September 3, 2025 • 19 mins
Ever wondered if hiring an interior designer is worth the investment? Design Anatomy hosts Bree Banfield and Lauren Li tackle this question head-on, sharing five compelling reasons why professional design guidance can transform your renovation or building project from potentially disastrous to genuinely delightful.
Drawing from their wealth of experience, Bree and Lauren reveal the costly mistakes they've witnessed when homeowners go it alone. From a client who replaced windows before consulting a designer (limiting bathroom layout options forever) to another who wasted money refinishing mismatched timber floors that could never look cohesive, these real-world examples highlight how seemingly small decisions can have major consequences.
The designers emphasize that having a comprehensive plan isn't just about aesthetics—it's about clear communication with builders and tradespeople who need specific guidance. Without professional documentation detailing everything from tapware mounting to tile edge finishing, homeowners often find themselves making rushed decisions or discovering too late that what they envisioned isn't what they received. As Lauren explains, "You've just invested all of your time and money... and if they don't have the information, they're going to make it up and you're going to pay for it."
Beyond preventing mistakes, designers bring valuable expertise to material selections, spatial planning, and technical requirements that most homeowners wouldn't think to consider. They know which suppliers offer the best products for specific needs and have established relationships with reliable tradespeople. Whether you're undertaking a full renovation or simply need help refining your vision, consulting a designer can ultimately save you time, money, and the heartache of living with regrettable design choices.
Struggling with a design dilemma? Both Bree and Lauren offer focused online design consultations to help you overcome specific challenges without the full service commitment. Book a session today and gain the confidence to create a home you'll truly love.
Bree is now offering a 90-minute online design consult to help you tackle key challenges like colour selection, furniture curation, layout, and styling. Get tailored one-on-one advice and a detailed follow-up report with actionable recommendations—all without a full-service commitment.
Bookings now open - Book now
Join Lauren online for a workshop to help break down the Design steps to run your project & business a little smoother with the Design Process MasterClass, opening 15th October!
For more info see below
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:01):
Welcome to Design Anatomy, the interior design
podcast hosted by friends andfellow designers.
Me, brie Banfield.
Speaker 2 (00:07):
And me, Lauren Lee, with some amazing guest
appearances along the way.
Speaker 1 (00:11):
We're here to break down everything from current
trends to timeless style.
Speaker 2 (00:15):
With a shared passion for joyful, colour-filled and
lived-in spaces.
We're excited to share ourinsights and inspiration with
you.
Speaker 1 (00:22):
Before we jump into our episode, Lauren and I would
love to share what's happeningwith us in our actual, real jobs
.
At the moment, we're offering a90-minute design consult online
.
So if you're overwhelmed byoptions, second-guessing your
style or just living in a spacethat doesn't feel right, a
90-minute consult with me couldmake all the difference.
(00:44):
So it's one focused onlinesession.
We'll work through all your keychallenges, whether it's
choosing colors, curatingfurniture, making sure the
layout works or even juststyling a space.
It's tailored advice from me,one-on-one, and you'll receive a
clear written report afterwardswith everything we discussed,
plus some extra recommendationsso you can move forward with
confidence.
So it's a no full servicecommitment, just expert help
(01:08):
right when you need it.
And bookings are available nowso you can head to the show
notes to find out more there andwhat's happening with you,
Lauren.
Speaker 2 (01:15):
Oh well, apart from getting really excited about
Milan and Paris next year, ohyes, absolutely.
I've actually been doing abunch of those consult
consultations as well, and theyare so fulfilling.
And we just I did one thismorning, actually, with a lady
who was meeting me from thebeach.
She was she's like oh, I don'tmean to boast, but I think I
(01:36):
might be getting sunburned.
I'm like I've got my heater onin Melbourne.
Down here she was in Caloundralove it so, anyway, it's really
fun to be able to help peoplefrom all around the place, um,
but I thought I might justmention um another way you can
learn a bit more about interiordesign.
I don't know if you're onSubstack, but it's a really
great platform for all differenttypes of writers it's really
(01:59):
cool.
So, um, I have a page therecalled the style studies and I
talk about.
You know, the latest one wasabout tiles and I've just got
rounded up like a hundred,probably a hundred different
tiles.
So if you want a bit more aboutinterior design, your love of
tiles shining through.
It's probably a bit boring on anobsession, but anyway we get it
(02:19):
here right.
We're all friends here.
So, yeah, maybe jump over tothe Style Studies.
You can subscribe for free, andthere are some special content
that I save for my paidsubscribers over there.
So thank you if you're a paidsubscriber as well.
But today let's get into it,because we are talking about why
you should even bother hiringan interior designer, and I've
(02:40):
got five big reasons.
Speaker 1 (02:42):
Well, only five.
I reckon I could rattle off atleast 50.
But go on All right.
What's number one?
Speaker 2 (02:49):
I think my biggest one is number one have a plan,
because without a plan you'rejust kind of winging it.
You don't know what you'reaiming for.
And if you don't know whatyou're aiming for, then how is
your builder supposed to know?
So true.
It's something that I just find,even with this lovely lady that
I met today, she's building ahouse for the first time.
(03:10):
We don't do this every day, wedon't know what to do, and it's
just having that overall planEverybody's on the same page
like literally put it onto apage.
But if you're, I understand.
There are so many beautifulimages out there, there are so
many different aspects we likefrom different images and plus,
we're all talking about imageshere and you know what it's like
(03:33):
, right, it's a smoking herosituation.
So I think having a plan isgood.
Speaker 1 (03:39):
Yeah, no, totally, and I think also just that
reassurance.
So when you sort of startingout A someone who can explain to
you the best way to go about it, as you said, have a good plan
and then also so you don't missanything.
So I feel like I've worked withclients before where they've
come to me and gone, we didn'teven realize we had to do X, x
(03:59):
and X and we haven't thoughtabout it.
And now we need to come up withthis in the next two weeks or
whatever, because there's a timeframe.
So at least if you're workingwith an interior designer and
you have a plan, they alreadyknow all the things you need to
think about and you can startthinking about them as early as
possible.
Which I guess kind of brings usto what I think is number two,
which is working with thebuilder too early.
(04:20):
So this is a really common one,because obviously you get very
excited.
What's the first thing you thinkabout?
If you're renovating orbuilding from scratch, whatever
it is, it's who's going to makeit, who's going to build it,
who's going to put it together.
So you might sort of jump intothat first and whilst that's
great to be researching, you'regoing to have to be making all
these decisions without havingthat plan and overall vision for
(04:42):
the space.
So if you can get, I guess, aninterior designer on board early
enough, a they're going to havethe plan for you and B they're
going to help you even just makea great decision about the
right builder.
They can give you that adviceabout who they think helps sort
of fit your look, your style,your budget, whereas you're just
kind of like you know, yes, youcan research it, but the
(05:02):
interior designer's job is tosort of understand and know you,
so there can be the perfectperson to be kind of this, I
guess, sounding board about whothe right builder is right.
Speaker 2 (05:17):
Exactly, and I mean it kind of does tie into having
a plan as well.
I get it because I mean I'vecome into projects where, oh,
we're ready to renovate, soexactly what you said.
They call the builder.
I understand that does seemlogical.
And then when we get a builder,then we can figure out or the
builders are asking frominformation what is the flooring
, what are the tiles?
And they're like oh, okay, weneed to figure that out.
The last thing a builder wantsto do is to stand around in a
(05:39):
tile store with you scratchingtheir heads.
That's just not their job.
Or, and the last thing you wantis to get the the sample bag
that he's had that.
This is what the last clientshave all done.
This is what we do.
That happens a lot doesn't iteven?
Speaker 1 (05:55):
like you know, if you've hired a trade like a
painter or something, they'remost likely going to go.
Speaker 2 (05:59):
Oh, natural white, it's good, because they used it
on the last job, you know andespecially if you're doing a
custom build, it's like well,why would you want a cookie
cutter?
Look, when you've got thisopportunity to do a custom build
, um, and I know that um, I'vegot a client at the moment.
I know she listens to thepodcast um yeah, she's.
(06:19):
I have to say not that she's,she does.
She's a very busy lady.
I don't think she listens toall the time, but but she's such
a cool woman.
But, um, if you've not been inthat building kind of renovation
thing before, you just don'tknow.
And one of the the things that'sa bit disappointing is that she
wanted to replace some windowsupstairs, but basically it's
about renovating some bathrooms.
(06:41):
So what she did before shecalled me is she replaced the
windows with what was existing.
So I didn't know that thosewindows were brand new, made in
Germany, really good quality.
But they're really really bigfor a bathroom.
So there I was designing thisbathroom.
We're going to have a bigshower and we're going to have
this really great vanity.
We're going to swap over thisand that we're going to make it
(07:02):
amazing more functional.
And then she's like oh, but wecan't do that because those
windows have to stay.
I was like, oh, my God, Ididn't know that one knew.
She's like I really wish.
I hired you before I paid forthese really expensive windows.
So it's things like that I'venow.
I didn't know I probably shouldhave asked, but because we were
renovating the bathrooms Ithought the windows were up for
(07:24):
grabs and they could be changed.
Why would you think yeah, andI've now shown her this amazing
option that she can't actuallyhave, so it's things like that,
and I think it's about getting abuilder too early without
having that plan.
It kind of goes together.
I think number three, whichkind of leads into that as well,
it's communicating what youwant.
Speaker 1 (07:44):
And it does sound obvious, but it does.
Speaker 2 (07:47):
And I'm actually quite curious.
You know, if you've renovated,if you've built without a
designer, how do you communicatethat?
Because I know that.
You know when you work with adesigner, we put everything down
in drawings.
So documentation, which meansthat it's got dimensions, it
shows the locations and fittingsand fixtures and lighting.
It's just a part, forms part ofthe contract.
(08:08):
But before all of that, we comeup with the design and we show
that visually and sometimes youcan show things using mood
boards.
But there's things like is thetap wall mounted?
Is it bench mounted?
They need to know these thingswhen they're roughing in with
the plumbing.
And just this lady I met before.
She was so cool and I don'twant to pick on her because
(08:30):
she's just top of mind, but it'sjust such a common thing.
I actually asked her how areyou going to communicate these
ideas to the builder?
And she's like oh, we just do awalkthrough.
And I explained and I said toher bare minimum, I was just
doing a consultation.
I said why don't you puttogether this information on a
mood board?
I don't care what you usePowerPoint Canva.
List out what the fittings arethe tapware wall mounted, is it
(08:54):
under mounted?
Basin, is it this or that?
List out all the finishes foreach room by room.
I mean, as a designer, weconvey that information in a
more refined technical way.
It just means that, because ifyou've got a builder who then
gives those drawings to aplumber, they can understand,
but if you give a mood board toa plumber, they're just like I
(09:14):
don't know what to do.
Speaker 1 (09:23):
I can't even imagine doing that.
That would be quite funnyactually.
I might prank one of my tradesand say here you go, can you
make it look like this Well, Imean, that's the danger.
Speaker 2 (09:29):
You've just invested all of your time and money.
You've been dreaming about thisluxurious en suite bathroom
because you've been living in asmall apartment for the past
your whole life and now's yourchance.
And you see what they, if theydon't have the information,
they're going to make it up andyou're going to pay for it.
Speaker 1 (09:46):
You know, even as a designer, I find you know I
really have to check thosedetails, like on joinery or even
just the way tiles are finished.
So you know, if you're tiling abathroom and it's not a fully
tiled bathroom, where do thetiles stop?
How are they finishing that?
Is there a little, you know,niche for soap and whatever?
And how are they finishing allthose edges?
Are they mited?
(10:06):
Is there a metal angle?
If you don't have thatdocumented somewhere, they'll
either put you on the spot andgo what do you want here, and
they're about to literally do it, or they're on the day where
it's going to happen and youhave to make the decision, or
you'll get something and thenyou'll look at it and go, oh,
that's.
I kind of thought it would belike this.
So you know, that's our jobreally is to be making sure
those details are correct andare the way you want them to be,
(10:30):
because in the end, that's whatyou're stuck with.
Are you going to pull the tilesoff and redo them just so you
can have a mitered edge?
Well, it's going to cost youmoney, because if it wasn't
explained and somewhere inwriting in the first place, then
the builder's going to go well,you never told us you don't
want to get stuck with that.
(10:50):
And I guess that sort of leadsinto what I would say is number
four, and that's access toexpertise, so that you know
again that those things aregoing to be needed.
So if you're doing a bathroomreno for the first time, you
might think, oh well, I guessit's just standard to have, you
know, a metal angle finishinghere and here and here, and it's
(11:10):
not, it's just one option,right?
Whereas how would you know?
Maybe you're just basing it ona bathroom you lived in before,
or someone else's bathroom, or aphoto of a bathroom, and a
designer is going to say, well,actually a better way to do this
is xxx, because you have thishappening here and this
happening here and these twothings coming together.
So we can make, I guess,elevate what could be like an
(11:32):
okay space based on what you'vepotentially this is what I want
it to look like we can make itan amazing space literally just
through those little details,and you don't know what they are
unless you have that expertise.
Speaker 2 (11:44):
A hundred percent, and I mean talking again about a
bathroom.
It could be something so smallbut as so impactful as using the
correct type of grout.
You want to use an epoxy grout.
That is going to be a loteasier to clean.
It might cost you a little bitmore up front, but you know, the
metal angle thing.
I mean it just actually sendsshivers down my spine thinking
(12:06):
of spending three hundreddollars per meter on a beautiful
tile and your eye just goesthrough straight to this shiny
silver edging around a showerniche and your heart is sunk.
Speaker 1 (12:18):
You just invested thousands of dollars and I think
that comes back to the savingmoney we can save you money in
those kind of scenarios.
Speaker 2 (12:28):
I mean even back to the window scenario, where that
was one example where she waslike I wish I had have bought
you in before.
I would have had smallerwindows.
I could have had a great layoutfor my bathroom, and it's also
without having that plan.
The client had sanded andrefinished all of the timber
flooring throughout the house,which seems like a great thing
(12:49):
to do, but it's the type of thespecies of the floor.
They're different.
So no matter how much you'regoing to sand that and refinish
that, you're never going to behappy with the different species
that intersect and it's not ina pleasing way.
Yeah, and that was a waste ofmoney to sand and refinish those
(13:11):
floors.
Speaker 1 (13:11):
And that's a big job.
We were going to have to put anengineered floor over the top.
Speaker 2 (13:15):
We're going to have to do that, my god such a waste
of money it's such a waste ofmoney and it's it's really
upsetting that's having tohappen.
Um, yeah, we can't work aroundit.
That flooring is differentspecies, it's just.
Speaker 1 (13:27):
There's nothing else we can do flooring such a really
good example.
Because, you know, even if youjust get a designer involved to,
I guess, look over everythingand make sure that all your base
finishes will work.
Because, say, you know, howmany times have we worked on a
project where the flooring is,say, a particular, like it's
spotted gum, which is abeautiful floor but it's very
(13:50):
difficult to work with with manycolor schemes, so that you sort
of have to go a particular waywith it?
So if you've sort of alreadymade that decision just on its
own, without looking ateverything else and going, but I
really love this floor, butthen I want pink walls, well,
you kind of that does not work.
So, as a bit of an extremeexample, but those base finishes
have to be right, don't they?
Speaker 2 (14:10):
Totally, and I think that another example to talk
about flooring would be.
So my slab's just been pouredand now I'm treating my flooring
and I want to have a crazy pavegoing through the entry that
meets up seamlessly with thetimber floor.
Speaker 1 (14:24):
All those floorings are different thicknesses, so
that's off the table now.
Speaker 2 (14:28):
We cannot do that, so if we can know those things
right at the beginning, beforewe've done any building work.
You can have those things.
You can have a PowerPoint inthe middle of your lounge room
to use your laptop and yourphone and all that stuff, all of
those things.
You can't retrofit that througha slab.
So I think when you see thoseendless mistakes it's really
(14:51):
upsetting.
Expensive mistakes, sorry.
And also the time I love workingwith clients that are
professional women workingexpensive mistakes sorry.
And also the time I loveworking with clients that are
professional women working incorporate lawyers.
They're the best.
We get it done, and I justthink they're just such cool
people.
They don't have the time to goback and forward to the tile
(15:12):
shop ten times over, so I thinkworking with the designer.
I've been to all the tile shops.
I can't stop talking abouttiles, as it turns out.
I've looked at them, I'mobsessing over them.
I know that if you want a stonemosaic, we're going to go to
(15:34):
Byzantine.
If you want a full-bodiedporcelain.
We're going to Tianto if wewant to Zelige.
Speaker 1 (15:36):
Where are we going?
Bree Tales of Ezra.
Speaker 2 (15:37):
I don't know, oh yeah , but we know, we know you don't
have to figure that stuff out.
We are efficient and we canbring from all of those great
suppliers and also we likeworking with nice people.
So you know, I'm going to beworking with those suppliers.
That are just something youknow, I'm going to be working
with those suppliers that arejust something will go wrong.
You will need to lean on yoursuppliers and your trades, so we
(16:00):
want to work with the bestpeople.
And that's, I guess, anotherthing that we can bring to the
table as well.
Speaker 1 (16:05):
Yeah, that's 0.6.
Speaker 2 (16:07):
I know.
Well, you did say you had 50.
Speaker 1 (16:10):
I know we could keep going, we could keep going on
and on and on yes, but yes no,yeah, contacts is actually a
really good one, and just andwell, it really comes back to
expertise.
I think our point aboutexpertise is we do know people
as well, so we know the placesto go for the right things,
Whereas you could be like I kindof want this, I don't even know
where to start, because there'sso many different suppliers out
(16:31):
there.
You know think about fabricsthat's probably one of the
biggest ones that you can kindof fall into a massive rabbit
hole, Whereas we'll know thatyou know if you're looking for a
particular type of fabric andprice points as well, because
then that fits into it.
We know which suppliers to goto for that.
Yeah, but I think that's.
I think it's a pretty goodsummary of five amazing reasons
why you would bother hiring aninterior designer, right?
Speaker 2 (17:02):
Exactly, and I mean, it's also finding a designer
that you can talk with, that youclick with and I'm definitely
not the right designer foreveryone and we all offer a
different service as well.
You mentioned at the top thereyou're offering an online
consultation and I started doingthat as well, but I think
traditionally we've done fullservice, so there's more than
one way to work with thedesigner as well, and I'm trying
to meet people where they arebecause, like this lady I met
(17:22):
this morning, she wanted a bitof a sounding board and she felt
really confident to move on andgo.
Yes, these are great.
Speaker 1 (17:29):
And it's so great to be able to help someone when
they're in that position.
All we want is for you to loveyour home in the end and to feel
really great about thedecisions you make.
So, yeah, it is really nice tobe able to do those one-on-ones
and do, I guess, a paired backservice.
And I guess that's the otherthing.
You know, if you're coveting adesigner and you think that
that's all they do, it's alwaysworth just reaching out to them
(17:51):
and saying you know, look, Ihave a smallish project, I have
a smallish budget.
Do you?
Do you know a one-offconsultation, just so I can use
you as a sounding board?
I'd love your opinion and a lotof designers will do that.
Speaker 2 (18:02):
Or you just come to Lauren and I and you know also,
I don't work across alldifferent sort of aesthetics and
styles.
So if you've come into me witha certain aesthetic that I'm not
that familiar with maybe thesupplies that I work with don't
offer that um style I would liketo be able to point you into a
direction of somebody that canhelp, absolutely, yeah, yeah,
(18:24):
for sure, cool, we're only hereto help talk about tiles and
things all day long, so I guessbasically it's plan.
Don't rush into engaging abuilder.
Communicate clearly what youwant and use expert brains to
save yourself time and money.
Speaker 1 (18:43):
Yeah, it's pretty simple.
I hope that you got somethingout of that listening and we'll
be back with some amazing tipsagain, probably next week.
Speaker 2 (18:57):
See you, bree.
We've got the utmost respectfor the Wurundjeri people of the
Kulin Nation.
They're the OG custodians ofthis unceded land and its waters
, where we set up shop, createand call home and come to you.
From this podcast today, a bigshout out to all of the amazing
elders who have walked before us, those leading the way in the
(19:20):
present and the emerging leaderswho will carry the torch into
the future.
We're just lucky to be on thisjourney together.
Welcome to Design Anatomy, the interior design
podcast hosted by friends andfellow designers.
Me, brie Banfield.
Speaker 2 (00:07):
And me, Lauren Lee, with some amazing guest
appearances along the way.
Speaker 1 (00:11):
We're here to break down everything from current
trends to timeless style.
Speaker 2 (00:15):
With a shared passion for joyful, colour-filled and
lived-in spaces.
We're excited to share ourinsights and inspiration with
you.
Speaker 1 (00:22):
Before we jump into our episode, Lauren and I would
love to share what's happeningwith us in our actual, real jobs
.
At the moment, we're offering a90-minute design consult online
.
So if you're overwhelmed byoptions, second-guessing your
style or just living in a spacethat doesn't feel right, a
90-minute consult with me couldmake all the difference.
(00:44):
So it's one focused onlinesession.
We'll work through all your keychallenges, whether it's
choosing colors, curatingfurniture, making sure the
layout works or even juststyling a space.
It's tailored advice from me,one-on-one, and you'll receive a
clear written report afterwardswith everything we discussed,
plus some extra recommendationsso you can move forward with
confidence.
So it's a no full servicecommitment, just expert help
(01:08):
right when you need it.
And bookings are available nowso you can head to the show
notes to find out more there andwhat's happening with you,
Lauren.
Speaker 2 (01:15):
Oh well, apart from getting really excited about
Milan and Paris next year, ohyes, absolutely.
I've actually been doing abunch of those consult
consultations as well, and theyare so fulfilling.
And we just I did one thismorning, actually, with a lady
who was meeting me from thebeach.
She was she's like oh, I don'tmean to boast, but I think I
(01:36):
might be getting sunburned.
I'm like I've got my heater onin Melbourne.
Down here she was in Caloundralove it so, anyway, it's really
fun to be able to help peoplefrom all around the place, um,
but I thought I might justmention um another way you can
learn a bit more about interiordesign.
I don't know if you're onSubstack, but it's a really
great platform for all differenttypes of writers it's really
(01:59):
cool.
So, um, I have a page therecalled the style studies and I
talk about.
You know, the latest one wasabout tiles and I've just got
rounded up like a hundred,probably a hundred different
tiles.
So if you want a bit more aboutinterior design, your love of
tiles shining through.
It's probably a bit boring on anobsession, but anyway we get it
(02:19):
here right.
We're all friends here.
So, yeah, maybe jump over tothe Style Studies.
You can subscribe for free, andthere are some special content
that I save for my paidsubscribers over there.
So thank you if you're a paidsubscriber as well.
But today let's get into it,because we are talking about why
you should even bother hiringan interior designer, and I've
(02:40):
got five big reasons.
Speaker 1 (02:42):
Well, only five.
I reckon I could rattle off atleast 50.
But go on All right.
What's number one?
Speaker 2 (02:49):
I think my biggest one is number one have a plan,
because without a plan you'rejust kind of winging it.
You don't know what you'reaiming for.
And if you don't know whatyou're aiming for, then how is
your builder supposed to know?
So true.
It's something that I just find,even with this lovely lady that
I met today, she's building ahouse for the first time.
(03:10):
We don't do this every day, wedon't know what to do, and it's
just having that overall planEverybody's on the same page
like literally put it onto apage.
But if you're, I understand.
There are so many beautifulimages out there, there are so
many different aspects we likefrom different images and plus,
we're all talking about imageshere and you know what it's like
(03:33):
, right, it's a smoking herosituation.
So I think having a plan isgood.
Speaker 1 (03:39):
Yeah, no, totally, and I think also just that
reassurance.
So when you sort of startingout A someone who can explain to
you the best way to go about it, as you said, have a good plan
and then also so you don't missanything.
So I feel like I've worked withclients before where they've
come to me and gone, we didn'teven realize we had to do X, x
(03:59):
and X and we haven't thoughtabout it.
And now we need to come up withthis in the next two weeks or
whatever, because there's a timeframe.
So at least if you're workingwith an interior designer and
you have a plan, they alreadyknow all the things you need to
think about and you can startthinking about them as early as
possible.
Which I guess kind of brings usto what I think is number two,
which is working with thebuilder too early.
(04:20):
So this is a really common one,because obviously you get very
excited.
What's the first thing you thinkabout?
If you're renovating orbuilding from scratch, whatever
it is, it's who's going to makeit, who's going to build it,
who's going to put it together.
So you might sort of jump intothat first and whilst that's
great to be researching, you'regoing to have to be making all
these decisions without havingthat plan and overall vision for
(04:42):
the space.
So if you can get, I guess, aninterior designer on board early
enough, a they're going to havethe plan for you and B they're
going to help you even just makea great decision about the
right builder.
They can give you that adviceabout who they think helps sort
of fit your look, your style,your budget, whereas you're just
kind of like you know, yes, youcan research it, but the
(05:02):
interior designer's job is tosort of understand and know you,
so there can be the perfectperson to be kind of this, I
guess, sounding board about whothe right builder is right.
Speaker 2 (05:17):
Exactly, and I mean it kind of does tie into having
a plan as well.
I get it because I mean I'vecome into projects where, oh,
we're ready to renovate, soexactly what you said.
They call the builder.
I understand that does seemlogical.
And then when we get a builder,then we can figure out or the
builders are asking frominformation what is the flooring
, what are the tiles?
And they're like oh, okay, weneed to figure that out.
The last thing a builder wantsto do is to stand around in a
(05:39):
tile store with you scratchingtheir heads.
That's just not their job.
Or, and the last thing you wantis to get the the sample bag
that he's had that.
This is what the last clientshave all done.
This is what we do.
That happens a lot doesn't iteven?
Speaker 1 (05:55):
like you know, if you've hired a trade like a
painter or something, they'remost likely going to go.
Speaker 2 (05:59):
Oh, natural white, it's good, because they used it
on the last job, you know andespecially if you're doing a
custom build, it's like well,why would you want a cookie
cutter?
Look, when you've got thisopportunity to do a custom build
, um, and I know that um, I'vegot a client at the moment.
I know she listens to thepodcast um yeah, she's.
(06:19):
I have to say not that she's,she does.
She's a very busy lady.
I don't think she listens toall the time, but but she's such
a cool woman.
But, um, if you've not been inthat building kind of renovation
thing before, you just don'tknow.
And one of the the things that'sa bit disappointing is that she
wanted to replace some windowsupstairs, but basically it's
about renovating some bathrooms.
(06:41):
So what she did before shecalled me is she replaced the
windows with what was existing.
So I didn't know that thosewindows were brand new, made in
Germany, really good quality.
But they're really really bigfor a bathroom.
So there I was designing thisbathroom.
We're going to have a bigshower and we're going to have
this really great vanity.
We're going to swap over thisand that we're going to make it
(07:02):
amazing more functional.
And then she's like oh, but wecan't do that because those
windows have to stay.
I was like, oh, my God, Ididn't know that one knew.
She's like I really wish.
I hired you before I paid forthese really expensive windows.
So it's things like that I'venow.
I didn't know I probably shouldhave asked, but because we were
renovating the bathrooms Ithought the windows were up for
(07:24):
grabs and they could be changed.
Why would you think yeah, andI've now shown her this amazing
option that she can't actuallyhave, so it's things like that,
and I think it's about getting abuilder too early without
having that plan.
It kind of goes together.
I think number three, whichkind of leads into that as well,
it's communicating what youwant.
Speaker 1 (07:44):
And it does sound obvious, but it does.
Speaker 2 (07:47):
And I'm actually quite curious.
You know, if you've renovated,if you've built without a
designer, how do you communicatethat?
Because I know that.
You know when you work with adesigner, we put everything down
in drawings.
So documentation, which meansthat it's got dimensions, it
shows the locations and fittingsand fixtures and lighting.
It's just a part, forms part ofthe contract.
(08:08):
But before all of that, we comeup with the design and we show
that visually and sometimes youcan show things using mood
boards.
But there's things like is thetap wall mounted?
Is it bench mounted?
They need to know these thingswhen they're roughing in with
the plumbing.
And just this lady I met before.
She was so cool and I don'twant to pick on her because
(08:30):
she's just top of mind, but it'sjust such a common thing.
I actually asked her how areyou going to communicate these
ideas to the builder?
And she's like oh, we just do awalkthrough.
And I explained and I said toher bare minimum, I was just
doing a consultation.
I said why don't you puttogether this information on a
mood board?
I don't care what you usePowerPoint Canva.
List out what the fittings arethe tapware wall mounted, is it
(08:54):
under mounted?
Basin, is it this or that?
List out all the finishes foreach room by room.
I mean, as a designer, weconvey that information in a
more refined technical way.
It just means that, because ifyou've got a builder who then
gives those drawings to aplumber, they can understand,
but if you give a mood board toa plumber, they're just like I
(09:14):
don't know what to do.
Speaker 1 (09:23):
I can't even imagine doing that.
That would be quite funnyactually.
I might prank one of my tradesand say here you go, can you
make it look like this Well, Imean, that's the danger.
Speaker 2 (09:29):
You've just invested all of your time and money.
You've been dreaming about thisluxurious en suite bathroom
because you've been living in asmall apartment for the past
your whole life and now's yourchance.
And you see what they, if theydon't have the information,
they're going to make it up andyou're going to pay for it.
Speaker 1 (09:46):
You know, even as a designer, I find you know I
really have to check thosedetails, like on joinery or even
just the way tiles are finished.
So you know, if you're tiling abathroom and it's not a fully
tiled bathroom, where do thetiles stop?
How are they finishing that?
Is there a little, you know,niche for soap and whatever?
And how are they finishing allthose edges?
Are they mited?
(10:06):
Is there a metal angle?
If you don't have thatdocumented somewhere, they'll
either put you on the spot andgo what do you want here, and
they're about to literally do it, or they're on the day where
it's going to happen and youhave to make the decision, or
you'll get something and thenyou'll look at it and go, oh,
that's.
I kind of thought it would belike this.
So you know, that's our jobreally is to be making sure
those details are correct andare the way you want them to be,
(10:30):
because in the end, that's whatyou're stuck with.
Are you going to pull the tilesoff and redo them just so you
can have a mitered edge?
Well, it's going to cost youmoney, because if it wasn't
explained and somewhere inwriting in the first place, then
the builder's going to go well,you never told us you don't
want to get stuck with that.
(10:50):
And I guess that sort of leadsinto what I would say is number
four, and that's access toexpertise, so that you know
again that those things aregoing to be needed.
So if you're doing a bathroomreno for the first time, you
might think, oh well, I guessit's just standard to have, you
know, a metal angle finishinghere and here and here, and it's
(11:10):
not, it's just one option,right?
Whereas how would you know?
Maybe you're just basing it ona bathroom you lived in before,
or someone else's bathroom, or aphoto of a bathroom, and a
designer is going to say, well,actually a better way to do this
is xxx, because you have thishappening here and this
happening here and these twothings coming together.
So we can make, I guess,elevate what could be like an
(11:32):
okay space based on what you'vepotentially this is what I want
it to look like we can make itan amazing space literally just
through those little details,and you don't know what they are
unless you have that expertise.
Speaker 2 (11:44):
A hundred percent, and I mean talking again about a
bathroom.
It could be something so smallbut as so impactful as using the
correct type of grout.
You want to use an epoxy grout.
That is going to be a loteasier to clean.
It might cost you a little bitmore up front, but you know, the
metal angle thing.
I mean it just actually sendsshivers down my spine thinking
(12:06):
of spending three hundreddollars per meter on a beautiful
tile and your eye just goesthrough straight to this shiny
silver edging around a showerniche and your heart is sunk.
Speaker 1 (12:18):
You just invested thousands of dollars and I think
that comes back to the savingmoney we can save you money in
those kind of scenarios.
Speaker 2 (12:28):
I mean even back to the window scenario, where that
was one example where she waslike I wish I had have bought
you in before.
I would have had smallerwindows.
I could have had a great layoutfor my bathroom, and it's also
without having that plan.
The client had sanded andrefinished all of the timber
flooring throughout the house,which seems like a great thing
(12:49):
to do, but it's the type of thespecies of the floor.
They're different.
So no matter how much you'regoing to sand that and refinish
that, you're never going to behappy with the different species
that intersect and it's not ina pleasing way.
Yeah, and that was a waste ofmoney to sand and refinish those
(13:11):
floors.
Speaker 1 (13:11):
And that's a big job.
We were going to have to put anengineered floor over the top.
Speaker 2 (13:15):
We're going to have to do that, my god such a waste
of money it's such a waste ofmoney and it's it's really
upsetting that's having tohappen.
Um, yeah, we can't work aroundit.
That flooring is differentspecies, it's just.
Speaker 1 (13:27):
There's nothing else we can do flooring such a really
good example.
Because, you know, even if youjust get a designer involved to,
I guess, look over everythingand make sure that all your base
finishes will work.
Because, say, you know, howmany times have we worked on a
project where the flooring is,say, a particular, like it's
spotted gum, which is abeautiful floor but it's very
(13:50):
difficult to work with with manycolor schemes, so that you sort
of have to go a particular waywith it?
So if you've sort of alreadymade that decision just on its
own, without looking ateverything else and going, but I
really love this floor, butthen I want pink walls, well,
you kind of that does not work.
So, as a bit of an extremeexample, but those base finishes
have to be right, don't they?
Speaker 2 (14:10):
Totally, and I think that another example to talk
about flooring would be.
So my slab's just been pouredand now I'm treating my flooring
and I want to have a crazy pavegoing through the entry that
meets up seamlessly with thetimber floor.
Speaker 1 (14:24):
All those floorings are different thicknesses, so
that's off the table now.
Speaker 2 (14:28):
We cannot do that, so if we can know those things
right at the beginning, beforewe've done any building work.
You can have those things.
You can have a PowerPoint inthe middle of your lounge room
to use your laptop and yourphone and all that stuff, all of
those things.
You can't retrofit that througha slab.
So I think when you see thoseendless mistakes it's really
(14:51):
upsetting.
Expensive mistakes, sorry.
And also the time I love workingwith clients that are
professional women workingexpensive mistakes sorry.
And also the time I loveworking with clients that are
professional women working incorporate lawyers.
They're the best.
We get it done, and I justthink they're just such cool
people.
They don't have the time to goback and forward to the tile
(15:12):
shop ten times over, so I thinkworking with the designer.
I've been to all the tile shops.
I can't stop talking abouttiles, as it turns out.
I've looked at them, I'mobsessing over them.
I know that if you want a stonemosaic, we're going to go to
(15:34):
Byzantine.
If you want a full-bodiedporcelain.
We're going to Tianto if wewant to Zelige.
Speaker 1 (15:36):
Where are we going?
Bree Tales of Ezra.
Speaker 2 (15:37):
I don't know, oh yeah , but we know, we know you don't
have to figure that stuff out.
We are efficient and we canbring from all of those great
suppliers and also we likeworking with nice people.
So you know, I'm going to beworking with those suppliers.
That are just something youknow, I'm going to be working
with those suppliers that arejust something will go wrong.
You will need to lean on yoursuppliers and your trades, so we
(16:00):
want to work with the bestpeople.
And that's, I guess, anotherthing that we can bring to the
table as well.
Speaker 1 (16:05):
Yeah, that's 0.6.
Speaker 2 (16:07):
I know.
Well, you did say you had 50.
Speaker 1 (16:10):
I know we could keep going, we could keep going on
and on and on yes, but yes no,yeah, contacts is actually a
really good one, and just andwell, it really comes back to
expertise.
I think our point aboutexpertise is we do know people
as well, so we know the placesto go for the right things,
Whereas you could be like I kindof want this, I don't even know
where to start, because there'sso many different suppliers out
(16:31):
there.
You know think about fabricsthat's probably one of the
biggest ones that you can kindof fall into a massive rabbit
hole, Whereas we'll know thatyou know if you're looking for a
particular type of fabric andprice points as well, because
then that fits into it.
We know which suppliers to goto for that.
Yeah, but I think that's.
I think it's a pretty goodsummary of five amazing reasons
why you would bother hiring aninterior designer, right?
Speaker 2 (17:02):
Exactly, and I mean, it's also finding a designer
that you can talk with, that youclick with and I'm definitely
not the right designer foreveryone and we all offer a
different service as well.
You mentioned at the top thereyou're offering an online
consultation and I started doingthat as well, but I think
traditionally we've done fullservice, so there's more than
one way to work with thedesigner as well, and I'm trying
to meet people where they arebecause, like this lady I met
(17:22):
this morning, she wanted a bitof a sounding board and she felt
really confident to move on andgo.
Yes, these are great.
Speaker 1 (17:29):
And it's so great to be able to help someone when
they're in that position.
All we want is for you to loveyour home in the end and to feel
really great about thedecisions you make.
So, yeah, it is really nice tobe able to do those one-on-ones
and do, I guess, a paired backservice.
And I guess that's the otherthing.
You know, if you're coveting adesigner and you think that
that's all they do, it's alwaysworth just reaching out to them
(17:51):
and saying you know, look, Ihave a smallish project, I have
a smallish budget.
Do you?
Do you know a one-offconsultation, just so I can use
you as a sounding board?
I'd love your opinion and a lotof designers will do that.
Speaker 2 (18:02):
Or you just come to Lauren and I and you know also,
I don't work across alldifferent sort of aesthetics and
styles.
So if you've come into me witha certain aesthetic that I'm not
that familiar with maybe thesupplies that I work with don't
offer that um style I would liketo be able to point you into a
direction of somebody that canhelp, absolutely, yeah, yeah,
(18:24):
for sure, cool, we're only hereto help talk about tiles and
things all day long, so I guessbasically it's plan.
Don't rush into engaging abuilder.
Communicate clearly what youwant and use expert brains to
save yourself time and money.
Speaker 1 (18:43):
Yeah, it's pretty simple.
I hope that you got somethingout of that listening and we'll
be back with some amazing tipsagain, probably next week.
Speaker 2 (18:57):
See you, bree.
We've got the utmost respectfor the Wurundjeri people of the
Kulin Nation.
They're the OG custodians ofthis unceded land and its waters
, where we set up shop, createand call home and come to you.
From this podcast today, a bigshout out to all of the amazing
elders who have walked before us, those leading the way in the
(19:20):
present and the emerging leaderswho will carry the torch into
the future.
We're just lucky to be on thisjourney together.
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