The finishing touches that bring the look together

When it comes to interior design don’t leave it all to the end; some of the last needs to be thought of first.

INTERIOR design is often left until last or towards the end of the project in a self-build, which is a shame as this can be the cause of some costly mistakes or regrets. To avoid ever having to say ‘Oh, if only we had. . .’ or ‘With hindsight we should have. . .’ try and put some of the major aspects of your interior design right at the start of the project. It might seem obvious but when the electrician is doing the work he or she needs to know how you plan to light the room and where the plug sockets for all those table and reading lamps should be. Interior design isn’t just about colours it is about textures and that includes walls, fitted kitchen cabinet finishes, wall and floor tiles and the glass in the shower panels and the spindles in the stair case. Everything coarsely textured and rustic looks plain wrong and everything nice and smooth and shining looks downright clinical. A blend to suit your tastes looks just right. And then there is the added stress of picking the wrong colour and detracting from the marvellous features you have build into the design. No wonder many people play it safe with a neutral colour. But help is at hand because the internet is near to bursting with interior design with pictures of incredible interiors and website after website of advice. You might not feel the urge to go the whole hog and create your own ‘mood board’ but collating a number of photographs is a seriously good idea. As the military always say: ‘time spent in recognisance is never wasted’, even if it is for scatter cushions. And the other good news is that one-to-one help has never been more readily available in the shape of interior designers. Hiring an interior designer no longer looks like an extravagance if you are building anything less than a mansion; it looks like common sense. A trained eye will look at the space you are creating and help you achieve the right balance of colours, textures and proportions to balance the lighting, your furniture and the types of fabrics you prefer. You can bounce ideas of them and listen as they suggest things you would have never thought of in a million years. Often an interior designer will help you with major aspects and once a scheme is in place leave you to fill in the gaps and source those unique and personal finishing touches. Like your architect they will listen to what you want to achieve and ask how your family will use the space; what your interests and tastes are along with your lifestyle and together help produce your dream home. And to achieve the best possible result for those major aspects it really pays to contact an interior designer sooner rather than later. You will be amazed how much money – and indecision – they will save you.