, Case and Sonos. With advice on anything from kitchen appliances to beds, sofas and music systems, they can transform one room or a whole house. They also work with various British partner companies to provide custom designs for sofas, beds, storage units, curtains and more.
How much does it cost?
Free, with no pressure to buy and no minimum spend; johnlewis.com.
Neptune
Neptune’s emphasis on simple, comfortable and long-lasting designs – from kitchen cabinets to dining tables, beds, sofas and writing desks, all crafted in natural materials and swathed in earthy hues – is a style that works in both traditional and contemporary homes.
What does the service involve?
Book a free consultation either in store or over video call to discuss your project and explore Neptune’s collections. If you sign up to the full service, the designer will visit your home to discuss ideas, review the space and take precise measurements, and will follow up with a design folder full of mood boards, samples, floor plans, renderings and a detailed quote. Once everything is ordered and delivered, the designer will be there on the day to supervise the install and add the final styling touches.
What makes it special?
As well as its home design service, Neptune also offers a colour consultancy service to help you choose paint (£200 for up to four rooms), a kitchen design service, and consultations for bespoke curtains, blinds and carpets.
How much does it cost?
£350 for the first room, and £250 for each additional room, redeemable against £7,000 per room. A £10,000+ home design project will include £1,000 worth of accessories; neptune.com.
OKA
OKA’s charm lies in its mix of rich textures and patterns, and timeless silhouettes. Its interior design team lives by the motto that your home should be relaxed and comfortable, where nothing is too precious to be enjoyed, and will happily work with a customer’s existing pieces, while advising on simple details such as cushions or lamp pairings.
What does the service involve?
A consultation with one of OKA’s interior designers, in store or online, is followed by a home visit for them to get a better feel for the space, and to share ideas on paint colours, fabrics and furniture. They then create floor plans, mood boards and elevations so that you can get a feel for the final design. On delivery, a white glove service will unpack and carefully arrange everything in your home.
What makes it special?
OKA’s design team can help reimagine an old family dining room, create a colour scheme based on a favourite shade of paint, or sprinkle in finishing touches such as cushions, throws, rugs and decorative objects that help to personalise a space. It also offers bespoke services for curtains, blinds and upholstery.
How much does it cost?
The initial consultation is free, after which a £450 deposit is redeemable against a £5,000 spend per room.; oka.com.
Heal’s
Heal’s champions British design, bringing together designers such as Matthew Hilton, Tom Raffield and Russell Pinch with international brands such as Kartell, Vitra, Fritz Hansen and Knoll. It’s the place where you could combine an iconic Saarinen table and Hans Wegner Wishbone chairs with a Terence Woodgate pendant light and Eleanor Pritchard rug. The design focus is on cool, contemporary lines with a hint of whimsical glamour thrown in.
What does the service involve?
After a free consultation, either in store or online, mood boards and detailed floor plans can be created or a site visit can be arranged for anyone living close to a Heal’s store (London, Kingston, Canterbury, Batley, York and Newcastle). Projects are managed from start to finish, including ordering, delivery, installation and aftercare.
What makes it special?
As Heal’s offers such a comprehensive selection of furniture, lighting and home accessories, the team can work towards any style, from contemporary, mid-century modern or classic traditional to Scandi chic.
How much does it cost?
Consultations are free of charge, with no minimum spend. A redeemable deposit of £200 is requested for larger projects that require floor plans to be created; heals.com.
Designers Guild
While Designers Guild is renowned for its electric colour palette and bold use of pattern, its vibrancy can be turned up or down according to your taste and style of home. Working on projects across the country, the team aims to “give people a little nudge” in a more colourful direction, says retail manager Sam Moore. Adding texture and depth to a room is also key, by using the full breadth of the company’s collection of fabrics.
What does the service involve?
After an initial one-hour consultation where a designer will discuss your home and needs, they will then take you through a carefully curated set of inspirational references, images, samples and virtual mood boards (depending on project scope); instruct a fitter to measure, and commission any specialist craftspeople required (with your approval); and on completion ensure all items are delivered, unpacked and styled with care and attention.
What makes it special?
“We can help you choose a sofa and curtains, or decorate an entire house, all the way down to cutlery,” says Moore. The team can recommend the brand’s own range of paints, fabrics, wallpapers, tableware and rugs, but can also source externally, from contemporary furniture by Knoll, Hay and Magis and bespoke furniture by Julian Chichester to vintage finds. They have lots of clever decorating tricks to share, too.
How much does it cost?
The one-hour initial consultation to discuss and determine your style, requirements, budget and timescale is free, in store or online. An at-home consultation costs £295 in London and the Home Counties, and is available on request further afield. Any consultation charges are redeemable against your project; designersguild.com.
Other services to try
The Expert offers online consultations with leading interior designers such as Sophie Ashby and Vicky Charles (whose clients include George and Amal Clooney, Harry Styles and the Beckhams). Both around £822 for 55 minutes; theexpert.com.
Interior designer Charlotte Crosland, whose style ethos emphasises “colour, comfort, softness and tranquillity” has launched an online-only single room design service. The Three Essentials package (walls, floors and windows) costs £499; while the Single Room Complete (including decorative lighting, furniture and a floorplan) costs £899; charlottecrosland.com.
Subscribe to Create Academy for access to more than 30 online interior design and garden courses led by some of the best in the design business, including Rita Konig, Nina Campbell and Kathryn Ireland. You can also search the platform according to a specific need, e.g. “painting with red”, and save advice from different lessons into your own bespoke folder. Courses (with lifetime access) cost from £49-£147, or you can pay for a monthly or annual subscription (£27 or £244 respectively) to access every course; createacademy.com.