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Healthy Homes - What does it actually mean? After all, we’ve been through over the past two years; our homes have become the main setting for our lives. With it, new priorities have been formed about the way we use our time, our connections to family our homes and the way we live. What does this mean for interiors? We're seeing more intentional interiors that, promote a sense of comfort and put more of an emphasis on well-being. Now more than ever we want interiors that improve our mood, health, and well-being. One of the best ways to do so is by unlocking and maximising the many benefits of our relationship with nature; especially when it comes to the design and interiors of our homes. An awakened sense of nature can help us all create healthier homes. Where our homes are our sanctuaries. To ground us and where we can thrive. Did you know we spend 90% of our time indoors, at least 55% in our homes? It's time we started maximising and unlocking the many benefits of our relationship with nature. Especially when it comes to designing the interiors of our homes. When we walk through our front door, we should smile because we are home, a place where we can be most comfortable. It should work to improve our mood and well-being. We are surrounded by our loved ones and the intimate items that comfort us. Where we can recharge and relax. Our homes are where some of our most precious memories are made. NATURE AND OUR WELLBEING For thousands of years, the importance of maintaining our connection with nature and our built environment has been understood. Being in nature soothes our souls, it can calm us down and alleviate the stress of our fast-paced modern lives. That is why it is beneficial for us to bring elements of the outside in when we begin designing the interior of our homes, whether we live in an apartment or a house with a garden. Bringing a little of the outside in can be simply achieved by house plants, the use of natural materials for our interior scheme with texture such as linen, cotton, wood, stone and with the use of colour, all of these elements will remind us of nature. See below a sample board using natural elements; the client wanted to create a 'jungle' effect when walking into their entrance hall, complimented with sustainable low VOC green paint, the beautiful Versailles wooden floor added a touch of luxury to this interior designed scheme. 🌿BIOPHILIC DESIGN AND YOUR HOME🌿 The use of nature and creating healthy homes is known as Biophilic design. It appeals to our heightened sense of nature and wanting to be connected to it. "People are craving a connection with natural elements, clean air, and open space as an antidote to being cooped up for so long." Biophilia employs design principles that are calming and restorative 🌿HEALTHY HOME, HAPPY HOME🌿 Here are a few helpful tips to follow when creating a new interior scheme for your room using Biophilic design principles. 🌿Bring plants into your rooms, they cleanse the air. 🌿Introduce natural materials such as stone, wooden floors or woven sisal. Keep away from no manmade fibres. 🌿Use linen, wool, cotton and silks on furniture and furnishings. 🌿Have plenty of natural light if that is possible. 🌿Create a central space in your room allowing energy to flow easily, no seating grouped in the middle. 🌿Use colours that make you feel calm - greens, blues and earth tones 🌿Do not use paints that emit harmful toxins, keep the air filtered and clean. 🎨 Read my article on the best non-toxic paints here The image below is an excellent example of the use of natural materials in a home interior: stone for the floor with lots of texture, a cow hide, oak table, rattan pendant shades, large plants and lots of natural light. Biophilic design promotes healthier living, is restorative & calming, and importantly benefits our mental health. AS WE EVOLVE SO SHOULD OUR HOMES. Hop on over to my instagram account for more great looks and information on the best interior design ideas for your home, here. For more on exquisite interior design, eco-solutions and inspiring ideas join our Green & Glam community!

I've seen a lot of social media interior design posts about paint colour recently which prompted me to update my original non-toxic paints guide. So, here it is. 🎨 This interior design and decorative paint marketplace are fiercely competitive with many of the companies all claiming to be low in chemical toxicity or VOC free which technically isn't possible. We Brits spend an enormous amount of money on our homes to the tune of £14 billion annually of which £925 million of that is on paint and wall finishes. We love our homes and have fallen in love with the interior design of our homes too. I have picked 6 of the manufacturers I believe have the best credential for non-toxicity and sustainability although there are many other brands on the market. First, a little background on this subject. 🎨 If you were born in the last 50 years when your parents were redecorating can you remember the strong smell the paint had – I can, and it was pretty overpowering – this smell was caused by constituents called volatile organic compounds (VOCs). VOCs are used in paints to give them fluidity and make them dry quickly – but when they vaporise they become damaging to our health and to the environment. That strong smell of paint that I was familiar with as a child is toxic, and is known to cause headaches and dizziness, as well as affecting asthma suffers, too. Nearly all paints contain these chemicals to enhance brightness and create the thick and smooth consistency needed to make them easy to apply. But, the fact is that paint can release VOCs into the air for years after they’ve been applied, potentially putting our families at risk. And, the effects of VOCs are about 2.5 times higher indoors than outdoors. 😱 Sounds pretty scary, doesn't it? Good-quality modern paints are low in VOCs. The best manufacturers have moved from producing oil-based paints (using petrochemicals) to producing water-based ones, to eliminate the harmful toxins. The problem is that it’s just not feasible for manufacturers to eliminate all such chemicals completely, although some say that they do. A true manufacturer of eco-friendly paints is likely to label all the ingredients on the tin, but even giving that information doesn’t mean the paint is truly environmentally friendly. For that reason, I have based my assessment on the following criteria: 🖌Where the paints are manufactured 🖌How the paints are manufactured 🖌Breathability of the paints 🖌VOC levels 🖌The use of natural ingredients Ultimately, when you’re choosing a particular paint, you’ll have in mind which criteria are most important. It might be chemical content and minimising low indoor pollution or, possibly, how and where the paint was manufactured, thus keeping a low CO2 footprint. Hopefully, this guide will make that decision a good deal easier for you. FARROW & BALL 🎨🇬🇧 I like Farrow and Ball. They are working hard to be the leaders in environmentally friendly paints – and they have an excellent colour palette. Their paints have near to zero VOCs and are manufactured in the UK. F&B’s manufacturing and waste policies are exemplary. They recycle 100% of the dry waste from their Dorset factory, where right now they’re recycling 97% of the liquid waste – including that at their on-site water treatment plant – and they’re working to get this up to 100%. F&B work with FSC®-certified printers to produce all their information materials – such as colour cards and brochures – as well as admin materials like postcards and letterheads, all printed on FSC®-certified paper and card. F&B complies with the Energy Saving Opportunity Scheme (ESOS) across all of its UK sites and is audited by the Environment Agency to ensure compliance. All around, I feel this paint company is making a concerted effort in all areas of its business. My builder, who has been in the business for 30 years plus, says out of all the “designer” paints, as he calls them, F&B is the best. (A few years ago a builder’s favourite would have been Dulux Trade, it doesn’t “cover” as well as it used to.) 🌿132 colours. 🌿Low VOC's 🌿Water based, as all non-toxic paints need to be. 🌿 Recycle 97% of liquid waste 🌿 Recycle 100% of dry waste 🌿 Vegan 🌿 for all but two of their ranges - distemper paint contains leather derivatives. 🌿 No animal testing 🐶 🌿Packaging made from 75% recycled material 🌿 Complies with ESOS - energy saving scheme at all of their sites £££ Modern Emulsion, £85.00 per 5-litre tin. LICK 🎨🇬🇧 A new company launched on the first day of the government lockdown in 2020. A catchy name trying to appeal to the millennial generation of new homeowners. Their USP (unique selling point) is the sampling. Say goodbye to buying sample paint pots and painting on walls. For £1.00 they send you an accurate as-it-is sample you can stick on the wall, which is a great idea. From an interior designers perspective, it's always a bit of a pain being able to show the accurate colour to a client on the wall. Only sold online. If you're struggling with making the right colour choice you can have a virtual consultation with one of their experts for £45.00. Getting colour right is incredibly difficult as there are so many contributing factors involved; orientation of the room, natural light source, if any, absorption from other materials in the room, all of these can dramatically change how a paint colour is seen - a headache for a lot of people. 🌿 50 colours (no gloss range) 🌿Low VOC's 🌿 Partners with '4oceans' clean up - 18g of plastic cleaned from oceans per tin sold. 🌿Partners with 'One Tree Planted' 🌳 🌿Water based, as all non-toxic paints need to be. 🌿 Vegan 🌿 🌿 No animal testing 🐶 🌿Peel and stick samples 🌿Packaging is all recyclable and made in the UK ££ £38.00 per 2.5 litre can LAKELAND 🎨🇬🇧 Lakeland has an impressive list of high-profile companies and institutions that use their paints – from Facebook HQ in California to Clarence House, to Grand Designs TV show. Their paints are manufactured in the UK. They profess to be the only paint manufacturer that is VOC-free (other paint companies will say it is impossible to be chemical-free, along with the following: From their website they claim the following: 🌿180 colours 🌿No heavy metals – No vinyl chloride, acrylic softeners, plasticisers or formaldehyde. 🌿No phthalates, alkylphenol ethoxylates (APEOs), bisphenols, glycols. No pesticides, herbicides or toxins. 🌿 VOC free (although most paint companies would say this is impossible) 🌿Free from all plastics. 🌿All packaging is 100% recycled or recyclable. 🌿Vegan 🌿 No animal testing 🐶 🌿Winner of four major environmental awards. ££-£ From £61.75 to £101.66 per 5-litre tin of emulsion paint: the cost range difference is because they offer many different types, depending on the application. EARTHBORN 🎨 This range of paint is well known for its breathable Claypaint, it is hardwearing, thick and creamy, has almost no VOCs and therefore no paint odour. The clay content helps to destroy airborne odours and contaminants, which is especially important in old properties where the damp is a concern. It’s perfect for use in kitchens and bathrooms where there might be a build-up of steam – a good alternative to limewash, which is the traditional form of permeable paint. The EU Ecolabel, established in 1992 and recognised worldwide, is an independent accreditation system for goods and services that meet the strict environmental criteria of the scheme. Earthborn paints are manufactured in Germany, which will increase its CO2 footprint through shipping. They are tinted in the UK. 🌿72 colours 🌿Eco friendly 🌿Breathable clay paint 🌿Free from plastics. 🌿Tins are made from 70% recycled metal. 🌿Vegan friendly (3 casein products are not) 🌿 No animal testing 🐶 🌿Carries EU Ecolabel. £££ £75.00 per 5-litre tin for Claypaint Emulsion. GRAPHENSTONE 🎨 VOC free, natural, breathable, and vegan meaning there have been no animals used in the testing or production of the paint in any form. Graphenstone is a Spanish company that claims their paints absorb CO2 as the paint is made from a 98% lime base which absorbs CO2. It has received excellent reviews. CO2 is a natural gas that we exhale as part of our breathing process and is harmless. But, it has become a global problem with major industries burning fossil fuels, resulting in high levels of both CO2 and methane emissions. This had created dangerous levels of pollution and global warming. Manufactured in Spain and then shipped to the UK, which means it will have a higher carbon footprint than paints that have been made here in the UK, due to the transportation of the product. The CO2 absorption might offset this transportation issue. 🌿96 house colours 🌿Low VOC's 🌿Eco friendly 🌿Breathable lime base 🌿Absorbs CO2. 🌿Contains Graphene - very strong, flexible, (graphite) 🌿Vegan 🌿 No animal testing 🐶 🌿Holds multiple eco awards - too many to mention ££ £70.61 per 4 litres of washable, natural interior wall paint - Grafclean Premium AURO 🎨 AURO has a reputation as the only paint maker in the world using exclusively natural materials . They have been perfecting paint for over 30 years with a consistent focus on sustainability and certified carbon-neutral production. Using only plant extracts, natural minerals and earth pigments, AURO has created matt paints that do not contain any plastic. They claim their paints are so pure they are compostable. It could be argued that AURO paint is the most ecologically responsible choice. 😲 Their colour palette does not have the huge selection of deep tones that you might find in others, say Farrow & Ball, for example. Their paints are breathable and vegan. AURO natural paints are free of toxic chemicals and harmful emissions. They are mainly emission-free so you can sleep in the room as soon as it’s been painted. Their natural paints have passed some of the strictest air-quality tests in the world. AURO fully declares the ingredients used in every product. AURO paints are manufactured in Germany, which increases its CO2 footprint. They are tinted in the UK. 🌿96 colours (emulsion) 🌿Low VOC's 🌿Eco friendly 🌿Clay based in some ranges 🌿Water based 🌿Vegan - although some ranges contain animal derivatives. 🌿 No animal testing 🐶 🌿Eu Ecolabel ££ £60–£70.00 per 5-litre tin for Premium washable emulsion, and Clay paint emulsion. If you need any further information on this topic, feel free to contact me here, I'm always happy to discuss a topic I'm passionate about! Alternatively reach out to me via one of my many social media platforms or by email: susan@svminteriors.co.uk. I look forward to connecting with you. 💚

Delicious Dining Rooms. Are they redundant now? Do we need a separate dining room anymore? This is an age-old topic and one that won’t go away soon. Modern life has changed and the way we interact with each other has too. Most homeowners prefer a large open plan kitchen incorporating a dining area and a space to relax. This layout is more social and interactive for the family, it lends itself to a more contemporary way of interior design and decorating. I believe many homeowners find it easier to pull together an interior design scheme in an open-plan space. Personally, I think it has challenges as one has to be careful it doesn’t look characterless and ultimately, sterile. 👉 If you inherited a separate dining room, do you use it as a dining room? I expect the answer is a firm NO! So, a lot of us are left with a redundant room in our homes. Of course, they can be turned into a home office although I expect after we return to some sort of social normalcy the convenience of walking a few feet to our places of work might have worn off as we crave getting out and seeing humans again! Perhaps the way we design and build our homes needs to change? Certainly, they need to be more sustainable and energy-saving, but, also the way we lay them out and live in them needs to be changed too? This is down to developers for new homes who largely seem to be out of touch with modern living and still throw in a separate dining room resulting in redundant space that probably won’t get used. Not exactly sustainable or energy saving. ⭐️Would you like to know what the 5 benefits of a sustainable home are? - CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD NOW your FREE GUIDE. ⭐️ Many of us inherit older homes that are filled with character and purpose-built separate dining room, with a kitchen that’s too small, so we add onto the back of the home and include space to cook, eat and relax. In reality, we really don’t need to use the rest of our homes except to wash and sleep! There are exceptions to this rule of course. You may need a separate dining room for business dinners and entertaining. Your personal preference may be to have a separate room to break bread or just because you prefer it. Not just for high days and holidays. I have a client at the moment, they have bought a new build 3 storey home in a Georgian style. It’s elegant with high ceilings. However, there are too many rooms that don't have any use. I am helping them find a purpose for these rooms and create continuity throughout the home with a cohesive interior design scheme. It’s interesting, as even with a large kitchen/dining area they are still adding a glass box to the back to increase the footprint even further, removing any reason to have a separate dining room or in fact separate lounge. The reality is, they will not use the other rooms. Which gets back to my point about developers being out of touch with how modern families use their homes. Do our homes need to be as big? Think of your energy footprint and the impact this has on our environment. At the end of the day, it's down to you the homeowner, how you want to use the space and most importantly how it makes you feel. I truly believe our homes can have a dramatic effect on our moods on a daily basis. They can be our dose of medicine. 👉 When we walk through that door we want to smile, feel safe, relaxed and ultimately joy at being home. We can do this by really understanding what it is we identify with and love. Creating spatial balance, making sustainable choices for colour, texture and furniture all help to achieve that special feeling of harmony. ⭐️ The power our homes have on us is significant and we can make sure they are positive. ⭐️ The way to create a deliciously designed dining area full of character is with colour and texture AND Integrating all those elements that you like, love and are drawn to. I recommend starting to write them down. Being an interior designer, my preference would be for a separate dining room as I can visualise so many wonderful ways to create a delightful and special room- of course! This is my checklist for designing that delicious dining room. Mixing old with new creates character and interest. 👈 Best of British Design: Choose a product that has been manufactured locally and support UK businesses. Re-use pieces that mean something to you and that you love. Buy vintage if you can. Use paint that is is very low in VOC’s. ⭐️Would you like to know more about earth-friendly healthy paints - CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD NOW your FREE GUIDE to the best available in the UK today. ⭐️ Fire surrounds - can be existing or put one in - check out LASSCO they can be expensive but have a great range of beautiful original fire surrounds. Flooring - reclaimed stone or wood flooring with character - check out Ribble Reclamation Wallpaper - UK designers and manufacturers - William Morris, Cole & Son, Farrow & Ball, Timorous Beasties, Zoffany. and there are many many more most made in the UK using earth-friendly paints, inks and FSC papers. Paint - Farrow & Ball is an all-around great company that has fully embraced sustainability fully, excellent colour pallet too. Mirror - Rough Old Glass. Mirror has taken on a new lease of life and there are many creative ways to use it. Tapestry - an interesting concept for walls. They add texture, warmth and interest. Lighting - There are a gazillion options for lighting. Try and source UK manufacturers, this I difficult when it comes to functional spotlights, but, we Brits make wonderful decorative lighting. Check out - Bert Frank, Tigermoth, Original BTC, Porto Romana and try vintage too! Smart Technology - invest in smart tech to save you money over the long term. Nest and Alexa are two, check out this article by Which gives you good information on the best. Furniture - Keep your most-loved pieces, those that give you joy. There are some companies that are manufacturing to sustainable standards, check out Tom Raffield, Adventures in Furniture, Davidson, Benchmark, Tom Faulkner. Vintage and Antique - check out, Vinterior, 1st Dibbs, Retrouvious, one of my favourites is Crystal Palace Antiques and The Old Cinema in Chiswick. There are many of these wonderful treasure troves to discover all over the UK, too many to mention but waiting for you to discover. They have become very much part of creating interior design schemes with character and interest. ⭐️If you'd like more tips and updates on healthy and earth-friendly interior design products and ideas, join my private Facebook group Green&Glam here.⭐️

I am working on a bathroom design where the focus is using sustainable design principles, products and materials. This is not a straight forward task as finding products that tick these boxes for a bathroom, are limited. Let's remind ourselves what sustainability means when applied to interior design: We are creating homes with emphasis on the health and wellness of families, individuals and our planet, by using design principles, products and materials that help reduce the use of chemicals, pollution, waste and energy consumption. We take into consideration these five key elements: Energy efficiency for heat retention. Water consumption. Lighting. Design principles applied. Products and materials. These key elements (apart from water perhaps) can be applied to any room in the home if you're looking to consider and introduce sustainable options. So, let's take each of the above listed sustainable elements and explain in more detail what we can achieve. When we are designing for a client, it's also important to understand how they would like to use the space, what finishes, colours, and energy-saving systems they might like to apply. ⭐️BUT WAIT! First download this FREE GUIDE - 10 mistakes to avoid when designing your bathroom - a must have to read along with! CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD NOW! ⭐️ 1. ENERGY EFFICIENCY - UNDERFLOOR HEATING HOW WE HEAT A BATHROOM. Normally it's heated by towel rails that are either run on electric or from the hot water system. There are alternatives that are more sustainable because they are energy-efficient. You might like to consider underfloor heating? THERE ARE TWO TYPES OF UNDERFLOOR HEATING - ELECTRIC AND WATER. We would recommend an electric underfloor system for a bathroom renovation as the void in the sub-floor space required for it is minimal. The water-fed system is normally thicker due to pipework, and works using the existing heating system for the house. It's better if installed into a new build where they can make provisions to accommodate the depth required to install this application at the design and planning stage. Both systems can easily heat a 12mm thick porcelain tile well, creating a warm touch to the floor which feels wonderful in bare feet and is super cosy. The alternative is a water-fed system requiring a deeper floor void for laying the pipework either in the screed or a plastic tray system. HOW UNDERFLOOR HEATING WORKS. Even though underfloor heating will cost about 30% more to install over radiators, your longer-term energy costs over the year could be halved. This is also a more natural form of heating and requires lower flow temperatures due to its increased surface area. The air that is circulated from underfloor heating is cleaner than the air pushed around by radiators. Along with warm air, radiators push around moisture. Having moisture in the air can result in damp and mould forming, reducing the air quality of your home environment. The even distribution of heat also allows a room to heat up more quickly and stay warm. While radiators have to work hard and burn through more energy to increase the temperature in a room, the large surface area that underfloor heating covers make the task easier and quicker. Once a room is up to temperature, less energy needs to be used to maintain that temperature. TOWEL RAILS. Towels give off heat and dry your wet towels - obviously! They can be heated by electric or water supply. They do not provide an even distribution of heat around the room. A water fed towel rail will most likely be plumbed to work with your heating with a thermostat attached. An electric towel rail will normally be operated by a timer outside the bathroom. One can of course use a combination of towel rail and underfloor heating switched together or operated separately. WALL INSULATION. Don't you hate it when you can hear the noise, above, below, or from above where you are in your home? It's a pet peeve of mine and there are ways to improve this. As well as helping with unwanted noise, we can improve heat conservation in our properties saving us money and helping the environment. There are a couple of ways to do this, one is by cladding the internal face of an external wall, the other is to install insulation into the cavity of a stud wall, not as efficient, but better than nothing! Ask your builder for advice, in my mind, it's worth it. 2. WATER CONSUMPTION. SEVEN TO-DO'S FOR REDUCING WATER USE. ✅ Install a dual flush toilet as the valve allows you to choose whether to use a full flush or a half flush, usually of 6 litres and 3 litres respectively. (Note: I read a report about valves failing and wasting more water, so it's important to buy well) ✅ When you turn the taps on, don’t turn them on full blast—up to 90 percent of the water may be wasted. Get into the habit of releasing just as much as you need. ✅ Don't take baths very often, or remove the bath to make space for a relaxing spa-type sitting area. ✅ Purchase no-touch basin taps, you might have seen these in restaurants or other commercial buildings where they have been popular for several years. This cuts down on unnecessary water flow from taps, I think we all might be guilty of that. A running tap can waste as much as 17 litres of water a minute. ✅ If not, consider a single-lever mixing tap: it will help you obtain the right water temperature more quickly. ✅ Take shorter showers. Every minute less can save as much as 23 litres of water. ✅ Fit an AAA-rated shower head. This can reduce water output by at least 9 litres a minute. Alternatively, have a plumber install a flow restrictor to reduce the amount of water your shower emits. HansGrohe is a supplier a lot of interior designers would specify, they have a range of water saving showers systems whereby you can choose the settings to either AirPower or Ecosmart functions. In their own words... "All-in-one shower units give you the freedom to choose different options, and they’re all easy to use even when you’re under the flowing water. Unlike other showers, our intuitive Select button allows you to conveniently click to the type of spray you want. With our AirPower and EcoSmart technologies, you can enjoy indulgent showers without worrying about the environment or your wallet, as they use water more efficiently, saving water and keeping costs down. And cleaning your shower is a breeze thanks to QuickClean allowing you to simply wipe away limescale from the silicon nozzles. Whatever type of shower you’re looking for, you can choose from our wide range of features to discover the shower system perfectly tailored to you". I can't find anything on their company environmental policies, I, therefore, assume this is not an important issue for them as a company, which is a disappointment. 3. LIGHTING AND LIGHTING SYSTEMS. Any lights, TV's or electric towel rails, used in a bathroom must be IP rated to at least IP44 - IP65. Ideally, a waterproof fitting should meet IP65, 66 or 67 regs. IP means 'Ingress Protect' and measures the sealing level of electrical fittings against moisture and dust. BRITISH LIGHTING COMPANIES I LIKE. 🇬🇧 I love these wall lights by Bert Frank, they have a high IP65 rating, so are waterproof. Designed and made in the UK by artisans, are therefore a higher price point than most. This type of light will produce a more atmospheric light source rather than a functional one. 🇬🇧Original BTC is a British Company that designs and manufactures in the UK and ships all over the World. Their lighting is slightly retro in style, with some deco and industrial influences. The Hatton wall light, seen below, has a shade made from bone china and is IP20 rated. Their Art Deco-inspired Pillar wall lights with an IP44 rating are stylish classics very suitable for bathroom use. Let's support British design! 🇬🇧Another favourite I love to use is Tigermoth Lighting, they are a British company, designed and manufactured here in the UK. Elegant, stylish, and luxurious, some have an IP44 rating so can be used in bathrooms. This chandelier gives that extra 'wow' factor and look great hanging over a bath at the correct building regulation height. (see zones, above) The price point for this company is mid to higher end. WANT TO SAVE SOME MONEY ON YOUR ELECTRIC BILL? An electronic lighting system can save you 10% on your electric bill, although the initial investment is high. An electronic lighting system is efficient and allows you to control your lighting more effectively, such as a Lutron system, it's sophisticated and more expensive than most, and I would only suggest if your project is a new build or an extension where you can add the operating system as new. Another company is Crestron that provides similar functionality. Nowadays, there are more cost-effective options we can use such as Nest now part of Google Store. This can be retro-fitted by using a Google Home device, Google Assistant bulbs, and corresponding hubs. LED bulbs need to be used which most of us are already using in our homes. If you haven't already, invest in changing your light fittings to take LED lamps, if compatible, you will save money over the long term in energy bills. ⭐️ Download this FREE GUIDE - 10 mistakes to avoid when designing your bathroom - a must have to read along with! CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD NOW!⭐️ 4. DESIGN PRINCIPLES. ✅ Plan ahead. Design principles that can be used relate back to the topics we have mentioned above, they are not exclusive of each other. ✅ As a designer we look at all of these elements together to maximise energy efficiency, best products to use, best use of products and materials and space planning. The layout of the bathroom need to work for you too and solve all of your design problems. Mood boards showing style, finishes and product before you start is essential. ✅ Ideally, the bathroom should have a natural light source, if it doesn't the artificial light source designed needs to tick all the right boxes in terms of luxe level output, and colour of lamps/bulbs warm or white, warm bulbs replicate natural daylight. Want that mood enhancing lighting for a relaxing bath, candlelight, soothing music, intoxicating fragrance..... ⭐️ Being able to control the light source to replicate the changes in natural light through its Circadian cycle (daylight from morning to night) would be beneficial as it will affect moods in either a positive or even negative direction. ⭐️ Anticipate plumbing problems, and don't be caught short, access to water pumps, bath and basin taps is important allowing for access traps or points in walls for maintenance or possible troubleshooting of pipework. ⭐️ Specifying products that meet safety standards for bathrooms and are fit for use in that environment is a standard requirement all designers should understand. Above all have fun with it! 5. PRODUCTS AND MATERIALS. When it comes to purchasing materials and product, my first reference point is to look at 🇬🇧UK designers and manufacturers. If they based are in the UK the carbon footprint for delivering your purchases will be low due to less distance travelled and no airfreight involved, the company (should) be using local materials, as an added bonus they might have sustainability commitments in place too, which many do and are listed in this guide. It's a good thing to support local business. LET'S DISCUSS WALL AND FLOOR TILING. ✅ Ceramic and porcelain tiles are some of the longest lasting floor and wall covering products on the market today. Unlike carpet, vinyl, or laminate flooring which have to be replaced periodically, properly installed tiles will last a lifetime. This longevity reduces time, money and resources spent on extracting raw material, manufacturing, transportation, installation, demolition and disposal requirements. ✅ Ceramic and porcelain tiles are made from 100% natural and plentiful raw materials that are usually found in close proximity to the factories, thus reducing fuel consumption and transportation costs. ✅ Clean healthy air: Since tiles are fired in kilns to extremely high temperatures, there are no volatile organics (VOC's) in the finished product that can be released into the air we breathe. In addition, there are adhesives and grouts available that contain zero, or very low VOCs. It's good to know that most modern tile factories today are “closed loop,” reusing water and materials. They send only negligible amounts of scrap to landfills and waste water to treatment facilities. PORCELAIN TILES. If we are using large format tiles in an interior designed scheme, they are normally porcelain, which is widely used. Porcelain shows a solid colour throughout the tile, dense, extremely tough and non-porous, difficult to cut even with a diamond edge saw. Below, is an example of large format tiles we used in a bathroom refurbishment, along with glass mosaics as an accent wall, from Fired Earth. 👉 It is expensive to clad walls in marble slab, (not environmentally friendly either) previously, we have used a combination of marble slab and large porcelain format tile printed to look like marble, which keeps the supply and installation cost down. To install marble slab the walls need special preparation which ends up making the wall build-out pretty thick (around 70mm). We have used this alternative combination for a client and it worked very well. See below. The tiles we have used are from Minoli, as well as producing a beautiful product they have environmental initiatives in place for waste reduction, recycling, and energy efficiency. Another supplier we would recommend for large format tile are Porcel-Thin, based in London, they have a sustainability clause on their website which is good to know. As well as super large, can be 2m x 3m, format porcelain base, their tiles are ultra- thin to around 5mm, but very strong, being thin allows for better manageability of the tiles otherwise they become too heavy to move. They can also be used to replicate the thickness of marble if the edges are mitred (which takes a skilled tiler!) You do need to be careful of the edges as they can become vulnerable and can chip, especially on a countertop. It is recommended to use an installation team familiar with handling and laying of this product, when done well it can look just as effective as marble or stone slab. LOOKING FOR THE WOW FACTOR? If, as a client, you are looking for the 'wow' factor of a book-matched marble slab, there are alternatives on the market to using natural marble slab. The EKA Group have developed stunning large-format porcelain tiles, 'Privilege' range, available through West One Bathrooms, with beautiful semi-precious and marble patterns laser printed on the surface, protected with a resin that is applied by hand to maintain the perfect textured finish. We don't need to use the earths precious natural resources of marble or stone slabs which as we know are not renewable. A creative designer, with an eye for detail and materials, along with a skilled installer, can replicate a stunning high-end book-matched look. SOME TILING SUPPLIERS TO CONSIDER: ✅ Johnson Tiles - 🇬🇧A British Company. Producing tiles since 1901, all of their tiles have 20% of recycled ceramic material in them. A good range of tiles available with an holistic approach to helping the environment from manufacturing to packaging. They definitely deserve 5 stars for effort! ✅ Porcelanosa - they have a good range of tiles and bathroom products along with a sustainability initiative across their multi-national company. ✅ Domus - Widely recognised nationally and internationally, serving the architect and design community for 50 years. Inspirational collections for every space. Sadly no environmental policies apart from being FSC accredited for their wood flooring. ✅ Fired Earth - A good go-to tile shop for inspiration and great cross section of tile product for bathrooms and kitchen. No sustainability data available. ✅ Ann Sacks - Crackle Collection is a partnership created between ANN SACKS and its parent company, Kohler Co. Through Kohler WasteLAB, the unfired pottery transforms the waste into a responsive tile body. The body of the tile is made from 100% recycled material. Additionally, the glaze contains between 37% and 99.7% recycled content." I include it here to show what can be achieved with the right mindset and intention. Sadly, having this product shipped from the US will negate any sustainable efforts in manufacturing the tile. WALL FINISH ALTERNATIVES TO TILING. POLISHED PLASTER. I have always liked polished plaster finishes, they are luxurious and elegant when applied in the correct manner. Used on walls, ceiling and floors, the finish is hardwearing and can be used in bathrooms but not in a very wet shower area. Popular in the 90's it has lost favour with the residential design community but is making a come back and can look stunning when used within the right scheme. The term ‘polished plaster’ covers a wide range of decorative plaster finishes. These vary from thin and highly polished finishes that resemble polished marble to deeply textured effects that can emulate travertine or limestone. The history of polished plaster can be traced back to the Egyptians and perfected by the Romans. Venetian plaster is a specific type of polished plaster that is made from lime putty and crushed marble. It is applied by hand with a spatula or trowel in multiple thin layers and burnished to give a super smooth surface with amazing sheen and depth. MARBLE - SHOULD WE USE IT? Marble is a gorgeous material, but, the use of it is not at all sustainable. It is not renewable as it needs to be quarried from mountains which, of course, cannot be replaced. Marble is heavy and is labour intensive to extract, fabricate and transport, it is porous and requires a lot of maintenance. As designers and conscious consumers it is our duty to educate and encourage our clients by offering alternatives to natural stone that are creative and desirable. There are alternatives to natural marble, stone, and granite. For walls and floors, the large format tiles from Porcel-Thin are a sustainable option, beautiful and realistic looking. ⭐️ WANT TO KNOW MORE ABOUT MARBLE? Download this FREE GUIDE - 10 Alternative surfaces to marble - CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD NOW! ⭐️ SOLID MARBLE COUNTERTOPS - WHAT ARE THE OPTIONS? 👉 How do we deal with solid 20-30mm natural stone or marble countertops that basins and baths normally sit under or on top of? Quartz or engineered stone is the option many of us now use in our homes, for bathrooms and kitchens. SO WHAT IS QUARTZ? 90 percent of quartz is crushed up waste of natural stone, marble, granite or recycled industrial wastes such as ceramic, silica, glass, mirrors, etc, and maybe some actual quartz—sometimes a lot of it, depends on the supplier. These materials are bound together with polymer or cement based binder which gives the engineered quartz top the look and feel of stone. It is a very dense, non-porous material and therefore antibacterial. Because it is the preferred 'stone' material it has risen in price and granite has reduced in price, making them about the same cost per square metre. WHO SUPPLIES IT? Here is some background about the history of quartz. Bretonstone® "In 1963, the technology of creating engineered stone was developed by the Breton company in northeast Italy, who licensed the process under the trademark Bretonstone®. Over 50 years later, Breton is still alive and kicking. The process consists of blending pulverized natural stone aggregate with a mix of polymers, removing the air, then heating and shaping the material into slabs that have the hardness and appearance of natural stone. Bretonstone technology has been licensed to more than 50 companies around the world, including such famous names as Silestone, Cambria, and Caesarstone. While these manufacturers absolutely do add their own flair and nuances to their engineered stone countertops, they are still working off of that original brevetto, or patent, from Breton. Some forms of quartz countertops now include fragments of mirrors and other glass, brass metal filings, and various mixtures of granite and marble." COSENTINO. (A deeply Green company) Is a Spanish company that manufacturers Silestone, Dekton and ECO. Their Silestone has a very high level of natural quartz in it, up to 90%. Their ECO range uses 75% of other recycled material. "The revolutionary worksurface, ECO by Cosentino is composed of 75% recycled raw materials, including salvaged mirrors, glass from windows and bottles as well as porcelain from china, tiles and sinks. Achieved through state-of-the-art technology, the worktops are extremely durable with a high stain, scratch and scorch resistance." "The recycled content is mixed with other materials including stone waste and is bonded together with a part eco-resin, which contains 22% corn oil. This pioneering resin is the result of a major research and development initiative, and is unmatched in the market today" Quartz can be made to look like marble. This Silestone Calacatta Gold slab is a very popular marble used in the past few years and has established a trend for it's use in both bathrooms and kitchens. You will find cheaper versions of quartz, normally shipped from China, mixed with toxic binders to hold it together. As a consumer that cares about where and how a product is produced, this is not an option to consider. STONETHICA. (A deeply Green company) An Italian company that is tackling the cut sections (offcuts) of marble and stone, cutting, shaping and binding (using non-toxic resins) together into slabs creating distinctive stripes with different patterned offcuts. They are very driven by their sustainability initiatives and environmental commitments. ⭐️ WANT TO KNOW MORE ABOUT MARBLE? Download this FREE GUIDE - 10 Alternative surfaces to marble - CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD NOW! ⭐️ 🇬🇧 BRITISH SOLID SURFACE SUPPLIERS 🇬🇧 (Please note: when you see 'deeply green' this is my way of saying the company efforts are 100% committed to sustainability.) 🇬🇧 FORESSO (A deeply Green company) A British company creating unique super interesting terrazzo slabs from non-toxic coloured resins and the off cuts from London trees that have been felled for maintenance purposes. They have created a product that is highly sustainable with an excellent commitment to life cycle, circular economy and renewable product principles. Driven and committed to sustainability. Made in the UK. 🇬🇧 RESILICA - (A deeply Green company) A British company specialising in recycled glass worktops. Resilica has an established manufacturing and environment commitment in place. "Resilica is manufactured using up to 100% recycled waste glass, reducing landfill and destructive stone quarrying. It is produced using solvent free resins. Once cured these resins are totally inert and contain no VOCs. Water used in the manufacturing process is recycled where possible" Resilica is manufactured entirely and exclusively in its UK factory thus minimising the carbon footprint associated with imported surfaces. 🇬🇧 ALTROCK. (A deeply Green company) A British company based in the east London. Their solid surface material is sustainable and non-toxic. Much like a traditional terrazzo, this material is hardwearing, waterproof and contemporary. Certainly for a modern bathroom design. Altrock combines recycled marble flour, recycled marble chips, and chunks of offcuts and broken pieces of beautiful marble slabs. All of these are byproducts of local marble manufacturing, the waste materials from the production of various luxury products and building finishes. The marble is mixed and bonded with a small amount of resin, pigmented in a huge range of custom colours, and cast by hand in slabs of all shapes and sizes. Altrock is sealed with a wax oil that dries to a beautiful matt finish. This deepens and highlights the unique veining of the natural stone chunks, and provides a durable, waterproof and stain-resistant finish. policies - 🏆👌🌏. 🇬🇧 BRITISH BATHROOMS PRODUCTS 🇬🇧 The majority of modern sanitary ware comes from Europe, the UK are much better at manufacturing traditional bathrooms, basins and loos with the exception of some taps and hardware. I've picked a few British and European companies, the Europeans having firm commitment to sustainability with directives in place. 🇬🇧 KANTH (A deeply Green company) A British company with a very strong commitment to producing sustainable products, sourced and produced ethically. Luxury designs of excellent quality. In their own words: "We’re committed to ensuring that the raw materials and packaging we use are recyclable. All our swarf and scrap material waste is re-used to produce fresh materials, with every element of our packaging (from the box itself through to the packing tape) all 100% recyclable. We source external components where possible from suppliers within the UK or Europe and only ever from respected suppliers whose components meet our exacting standards." 🇬🇧 SAMUEL HEATH Over 200 years of quality British design and manufacturing. Beautiful bathroom products and hardware meant to last. Definitely worth a look. 🇬🇧 THE WATER MONOPOLY A British Company with a full range of bath, shower, basins, taps and loos. Founded from a passion for restoring salvaged bathroom product, The Water Monopoly was launched in 1990. If you are looking for a classic and traditional look for your bathroom, this is the place to go. All product is manufactured here in the UK. 🇬🇧 HURLINGHAM BATH COMPANY. Inspired by 17th Century English art and architecture Hurlingham Bath Company was borne creating beautiful handmade and hand-finished baths here in the UK. Specialising in period designs mixed with contemporary additions, the Hurlingham offers fabric upholstered, gilded, stencilled and painted baths. 🇬🇧 KUDOS. KUDOS is a British company that design and manufacture shower enclosures, wet room systems and shower trays here in the UK, in the Lake District. Their products are modern stylish, excellent quality and built to last. EUROPEAN BATHROOM MANUFACTURERS BETTE. (A deeply Green company) BETTE is a German company with a very strong sustainability focus. They have been making great baths, shower trays and basins for 60 years. As a designer I would specify this brand if it fitted my client requirements, the designs, quality and sizing options, are excellent. As a company Bette has chosen to focus on the use of natural materials, steel, glass and enamel, all of their products are 100% recyclable. No chemicals or solvents are used in the manufacturing process. They have strong environment policies that have been in place for many years. ROCA. (A deeply Green company) If you are looking for reasonably priced, well designed, quality, modern bathroom products then ROCA a Spanish company, will tick this box for you. They have amazing environmental initiatives in place too. “Commitment with the Planet is part of our philosophy and our day-to-day activities. Under this premise, we created the “Roca Loves the Planet” concept, which comes with all the production processes at our factory, as well as the development of our products and the social activities of the company." Roca have managed, globally, to cut gas consumption by 14.9% and electricity consumption by 4.6%. This improvement means preventing the emission of 52,750 tonnes of CO2 into the atmosphere. These figures are highly significant, as gas consumption represents approximately 90% of the greenhouse gas emissions arising from production processes. They have achieved their Zero Waste Programme, whereby the industrial processes produce no material waste, by 75% their goal is 100%. This is an amazing effort on the part of this Spanish Company. CATALANO. (A deeply Green company) This Italian company that has a very strong sustainability commitment. They offer a collection that is an eclectic cross-section collection of good quality well designed products for the bathroom. Catalano relies on a team of professionals who manage environmental aspects at all production levels on a daily basis. Among many other initiatives and processes in place, guarantees product life cycles to zero waste. 👈 This is huge! “Think Green" is the motto of Catalano, who has been pursuing for years to get sustainability and respect for the environment at all stages of its production cycle. The company has implemented strategies aimed to achieve the following purposes: ✅ reduction of environmental impacts and resource consumption. ✅ reduction of energy consumption. ✅ elimination of toxic substances or pollutants released into the environment. EX.T. I am a big fan of this Italian company Ex.t They produce, fresh, sophisticated and clever bathroom furniture.💗 Ex.t have a different way of looking at interiors and bathroom design. A company designing and supplying innovative modular bathroom equipment for the modern home. Manufactured in Tuscany using artisans in local established workshops. Using 'Livingtec' for basins, baths and shower trays, a material that is non-toxic, antibacterial and hypoallergenic. I particularly like the nouveau range, Art Deco influence with sinuous, abstract forms in more feminine colours, as well as greys and black. We are considering this range for a current bathroom project. Gorgeous! We have come to the end of this very long blog, if you've got this far - well done and thank you! 🙏 👉If you would like more tips, hop over to my private Facebook group Green & Glam You can always contact me using this link if you would like more information on the products or design principle mentioned in this article. We are always looking out for companies manufacturing sustainable products to add to our preferred supplier list. If you would like to be considered, please contact me here.

A GOAL WITHOUT A PLAN IS JUST A WISH. WHAT ARE THE QUESTIONS YOU SHOULD BE ASKING YOURSELF BEFORE YOU START DESIGNING YOUR SUSTAINABLE KITCHEN? We spend a lot of time in our kitchens, they are the heart of the home and rightly so. When we are designing our residential interior designed sustainable kitchen, it is generally one of our biggest areas of expenditure and we need to get it right. How do we make sure we don't make any mistakes and create a kitchen that is timeless, functional, beautiful, and sustainable? If you can, employ the help of a professional interior designer, if your budget doesn't stretch to that, there are also many kitchen companies that will provide a design service for you, just make sure they're the right fit for you and can deliver what you really want to achieve. It's useful to note there are not many kitchen companies that will manufacture a 'green' and healthy kitchen that tick the sustainable box, although this is slowly changing due to demand. Doing some research on this would be advantageous. First, source some images of kitchens that you really like, this will help establish, style and colour, you may see different elements from separate kitchens that you would like to see used together. We use Pinterest to source these images and create private boards of designs you like, this helps you form a clearer picture and can be shared with anyone helping you to create your ideal kitchen, by collating all of these ideas, loves, and likes in one place. Let’s look at the questions you need to be asking yourself - it's handy to jot the answers down. What is your budget, be honest and realistic with this number. Your project can then be tailored around this budget, saving you time and money. Is the kitchen in the perfect location for you in the house? Note, changing locations might not be possible and could be expensive depending on where your utilities are located. What do you not like about your current kitchen and what would you like to change? Would you consider keeping your kitchen units and re-painting them? Integrate open plan dining or a separate dining area? Incorporate an island unit? Re-use or replace appliances? Wine coolers, double ovens or a range - choose energy-efficient appliances. A built-in fridge as opposed to free-standing with or without a water dispenser? What materials do you like the look and feel of? Would you like to incorporate the latest technology for lighting and heating? Underfloor heating is fairly standard nowadays and can be used with or without supplemental radiators? Have your BTU (British Thermal Units) requirements calculated. How important is sustainability for you, how much are you willing to adopt? Can you support UK products and manufacturers, is this important to you? What are deal breakers for you? Download this free guide if you want to see a list of alternative stone and marble products 👉 CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD NOW. When you have your list and think you might be ready to get started, I highly recommend a construction package to be produced which should include, plans and elevation, all finishes, and specification of the product. Hire a professional residential interior designer to do this for you, it will be worth the investment on the front end knowing what you are getting along with a well-thought-out plan, which will save you time and money. Your construction drawings and information can then be sent to tender for competitive pricing if you wish. The above kitchen is one we worked on with the client and Devol Kitchens. This kitchen shows what you can achieve using natural materials and design elements whilst still achieving a beautifully conceived luxury interior designed kitchen that doesn't cost the earth. For exquisite interior design, eco-solutions and inspiring ideas join our Green & Glam community! I look forward to catching up with you soon 🌿

THE HEART OF THE HOME I think we all agree the kitchen really is the heart of any home. It’s where we come together and celebrate the ritual of preparing and eating food. And, don’t we all love to hang out when food is being prepared, there is something comforting and deeply connecting when we cook. I know I would love to help my Mother in the kitchen, tasting and picking the remnants out of the mixing bowls seeing the meal come together. This ritual of preparing, cooking, and eating food takes us back to the roots of who we really are as human beings. We Brits love our homes and our kitchens don't we. We invest a lot of our time and money into creating the perfect spaces that make us feel good and bring joy to our families. So, it's important to get them right, from the start. Would you like to know the 5 Benefits of Sustainability? ✨ CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD your FREE GUIDE ✨ HISTORY OF KITCHENS All animals eat, but we are the only animal that cooks. So cooking becomes more than a necessity, it is the symbol of our humanity, what marks us as different from the rest of nature. Food is more important to us than anything else we need, yes, even sex! For the sake of this blog, let’s start with the middle ages. Food was cooked in cauldrons over an open fire, the smoke from them was pretty awful, but it was where people congregated because of the warmth, light (from the fire), and of course the food. Ovens were mainly wood-fuelled, then coal, and finally a Brit created a gas oven in 1826 - unbelievably that’s nearly 200 years ago! By the 1920s gas ovens were widely used in domestic kitchens with electric ovens also starting to become popular. The Latin word coquina became kitchens without a 'T' and then the kitchen. Cook also derived from a similar Latin word ‘coquere’. Post-war, we start to see walls being removed to create a more open-plan layout this was driven by new technology, and smarter-looking kitchens and people wanted to show them off. The kitchen was becoming quieter, cleaner, better organised, and easier to work in - a source of pride, and a place worthy of entertaining guests. By the 1980’s, the idea of a completely open kitchen, with appliances designed to be shown off, came into being and a lot of us have not looked back since. Some might say this move away from separate dining rooms to an open plan layout is a loss, but it depends on how you live your life, if you don’t entertain much then perhaps an open plan layout works for you. Which do you prefer? PROS AND CONS OF AN OPEN PLAN LAYOUT PROS A spacious feeling. Physically more space, if you have an extension built or have a large footprint. Promotes conversation between family and guests. Inclusive to family and visitors. Continuity of finishes in the open-plan space. Harmony and flow between spaces. The casual and modern way to live your life. Freedom to move around. CONS Lack of privacy when cooking Smells from the kitchen area can be strong The kitchen needs to be kept tidy Can be noisy Might feel you need to spend more money on a kitchen especially if it is seen all of the time. No dedicated dining room for special occasions Natural light might not be as good (depending on architectural configuration) LET'S REMIND OURSELVES OF WHAT WE'RE TRYING TO ACHIEVE WITH A SUSTAINABLE KITCHEN. ✅ A healthy home that we create by adopting certain design principles, not dissimilar from how we would approach the design of any home interior. ✅ The biggest difference is the products that we use. We can make a positive difference by using sustainable, eco-friendly products and materials that help reduce the use of chemicals, pollution, waste, and energy consumption. ✅ We do not have a negative impact on the planet during the design and manufacturing process and thereafter. ✅ Long term value-added onto our homes. (not technically a sustainable achievement, but desirable!) SO, WHAT ARE THE FIRST STEPS IN DESIGNING YOUR SUSTAINABLE KITCHEN? Source some images of kitchens that you really like, this will help establish, style and colour, you may see different elements from separate kitchens that you would like to see used together. We use Pinterest to source these images and create private boards of designs you like, this helps you form a clearer picture and can be shared with anyone helping you to create your ideal kitchen, by collating all of these ideas, loves, and dislikes in one place. Let’s look at the questions you need to be asking yourself: What is your kitchen re-design budget, be honest and realistic with this number. Your project can then be tailored around this budget, saving you time and money. Is it in the perfect location for you in the house? Note, changing locations might not be possible and could be expensive depending on where your utilities are located. What do you not like about your kitchen and what would you like to change. Would you consider keeping your kitchen units and re-painting them? Open plan or separate dining area Incorporate an island unit? Re-use or replace appliances Wine coolers, double ovens, or a range? Fridge built-in, free-standing with or without water dispenser? Materials you like the feel of. Would you like to incorporate the latest technology for lighting, heating, appliances, and sound? Underfloor heating with or without supplemental radiators? Your BTU requirements would need to be calculated. How important is sustainability for you, how much are you willing to adopt? Are you lightly green or deeply green if you are interested in using sustainable products? Is it important for you to use UK products and manufacturers? What are deal breakers for you? Do you want to save some time, money, and a lot of stress? Then invest in a professional interior designer to help manifest the visions for your space and manage the project for you. When you have your list, I highly recommend an interior construction package to be produced and hire a design professional to do this for you that works with kitchen and interior spatial design, and it will be worth the investment on the front end knowing what you will have a well thought out plan from which to start from. Once you have a layout you like, the next step is to pull together the products and finishes for your kitchen. Once you have this information and you’re happy with it, the package can then can be sent to builders, a cabinet maker or a kitchen manufacturer for pricing. LETS' LOOK AT THE DIFFERENT ELEMENTS THAT MAKE A WELL-PLANNED AND SUSTAINABLE KITCHEN - 9 IN TOTAL. 1. LAYOUT. Maybe you aren’t changing the layout at all, which is fine. Is the ‘TRIANGLE’ relationship of the sink, fridge, and oven working for you. This age-old tried and tested principle kind of makes sense and if your layout doesn’t reflect this then now might be the time to tweak that? Sinks are nearly always located under a window, I guess it makes sense to do this, standing there dreaming of a sandy beach and blue skies….but there is no hard or fast rule, it’s up to you, you are in control of your final kitchen, a professional can only advise. Please make sure you clearly communicate to your designer or builder what you what like to include in your design to achieve stress-free cooking heaven. Communication is King or Queen. 2. LIGHTING IN YOUR KITCHEN. Natural light is important, perhaps the most important factor in any room in the home. If we don’t have it then we need to replicate it as best we can by using energy-saving LED lamps; there are still a lot of homes that don’t have them, so a refurbishment is a perfect time to change over, the initial outlay is worth the savings you will make if you have spotlights the electrician may be able to re-use the fittings. If you are considering a kitchen extension this is a wonderful opportunity to create more natural light with roof lights and large glazed sliding doors. I’ve mentioned Circadian rhythm before, as a reminder, this is the natural day to night cycle that tell us when to wake up and when to sleep. We can replicate this in our homes, with some adjustment of course. A warm white lamp or bulb should be used in kitchens and bathrooms, you will find them classified between 2700k-4000k which is the lamp heat output, and has a yellow tint to the light. I would recommend putting your lighting on different circuits with dimmer switches to control the light levels, create task lighting or layers of light when needed. Smart Home systems can be integrated if you would like another level of control by using Nest which can be retro-fitted or an electronic system such as Lutron which has to be hardwired, meaning you can only fit this into extensive interior refurbishment work where it’s okay to chase walls and repair them ready for decorating. 3. HEATING YOUR KITCHEN. I would definitely recommend underfloor heating in your new kitchen area. If it’s a relatively small space, then install an electric system as it’s straightforward to retro-fit this, unless you have zero floor void available. If it is a new build or extension then consider the possibility of installing a water fed system that can be connected to the radiators and can be timed on and off with them. If you are using very thick stone, underfloor heating may not work at all. Ask your builder for recommendations. Even though underfloor heating will cost about 30% more to install over radiators, your longer-term energy costs over the year could be halved. This is also a more natural form of heating and requires lower flow temperatures due to its increased surface area. The air that is circulated from underfloor heating is cleaner than the air pushed around by radiators. Along with warm air, radiators push around moisture. Having moisture in the air can result in damp and mould forming, reducing the air quality of your home environment. The BTU output for your radiators or underfloor heating will need to be calculated by your heating engineer/builder. BTU means British Thermal Unit. Radiators can be quite discreet nowadays, or, they can be a feature, your final decision should be based on the overall style you are trying to create. Stelrad and Myson manufacture their radiators in the UK and offer a cross-section of styles for every interior style. 4. SUSTAINABLE KITCHEN CABINETS. I don’t need to tell you there are thousands of kitchen manufacturers to choose from all at different price points. To buy kitchen furniture that ticks the sustainable box we should consider a kitchen that’s manufactured here in the UK from FSC approved timbers. FSC stands for the Forest Stewardship Council and guarantees the woods you are purchasing come from well-managed forests helping to ensure our wonderful forests are maintained and alive for future generations. I believe our kitchens should be designed and built to last, the style should be timeless but with lots of personality added to it which can be achieved by accessories and hints of colour which can be easily changed if desired. We need to move away from our throw-away society and look forward to longevity and lasting interiors. THE WAY CABINETS ARE MADE. Unless you are purchasing a solid wood kitchen, which isn’t always recommended because of potential shrinkage and expansion from the varying temperatures in a home, most kitchens cabinets are made from chipboard or MDF and then veneered in timber or spray painted. Of course, the construction and final finish depend on your budget and the style you want to create. To be honest, there are not many kitchen companies that we can find that are using materials and products that limit the use of chemicals and use earth-friendly manufacturing processes. If you're out there let me know! A company called Sustainable Kitchens based in Bristol, do. They produce modern, classic, and timeless kitchens, using FSC timbers, water-based paint, and are committed to making the planet greener by offsetting as much carbon as possible. I particularly like their formaldehyde-free plywood cabinets. Their kitchens begin at £35,000, upward. Any colour and combination of finishes is possible and you can be as creative as you would like. I would recommend that if this kitchen refurbishment is not in your forever home, then keeping to finishes and colours that might appeal to most people is prudent. (perhaps not with a polished brass worktop or backsplash!) But, you need to love it and live with it. An interesting sustainable finish that can be applied to the face of the cabinets is linoleum - yes, you read correctly! It can look really very good giving you a contemporary, sustainable, and hard-wearing surface. Years ago we used it for floors with inlaid patterns. It's only re-surfaced (forgive the pun) recently as an interior finish again. Available in a good selection of colours, this material can be creatively used. Forbo Nairn manufactures a product called Furniture Linoleum this is a solid core colour and has many positive benefits. These points are taken from the Forbo Nairn website. Made from 97% natural raw materials, 72% of which are renewable and will grow back within 10 years The flax plant is Marmoleum's key ingredient, linseed oil. Marmoleum is made with 43% recycled content to reduce the need for virgin raw material Marmoleum is 100% biodegradable Of all the electricity used in making the flooring, 100% comes from renewable sources. Marmoleum performs well from the minute it's installed, but it also becomes stronger over time, making it more durable. And because it does not mark, any cuts will join together again and is easy to clean. Topshield2 finish, which, together with natural antibacterial ingredients, means it is hygienic and needs less cleaning with fewer harmful chemicals. The images below are credited to The Drawing Room, a Danish design firm who have used lino on these cabinets to provide a very smart modern look with clean lines. I love it!💚 5. KITCHEN STORAGE: There are many fancy and clever options for storage you can include in your kitchen. Different companies will offer different solutions for you based on your requirements. One of my most favourite super useful devices is the Lemans corner unit, this piece of equipment cleverly optimizes those tricky corners that one can never access properly, well now you can. A cost-effective and plastic-free option for food storage are these containers by IKEA, made from glass with hardwearing and versatile bamboo tops. They’re also very reasonably priced, dare I say - cheap! IKEA has gone a long way in recent months to dispel their reputation as fast furniture manufacturers for a throw-away society, to re-invent themselves as concerned stewards of the planet. By 2030, they are committed to only using renewable and recycled materials and to reduce their climate footprint by an average of 70% per product. Let's hope they stick to this commitment. 6. WORKTOPS AND BACKSPLASH Natural stone, mainly, granite, has dominated kitchen and bathroom design for around 20 years. In the past 5+ years, there has been a widely spread use of quartz as a material. Natural stone suppliers get really angry with misinformation about quartz because a lot of it is made in China or other countries, Turkey as an example, where they use plastic-based resins which is a pollutant, so it's important to do the right research into a company if its available. Quartz has become a real contender for many home refurbishments. I have created an ‘at a glance’ list of ket facts about what it is, performance, and environmental impact. ⭐️If you’d like to know more about marble and natural stone alternatives, download this FREE GUIDE - 10 Alternative surfaces to natural stone and marble - CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD NOW.⭐️ ⭐️ QUARTZ - AT A GLANCE FACTS Quartz is the second most abundant mineral on earth. Most people think that quartz is a stone, but it actually forms as a crystal. It has been mined for years and is commonly used in applications outside of kitchens, notably watches and electronics. Quartz is widespread. It forms in all types of rock. When rocks are eroded over time, quartz is turned into sand or deposited in the soil as well. Most white sands are composed of quartz. This means quartz is not usually shipped from great distances, (Although can be!) which reduces the environmental impact and boosts sustainability. It endures longer than many other materials, and this means that it does not need to be replaced as often. It is very dense and therefore incredibly heavy. Quartz never needs to be sealed, and it is not prone to cracking or staining. It is a low-maintenance option that has superior durability over granite and other natural stone. The surface is not porous like natural stone. Therefore, it will not stain, and it is very easy to clean. Quartz can be made with recycled materials such as glass and broken ceramics, mixed with non-toxic binders it can then be coloured to replicate marbles with veining. The material holds up well with heat, abrasive cleanings, oils, and more. It is available in 20 or 30mm sheets or slabs. Quartz is so durable that many manufacturers offer warranties on their quartz products. Silica dust is a by-product of quartz in the fabrication process. That is why it is important for those working with this material to be protected as it is known as carcinogenic. For quartz to be truly sustainable it needs to be 'glued' together (the binding agent) with a non-toxic material, Silestone uses one as do Altrock, a UK-based manufacturer. You will need a good fabricator to cut and fit your worktop, they will come and template your top for you. To template the worktop you need the following in place. Your base and wall cabinets are fitted. Either your actual sink or the DVF file supplied by the manufacturer so the fabricator can cut the correct size hole in the workshop. The same for the range or hob so accurate measurements can be taken. Items such as tap holes and socket outlets (backsplash or pop-up) can be drilled on-site. Polished edges are normally completed in the workshop but (small sections) can also be done on-site when fitting. ⭐️Download the free guide if you want to see a list of alternative stone and marble suppliers - CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD NOW.⭐️ YOUR KITCHEN BACKSPLASH. What you use for your kitchen backsplash depends on the style of kitchen you are going for. If budget allows, I would continue the worktop on the wall to the underside of the cabinet, in the same materials or thinner, if your supplier can do that, otherwise, it would need to be in 20 or 30mm thickness. This looks elegant and luxurious. I suggest the junction between the back of the worktop and the wall is not left as a line of silicone as this will get dirty and look unsightly after time. It is better to finish this with a small upstand of 100m less or more, in the same material as the worktop, then either paint the remainder of the wall or tile it, the ideal material is washable and durable surface like a tile. ⭐️Download the free guide if you want to see a list of alternative stone and marble suppliers - CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD NOW.⭐️ 7. KITCHEN FLOORING. You might like to consider underfloor heating in your new kitchen especially as most of us want to use a tiled flooring surface as a practical solution, but, it's cold underfoot, although I would not recommend going barefoot in the kitchen, too many opportunities for broken bones to occur! I would suggest a porcelain floor tile. Depending on your floor depth around door thresholds, it should be easy for you to use a 10 or 12mm tile, many of them replicate stone in an authentic way and don't look like cheap copies. Make sure your floor is flat, this is more important than being level, although that helps too! A self-leveling screed will be used to form the sub-floor in preparation to take the tile. A large format tile laid in a broken bond (very popular) or stacked pattern is widely used. Again this is dependent on your chosen kitchen style. I would recommend choosing a tile in a large format, minimizing the grout lines, easier to keep clean. This combination will provide a floor that is simple, elegant, and practical, creating a timeless backdrop for your kitchen. If you would like a wooden floor, then I’d suggest BAMBOO as it’s sustainable and repels water better than a timber floor. Bamboo has been hailed as a sustainable alternative to wood. Is this true? Yes, it is to an extent. ⭐️ Here’s a list of pros to using bamboo. Pro’s It is grass and not a tree. It grows rapidly virtually anywhere, cutting encourages regrowth and it fully replenishes in only 5 years. In the time it takes a Douglas Fir tree (commonly used in plywood production) to grow to harvestable size, several species of bamboo could have yielded between 25 and 40 harvests Bamboo absorbs excess carbon in the air. It is 30% harder than oak. It is naturally resistant to mould. Better water resistance to other wood and plywoods. It can be used horizontally or vertically, for furniture, worktops, walls, and flooring. Natural bamboo plywood is light in colour. Although it is possible to apply a non-toxic steam treatment to allow the natural sugars in the bamboo to "carbonize" and create darker, almost amber colour tones. Con’s to using bamboo. Although bamboo can be grown almost anywhere on earth, most of the stock is grown in Asia, meaning it has to be shipped long distances resulting in a higher carbon footprint. Less flexibility in receiving water-based decorative finishes due to its water resilience. Visually uninteresting grain, unless used in this herringbone pattern floor. LINOLEUM. Following on from the use of Lino on kitchen cabinets...There is one more sustainable kitchen floor material you may be shocked to even think I might mention because it’s seemingly old-fashioned, and that’s Linoleum - god forbid! Quite honestly, I like Lino, I think it’s had a bad rap and been completely overlooked for years now, and amazingly, it’s a very healthy and sustainable product. As for looks, you can be as creative as you like with it, and it has a great retro vibe. So what is it? I grabbed this info from the Forbo Nairn website to share with you here. FYI, in case you were wondering, Linoleum is the same as a Marmoleum. How it's Made: (Posted above) Made from 97% natural raw materials, 72% of which are renewable and will grow back within 10 years The flax plant is Marmoleum's key ingredient, linseed oil. Marmoleum is made with 43% recycled content to reduce the need for virgin raw material Marmoleum is 100% biodegradable Of all the electricity used in making the flooring, 100% comes from renewable sources. Marmoleum performs well from the minute it's installed, but it also becomes stronger over time, making it more durable. And because it lasts for so long, and is so easy to clean, Marmoleum has a very low cost of ownership Topshield2 finish, which, together with natural antibacterial ingredients, means the floor is hygienic and needs less cleaning with fewer harmful chemicals. Approved by Allergy UK, you can relax knowing that Marmoleum contributes to a healthier indoor environment. I would consider using this product for a kitchen, playroom, studio, home office, or any commercial property. 8. HEALTHY PAINTS. A hard-wearing and washable emulsion paint for your kitchen walls is a smart idea. Even with good ventilation, your walls will become marked and dirty over time. A good water-based paint with low or zero VOCs should be used. Download my free guide, see below 👇 ⭐️Would you like to know more about earth-friendly healthy paints - CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD NOW your FREE GUIDE to the best available in the UK today. ⭐️ 9. KITCHEN APPLIANCES. Many of the appliance companies have adopted sustainable practise and policies. This drive for environmental, social, and governance (ESG) are expectations from those people that invest in large multi-national companies, and many appliance manufacturers are huge corporations and will therefore adopt energy-saving policies. This demand for companies to be held accountable is somewhat due to international climate policy commitments from countries around the world, to achieve zero carbon offsets by 2050. Appliances for our homes are or should be designed and built to last. The investment we make is one where we do not expect to throw away these appliances after 5 years, I know I would like mine to last a lifetime. One of my go-to appliance manufacturers is Miele, they are beautifully designed products with state-of-the-art functionality. Other strong contenders are: Gaggenau - Established in 1683. German engineering and manufacture. Cost and quality ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Miele - German engineering and manufacture. Some products are made in China. Cost and quality ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Bosch - Parent company is Gaggenau. German engineering and manufacture in Germany, China, and the US. Cost and quality ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Neff - German engineering and manufacture, some units made in Turkey. Cost and quality ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Siemens - German engineering and manufacture, some units made in China. Cost and quality ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Lecanche - French engineering and manufacture. (Traditional styling) Cost and quality ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Sub Zero - American engineering and manufacture. Cost and quality ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Wolf - American engineering and manufacture. Cost and quality ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ It depends on what level and quality of appliance you are used to and if it’s important for you to have the very best. 🏆 It is quite astonishing the technological advances that have been made with many of the higher-end products. Most appliances nowadays are all most definitely energy saving because they have to be. The new technologies to be better than the competition is fierce with constant advancements in cooking, cleaning, heat extraction, and general operation. There is an ethical shopping guide that rates the sustainability of the top companies and their products. https://thegoodshoppingguide.com/subject/kitchen-appliances/ Thank you for having an interest in keeping our planet and our homes healthy; you care about making conscious choices for your health as well as our environment. Stay safe and keep well. 🌿🙏🌏 I am passionate about helping homeowners to live their B.E.S.T life in their best ever homes. B.E.S.T represents the four pillars of my business and is what I set out to achieve for my clients. This is what it means. B = Beauty E = Empowerment S = Sustainability T = Transformation These four pillars can be applied to every aspect of home design, making it clear what our end result objectives are. ⭐️If you'd like more tips and updates on healthy and earth-friendly products and design, join my private Facebook group here.⭐️ I look forward to catching up with you soon.

STEP FIVE: CLIENT PRESENTATIONS If you have engaged your designer to handle the whole process for you, from your initial brief to completion of the project, then mood boards will be part of that process. Moodboards are the visualisation of finishes that have been selected for you, sometimes called FF&E (Fixtures, Furnishings, and Equipment) Your designer will have interpreted your brief, hopefully, to your liking and is represented in the mood board. This is a typical mood board we would produce for a client: The board will provide you with a flavour and a good idea about the space you are having designed. If there is something you don't like you can always change it. This will pull everything together for you. I would love to hear from you with any questions you might have, just click here. #moodboards #interiordesign #interiors #3Dvisuals #presentations #designapproval

We are designing a new home for a client and have started with the bathroom. The client wants to use as many eco-friendly or sustainable products as possible; they want it to look good too. A lot of people assume that sustainable products cannot be luxurious or stylish for the home, this is not so. I know that sustainability can be beautiful, luxurious, great quality, and kind to the planet. It's not easy to find sanitaryware that meets all of the criteria for this. After much research, I came across Kanth, a British design, engineering and manufacturing company of gorgeous showers and taps and I'm pretty excited about them. Let me tell you more. “Being a sustainable company is not just about how long the product lasts, but the impact it has on the planet.” Karl Kanth. The photo below is of one of their ranges with a square design profile. The managing director and innovator of product for the company is Karl Kanth. With a background in the property and bathroom sector through working with his father, he developed a desire to create and deliver a British product and business that fulfilled his beliefs about quality, value, and innovation. Karl was also very aware of the disposable culture that had developed around products and materials used in the interior design industry and wanted to do something about it. He, therefore, created a product and a company deeply rooted in a sustainable ethos. "Our design and manufacturing of sustainable products start right at the very beginning – from the raw materials we carefully source, all the way through the products’ entire life cycles. Not only do we design exceptional products which can be easily maintained and refurbished rather than simply thrown away, we also consider every potential impact of our business operations on the environment – something which plays an integral role in every decision we make. Ultimately, our products must deliver outstanding quality each and every time, without costing the earth. We’re committed to ensuring that the raw materials and packaging we use are recyclable. All our swarf and scrap material waste is re-used to produce fresh materials, with every element of our packaging (from the box itself through to the packing tape) all 100% recyclable. We source external components where possible from suppliers within the UK or Europe and only ever from respected suppliers whose components meet our exacting standards." As an interior designer who also has a passion for good design, quality products, sustainability and wants to offer exceptional value to her clients, it is very exciting to find a company that shares the same values as I do! And all I can say is - well-done guys! If anyone is interested, as sadly, I am, here's a photo of the beautiful solid brass shower valve, offered with a 25-year guarantee. Kanth have recently introduced more metal finishes to the range, from chrome and brass through to copper. This is a success story worth celebrating and looking in to. If you'd like more information, click on this link: Kanth Or, contact one of the SVM team here.

I was talking to a prospective client the other day and they mentioned they did not know what to expect from a professional designer as it's their first time. I realised many of you may have the same query, so I thought this might be a helpful blog topic. Years ago, if you received a call from a prospective client they most probably had used a residential interior designer before; you had to have a lot of money as residential interior designers were regarded as a luxury and still do in some respects. Nowadays, due to the advent of reality TV shows and accessibility of product due to the internet creating general knowledge of the subject; more and more people are wanting to create their perfect home with help from a professional interior designer. And, you know, it's not easy making the right decisions about space, size, colour or finishes, if you are considering a bathroom or kitchen renovation, you really will need professional guidance to help you make the right decisions, eliminate mistakes and keep you in budget. INTERIOR DECORATOR v. INTERIOR DESIGNER You might not realise, but there is a difference between a residential interior designer and an interior decorator. Some qualified designers that have gone to college and achieved a degree within the interior design discipline, can get very upset with wannabes that think they have a good eye and can do the job well. Now, some can, but some can't.  I would always say to anyone that is looking for a designer to make sure they are qualified first. This is easily done with professional interior design associations such as SBID and BIID. To be a member of one of these professional associations, the residential interior designer would need to be approved as a professional.  A decorator normally deals with colours, final finishes and furniture - a designer will consider more of the technical aspects of a space and make it work; move walls, plumbing, electrical, floor and joinery details, project management, costs, contractors, document the process and deliver the final residential interior project on time and within budget. WHAT TO EXPECT So, what should you expect?  I would recommend a face to face meeting, either in person or using a video conferencing app such as Zoom, which is easy to use nowadays. You need to know if you like each other and can communicate well and trust that individual. THE BRIEF We need to be guided by you. The designer will ask you what you are looking for. We have a very helpful questionnaire that is sent and completed electronically. The questions we ask to build a comprehensive picture of what it is you are wanting to achieve for yourself and your family. We will ask you if you have collated images using a Pinterest or have an Instagram account, this provides a visual representation of style, texture, space and colour for us to build our picture. Pinterest is an efficient way of privately sharing images between client and designer so we can build up an idea of styles you like. I would recommend creating a wish list of your of what you'd like to create. The designer will then take that info on board and interpret this into a feasible design scheme to solve your big, and small, interior design problems. BUDGET It's important to let us know your budget. Not all clients want to disclose this because they feel they might be leaving money on the table. That's really not the case. You know how much you want to spend, it's down to us to create a scheme within your budget, this budget can be revised at any time along the design journey and you will always be informed of any increases if they occur. It wastes your time and ours if you do not have a good idea of how much you would like to spend. If for some reason it's more than you expected it's up to us to explain why.  As a client, you should always be aware of how much is being spent, where it is being spent and when. COMMUNICATION Good communication is essential in almost every type of relationship between people, residential interior design is no exception. Every aspect of your project will be documented and presented to you for approval. A tender process will be provided for the best building costs from 2 or 3 contractors that we trust and know will get the job done well. Weekly updates will be provided along with bi-weekly budget reports. Depending on what level of service you have agreed to we will provide you with a colour scheme, layouts, specification of products, elevations, and a 3D visual if this is covered in our fees and your budget. 3D VISUALS Most clients expect a visual of some sort, whether it be a coloured elevation or a full 3D visual, these really do help to communicate the end result. These are expensive to produce as they are time-consuming, and there are also different levels of rendering available. We will discuss what type of visual would most suit you and see if this fits in with your budget. PROJECT MANAGEMENT/BUILDING WORKS This is another level of service that some designers offer at an hourly rate or as a percentage of the overall build cost. Our clients generally like us to manage the whole design process for them, which removes any doubt and stress from them. We charge 12% of the overall build cost for this service, an hourly rate works out to be very expensive for you. If we, at SVM Interiors, are acting as the main contractor, that means supplying the builders for you and we pay them, then we are legally responsible for their work. If you are paying them directly the contract is then between you and the contractor and they are responsible to you. The interior designer can oversee the building work, but it is up to the builder to make sure he is on time and budget and the quality is up to standard. It is always a good idea to make sure the builders come with good testimonials, and go and see a job they have done.  Don't try and squeeze your builder on price and try and save money, within reason, of course, we can always give our clients advice. A Joe Bloggs builder might be cheap and quick but from experience will cause all sorts of problems further down the line. TIME SCALE Give yourself plenty of time to create your dream home. London residential interior design projects always take longer than anticipated, we will advise you how long your project will take by creating a schedule of works against a realistic timeline. Designing your dream home will take time and should not be rushed. I hope this gives you an idea about what to expect from your professional interior designer and the process? If you would like to discuss a future project and just need friendly advice, please contact me for a free no-obligation consultation. Click here to schedule. #trust #interiors #design #bestinteriordesign #whattoexpect #expectations #decoration #designing Copyright Disclaimer: Photos used here are not mine, all rights are reserved to the copyright owners. Sourced from Instagram & Pinterest.

STEP THREE: THE CONTRACT Years ago we didn't really bother with contracts, it was more of a gentleman's agreement between client and designer or builder. It has changed as our society has become more litigious and there are more clients seeking interior design help and more designers providing help. The contract is to safeguard both the client and designer. BIID (British Institute of Interior Designers) produce a standard contract, CID/14, which your designer may use, or they might use this in part or a version of it. Alternatively, a Letter of Appointment incorporating a set of simple conditions of terms can be provided. Please read it carefully and make sure you are happy with it. Your contract with your designer should outline the following: 1. The designer's fees and how much you will pay along with the payment terms. 2. What you should expect for the fees. 3. Timescale. 4. Procurement and liabilities 5. Amendments and addendums As set out in the CDM 15 (Construction, Design, and Management Regulations) Your designer should act as the Principal Designer appointed by you to take control of the pre-construction phase of any project involving more than one contractor. ... plan, manage, monitor and coordinate health and safety in the pre-construction phase and will be responsible for all communications between contractors and you. Unless you have an architect or quality surveyor involved. An example of a simple Letter of appointment. Contracts with builders will be mentioned in Step Ten. I would love to hear from you with any questions you might have, just click here. #interiordesign #contracts #security #clientcontracts #transparentcy #interiors

This particular client travelled extensively staying in some fabulous hotels around the globe, and they had always admired the bathrooms at the various hotels. They wanted to duplicate a similar look in their own home in London with their ensuite bathroom and guest toilet that was adjacent to it.  Below are photos of it as it was before and then stripped out. They wanted lots of marble with gold accents.  Now the problem with marble is that it can be expensive and fragile. They liked Calacatta Gold or a black marble. Calacatta is a very expensive marble due to its pure almost white background. Ideally they wanted to install large 20 or 30mm slabs on the walls. The rooms were fairly small and could not really take the slab thickness along with the bed and Hardie board on the walls, also getting them into the space would be difficult. As a compromise, we replaced the calacatta on the walls with a large format porcelain tile at 10mm thick from Minoli, with the floor, bath and vanity units in Nero Marquina marble 30mm thick. Changing to a porcelain tile on the walls saved us around £10k on the overall budget. Above is the slab that was chosen in multiple batches, enough to do the two bathrooms. The hardware was by Dornbracht Supernova in a gold finish, truly luxurious.  Below is a progress shot with the bottom one being nearly finished. There was a marble shelf for towels under the vanity, both of which are hung off the walls by large steel brackets and then cemented into place to take the weight of the marble. Sketch showing the shadow gaps and details created around the bath; it's like putting the pieces of a complicated puzzle together. A delightful photo of me looking very serious and a bit wrecked! The gold accents were further emphasised by the gold leaf panel behind the toilet concealing a cupboard. The entrance door to the bathroom was also gold leafed with a matt black spray paint finish to the surround. The door handle is by Turnstyle Designs with a leather plaited lever. #luxury #interiordesign #marbleslab #porcelaintile #gold #accents #detail #interiordetail #blackandgold #bathroom #engineering

STEP TWO: DESIGN FEES As a design practise we keep our pricing as simple and transparent as possible, we charge a set rate for full service design and let you know what you will receive for this amount. Some designers choose not to do it this way. Historically, there have been many ways an interior designer approaches their fees. Some do not charge fees at all but prefer to mark up product. Some charge a design fee and then refund that cost back to a client if they procure through the designer. Charges for interior design fees can be agreed upon through the individual designers and can vary greatly. For product procurement, we offer our clients trade pricing but then charge a set % on product to cover our time for collating, chasing, and organising, including liability for anything that might go wrong with a delivery or product. Again, it's transparent and our clients know the true value of what it is they are buying. PRICING BREAKDOWNS A set fee for a single room design then multiplied by room. No fee but a charge for design work which is then credited back to you if you procure product with them. No discount on product. Design fee plus a discount on product. A % of the overall budget for the project. An hourly rate, mainly used for smaller projects. If the designer is also project managing then a % of the overall project value will be charged. Anywhere from 10-15%, in some cases more. If there are any variations to the project, then an hourly rate charge is normally applied, at a rate in agreement with the client. Hope this helps you understand what to expect from our industry. I would love to hear from you with any questions you might have, just click here. #interiors #fees #money #interiordesign #howmuch #design #skillset #budgets