About the project

My clients initially contacted me during the 2021 COVID-19 lockdown. They had owned their home for a number of years and had lived there comfortably until the arrival of twin girls.  Now the downstairs living space felt cramped, they were reluctant to move and so sought another solution. After presenting rough sketches over Zoom, we fast-forwarded to October/November 2022.

Started Small but Grew Big: When my clients contacted me again in later October 2022, they had already engaged an architect, structural engineer and builder, with construction set to begin in December 2022, but, they still grappled with the design and internal layout. Another Zoom consultation discussed the new kitchen/diner in a full width rear extension, however after the first onsite meeting this project expanded to encompass their whole home!

Quick turnaround:  I began working on this project in January 2023—a few weeks after the builder had started. My task involved reimagining every room, providing material samples, room layouts and product guidance as well as overseeing implementation of my designs whilst the building work was taking place. Using a shared Pinterest allowed me to incorporate the clients' "wants" into my designs and also amend the designs when the clients changed their minds, with Pinterest updates.

Budget Challenges: The client faced rising material costs due to Covid-19 Pandemic, which impacted their overall budget, sourcing more cost-effective materials and prioritising the must-haves became paramount.

Evolving Clients Needs: As this was an organic process, I was able to adapt my original designs throughout this project which allowed my clients to realise their dream.

Key lesson: Prioritise interior design before construction begins. While adjustments can happen during the build, builders prefer early final fixes. Clients who delay design decisions may feel pressured into making the "easy" choices, which may not always be the best design choices.

Note: These images are the original 3D realistic generated designs by SJD and not the finished project.