Late to the party

Event at Hygge Design

It's not my vibe, to rock up late. I like to be organised and arrive early if anything. However, twice this year, I have been invited late to the party and boy, there were a few fires to put out!

One was a small fire, still costly, but the other - wow, it was a tornado - my heart sank - the host had rushed the doors open to start the party without a real plan and let the guests do their own thing, it was a stressful disaster... she needed our help to save the project.

We don't know what we don't know

I use this saying a lot in life - like all the time actually, as I feel we can never stop learning - whether it be a better way to cook a recipe, a better way of treating your sore back, or how to use chat GPT for your business - there are experts in every field, doing things in a more efficient way. If we haven't been in the situation before, like renovating, sometimes we don't know what the best decision is, covered in dust and stress, with walls smashed and chaos around us.

But here is where we can help and these 2 fires we put out are very good examples of why engaging our services from the beginning is so worthwhile - both from a cost and knowledge perspective - we are professionals that have a wealth of experience and a design process that we follow, that results in successful projects.

Think of us as your guardian angel - we have your best interests at heart and will plan, organise and execute for you and with you, saving you time, money and a lot of stress!

Here are a couple of the scenarios that pop up and we are called in late to the party:

Builder's and trades are not designers - we have huge respect for our amazing builders and trades that we work with, their understanding of building codes, craftsmanship, products, budgets and people management to name a few areas they oversee- they juggle a lot of balls! But leaving design decisions to them is well, quite a risk! They will most likely suggest their 'go to's or what is in stock- which will most likely not suit your aesthetic and the ‘bigger picture’ you want to achieve. Chances are, it will be very neutral and a lot of safe white choices everywhere, from white walls, to white tiles and white cabinetry.

The best projects we have worked on are where we have worked as a team to build and design a home specifically for our client, not applying what they used on their last project.

Our trusted builders actually love us - they have a clear set of drawings and schedules with every decision already made - it makes quoting far more accurate and saves them a lot of time confirming decisions with clients, as they have all been made before the hammer falls. They can get on with doing what they do best -building with precision and craftsmanship.

Engaging an Interior Designer gives you a strategic plan - how and when it is built, is done by the builder and trades with skill and experience. The what and where to be used and implemented, is communicated with detailed drawings in the plans by the designer -that's us.

Making decisions in isolation - this was a little fire - a lot of paint had been bought, some walls were finished, but they immediately didn't like the cooler colour at all - it was clashing with their warm green kitchen stone, sunglasses were needed for the rooms!

We specified another main colour, but then the curtains ordered also needed to be changed and the rug they bought on the weekend, well that wasn't going to work either.

The flow on effect of not getting the paint right from the start can be costly - our advice for every decision is that they must consider the bigger picture at all times - the overall design concept and material palette.

The cost of re-routing this one was around $7000, versus a consultation fee with us at the start ($650). This was a small fire, we’ve put out bigger :-(

Think of a party as similar to a renovation or project - most of us like be organised and have a plan of what to eat & drink (design), order it all (schedule) and have it all prepped before guests arrive (trades), so we can enjoy the party (reno) - my guess is that you would prefer this approach too.

Place your trust in us and call Hygge Design for your next project - not only will we design a home that deeply resonates and feels like you, it will also be super functional and beautiful at the same time.

Factoring in our connections with trades and amazing suppliers, well, then you've got yourself an almighty team that will transform your home and deliver an outcome far above what you could imagine to achieve.

Hosting a party should be enjoyable and a renovation can be too - ultimately, they both come down to planning for success and working backwards from the final outcome you want to achieve - the ‘big picture’.

Are ready to get going? We would love to hear from you - please give Carlie a call or pop in for a cuppa - we would love to hear all about your project and guide you through how we can help bring your dreams to life.