How great interior design can attract more clients to your business

I’m a designer, creating beautiful interiors that inspire and give pleasure. I’m not a plumber, a lawyer or top chef. If I wanted my loo fixed, a legal problem solved or a Michelin Starred meal, I would consult the experts.

So I am constantly surprised when business owners think interior design is something anyone can do – or they exist in bland spaces that say nothing of their skills, company values and overall ethos.  

People believe what the see, not what they hear. So if you say your company is forward-thinking and inspiring but your customers walk into a reception area that’s bland and out-dated, they simply won’t believe you.

Recently I met friends in a newly opened restaurant. While the food and staff were excellent, the interior jarred. The lighting was too bright, the furnishings mismatched, with a colour palette reminiscent of a cheap supermarket. This incohesive branding was out of kilter with the elegant food. It transpired that the owner had done his own decorating. While his cooking was fabulous, his taste in decor was not creating the ambience he’d hoped. Let’s just say we didn’t stay for pudding. 

So if you are creating a restaurant, a boutique hotel, a board room or reception area for your business, it’s crucial that the interior is consistent with your company branding. To coin two pertinent phrases: ‘Seeing is believing’ and ‘Each to his own’.

And as we all know, consulting the experts with ultimately save you money. At Home Interiors has access to trade accounts that you don’t. We tap into elements that are not available to the general public in terms of connections, resources and merchandise. Then we pull them all together to make your space unique.

And, like you, I know my trade. I understand when something wrong or right with a space, the result of 32 years of experience. I have rescued many a project that business-owners have tried to revamp, only to get frustrated when they’ve thrown money at it - then to find it’s still wrong, just in a different way

Your business space should reflect the heart of your company. And when it looks and feels right, you will attract the clients you desire.

by Hugh Jamieson, Principal Designer, At Home Interiors. 

Interior design and architecture in perfect harmony

No man is an island, and that includes interior designers! We have recently completed this stunning contemporary design in Cambridge, collaborating closely with NRAP architects, who share our vision of creating vibrant, imaginative spaces that are a joy to inhabit.

The project was a simple late-Victorian villa that had been extended in the 1980s. The owners wanted to replace the existing garden room with a new space that could open up directly into the garden, and to refurbish the rest of the house.

At Home senior designer Diana Trower respected the clients’ wishes to retain the character of the original rooms at the front of the house and upstairs, while breathing new life into the kitchen and the stunning new garden room.

Diana planned and oversaw the installation and decoration of the new kitchen and living spaces, adding soft furnishings to the library and piano room. The owners wanted to retain their traditional paintings and here Diana expertly showcases her skill of mixing old and new, ensuring even the most contemporary space feels like a much loved home. White-stained birch ply was used to line the staircase, hallway, and kitchen units, to provide a calming flow.

At Home Principal Designer, Hugh Jamieson said: ‘We are the link between you and your architect or contractor. We speak their language and can head off design misses. We are delighted to have worked with NRAP and together we marry aesthetics and practicalities, which is crucial in managing the client’s time and money, and avoiding hassle and headaches.’

At Home Interior Design www.athome-interiors.com

NRAP Architects www.nrap.co.uk

10 reasons why you should hire a professional interior designer

By Hugh Jamieson, At Home principal designer

The idea that interior designers are just for the rich and famous is as out-moded as the avocado bathroom suite. So I’m sharing my thoughts on how we can save you a great deal of time, money and hassle – and give you the home you’ve always dreamed of.

Clients approach us for a number of reasons: Some don’t know where to start, or need help understanding their personal style. Others have a crystal clear dream  - and just need all the strands pulling together. Most At Home clients have one thing in common – they are simply too busy to think about it!

1. THE BOTTOM LINE: WE SAVE YOU MONEY

‘Yes, of course you would say that’ I hear you mutter. But many’s the time I’ve rescued a project that the client had started themselves. They usually got into a mess juggling all the elements, or got part way through and realised their plans didn’t work but they couldn’t put their finger on why.

2. WE STICK TO THE PLAN

We’ve seen it so many times – at the first glitch, a client’s plan has gone out of the window and suddenly costs spiral. We ensure this won’t happen. Our professional assessment will lead to a solid plan of action. This effects the budget and helps you spend it more efficiently. We are trained to see and notice things that you may not.

3. WE KEEP HOLD OF THE PURSE STRINGS

We keep you on budget and save you time and effort – that’s a promise. We source everything, researching products, brands and prices. So you don’t have to.

4. IT’S GOOD TO TALK

We are the link between you and your architect or contractor; we speak their language and can head off design misses. We marry aesthetics and practicalities, crucial in managing time and money. For example, if your living room sofa is to be placed in the middle of the room, you want to make sure you have a floor plug in exactly the right spot.

5. IT'S WHAT YOU KNOW AND WHO YOU KNOW

In short, we have access to trade accounts that you don’t. We tap into elements that are not available to the general public in terms of connections, resources and merchandise. Then we pull them all together to make your space unique.

6. WE HAVE A PRICELESS LITTLE BLACK BOOK

Finding good workmen is like searching for a coin down the back of a sofa. Then getting them all to work together, on time, without disappearing off to other jobs can lead to a full head of grey hair. We have built up a great team of skilled and reliable contractors, plumbers, electricians and carpenters, saving you time, heart-ache and many a sleepless night.

8. IF YOU'RE THINKING OF SELLING YOUR HOME...

...The first impression is the ONLY impression a potential buyer will get, so make sure it sweeps them off their feet! We can add to the aesthetic of your home, which can increase showings and clinch a sale.

9. A TRAINED EYE

We know if something is wrong or right with a space, the result of years of experience. Often homeowners try to tackle problems themselves, and get frustrated when they’ve thrown money at it, only to find it’s still wrong, just in a different way.

10. WE TELL YOUR STORY

We interpret your taste and ideas to create an interior that looks beautiful and feels right for you. We don’t impose our taste. Our skill is to enhance the space and the quality of your life, elevating your house into a home while telling your visual story. 

Please contact us to discuss your interior design project.

I have a dream...

Every great design project starts with two things: A dream, and a decision to make it happen. 

So, if you've decided to turn your dream into a beautiful, livable reality, please contact us. 

Because we do all the hard work for you...

Technology that cooks your supper

This is SO cool. We are very excited to be working with Vimar, providers of home automation technology. 

Everything in your home can be controlled remotely, wherever you are, including lighting, heating, security and it will even cook supper! (Well, not quite, but if you leave your prepared dish in the oven, you can set it to cook before you arrive home).

Contact Hugh for more details or click the link to watch the excellent video that shows you exactly what this system is capable of. http://www.vimar.co.uk/en/uk

Why Hugh is getting his kit off and becoming a Super Hero!

It's true. At Home's Principal Designer Hugh Jamieson has taken up the challenge to get his kit off - and on - four times in the space of a day! He and team mate Sue are in training for the Norfolk Super Hero Challenge, a gruelling test of stamina and fitness to raise cash for Wells Lifeboat.

The challenge requires teams to SWIM one mile, KAYAK for four miles, CYCLE for 45 miles and RUN for eight miles. As you can imagine, there are several fast-action kit changes to contend with (though sadly NOT a Superman cape) and a slick technique can save crucial seconds! Teams of two have entered, with combinations of mums and sons, dads and daughters, brothers, sisters, chums and spouses. Hugh is a member of the North Norfolk Wheelers cycling club and will be sporting the distinctive black and yellow kit during the challenge.

The challenge takes place on Saturday 6th June and the route meanders round the most beautiful parts of north Norfolk. Teams swim one mile from Gun Hill to the quay at Burnham Overy Staithe with the incoming tide,  kayak a four mile course through creeks, cycle a 45 mile circular route on north Norfolk's most scenic roads then run eight miles across tracks, sand, mud and marsh. 

Hugh and Sue hope to raise a massive £3000 for Wells Lifeboat which is manned by volunteer crews. If you would like to support them with a donation, please visit www.justgiving.com/NorfolkSuperHero112

The client doesn't have to know everything...

Sometimes you have to think round a problem: We were faced with getting a new bath into a bathroom of a house near Midsummer Common in central Cambridge. 

The new bath was much bigger than the one we took out (an old enamel roll top with feet) and would not fit through the bathroom door - it simply wasn't going to go! 

So... we ordered a fork-lift truck and lifted it directly into the bathroom through the front window. It caused quite a stir, and we are sure the neighbours enjoyed the show!


But the client did not need to know. It was not his problem, so why burden him with it?

We had the bath in and the fork lift was on its way back to Newmarket before the client arrived on site.

And that, of course, is the beauty of hiring a professional design team...

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