What clients ask

These are the questions clients ask most often, about how I work, what it costs and how long it takes. If yours isn't here, the first conversation is a good place to ask it.

Philosophy and experience

  • I design homes in good proportion: to their buildings, to the people who live there, and to what matters most in form and function. Proportion is the features, function, colour, light and texture calibrated to the building and to how you live in it. It's how a room goes from awkward to beautiful, and it's a function of maths as well as taste. The style comes from you: before any concept work begins, I learn what you like and why, so I can design your home through your eyes. You can read more on my About page.

  • No. Proportion is the constant in my work, and your taste is the style. Quiet or bold, traditional or contemporary, the aim is a home that could belong to no one else, and I don't chase trends or fashionable brands. What every project shares is a feeling: ease, warmth and character, with rooms that unfold one into the next.

  • Designing a home should be joyful, and that takes trust. You work with me throughout, from the first conversation to the day you move in. You bring how you live and what you love; I bring proportion, sourcing and judgement, and you can expect me to be candid, especially about where to spend and where to save. My aim is to hold the vision, structure and detail so you don't have to, so the process stays collaborative and creative, and the result feels unmistakably yours.

  • Much of the work happens before you see it. I explore different directions and test them against the concept we've agreed and your brief, so what I bring you fits both and will work well in practice. Please tell me if something doesn't feel right; your reaction is part of the process. Making decisions efficiently also brings real value: a lower design fee, more choice, since pieces with longer lead times can still be ordered in time, and lower construction costs, since the supply chain can be planned around clear decisions.

Service and scope

  • I offer full interior design, from concept through to sourcing and project management, as well as consultancy, space planning, kitchen and bathroom design, and interior architecture on their own. I work across London and the UK. When you get in touch, we'll talk through what you need and agree the right approach together. You can read more about each service on my Services page.

  • I design flats, terraced houses and detached homes, period or contemporary, including homes with extensions. I'm based near Islington and work across London and the UK. For listed buildings, I work with a trusted network of specialists so that designs are appropriate and can gain consent.

  • Yes. Many clients take on a home room by room, as budget allows. A phased project starts with a plan for the whole, so each room you complete fits the rooms still to come, and nothing bought early has to be undone later.

  • Yes. Many projects involve an architect, structural engineer or builder, and I work alongside them. Bringing interior design in early means layouts, lighting and details are resolved before construction, when changes are easiest.

  • Yes. The furniture, art and objects you already own are part of the brief from the start, so the design can showcase them or sit comfortably alongside them. Some of my own favourite rooms began with pieces I'd inherited.

  • Designing a home is an involved process, and it works best face to face. I recommend a site visit at the outset and at least one further visit to review samples, and visits during construction help builders deliver to plan. Depending on the scope, fully remote design may be possible by agreement, and consultancy can be entirely virtual if you prefer.

  • I draw on a hand-picked network of more than 500 vendors and makers across Britain and Europe, built up for quality and design. For full projects, design and sourcing draw on this network as standard, and where a project calls for something outside it, I'll find the right supplier.

  • Yes. For now, my focus is boutique offices that bring the personality and culture of a company, and the people who lead it, to life.

Process

  • The first step is an informal conversation, usually a phone call, to understand your project and each other. If we're a good fit, I'll visit your home for a walkthrough, then send a fee proposal built from your brief. There's no charge for any of these.

  • A full interior design project moves through seven steps: a first conversation, a walkthrough of your home, a fee proposal, the concept, design development, sourcing, and installation and handover. There's no charge for the first three. Consultancy and the other services follow a shorter path, which we'll agree in our first conversation. You can read each step in more detail on my Services page.

  • As involved as you'd like. We agree the brief and the concept together at the start, and you approve the key decisions along the way. Between those points, I carry the work, so busy clients can step back, while others enjoy being closely involved.

  • It depends on the scope and the complexity of the design. As a guide, designing a single room can take one to two weeks, depending on what's needed and how quickly samples arrive. A three-bedroom, two-bathroom flat designed from scratch, with a moderate number of bespoke pieces, typically takes three to four months, depending on how quickly suppliers respond. Building work and delivery come on top of this, and depend on your builder and suppliers. I'll give you a timeline for your own project with the fee proposal.

  • The brief and concept stages exist to agree a direction you love before significant work begins, so that's the right time to refine or redirect. After that, I share layouts and furnishings before detailed design is finalised, and anything can still change up to ordering.

Fees, budgets and value

  • Every fee proposal is tailored to your project. It usually combines a fixed design fee, an hourly rate for work beyond the agreed scope, and a margin on the furniture and finishes I supply, all set out clearly in the proposal. Consultancy is charged hourly, with a two-hour minimum. You can read more about how fees and budgets work on my Services page.

  • There's no fixed minimum, but a project needs a realistic budget behind it. Though costs move, here is what that tends to look like for London in 2026, excluding design fees.

    For purely decorative updates, £50-100/sqft. For less intensive renovations, a budget of £140-200/sqft; for extension plus refurbishment, a budget of £220-320/sqft; and for a structural alteration, £370-420/sqft.

    On top of that, you’ll want budget for furniture, furnishings, and window coverings. For a sitting room, this can run £5-35k+, for a dining room, £2-25k+, and for a primary bedroom, £2-25k+.

    For consultancy, there's no minimum beyond a two-hour block, so advice is accessible regardless of budget.

  • I manage cost and timing by understanding your budget, designing to it, and making every decision before construction starts. That way, lead times are planned for, and builders can move ahead with confidence and on schedule.

Practicalities

  • No. Every recommendation I make is based on what's right for your project. Whether I'm supplying goods directly or acting as an agent, the terms, including any margin, are agreed with you upfront.

    The relevant policy can be found here.

  • Yes. In Good Proportion holds Professional Indemnity insurance and Product and Public Liability insurance, with ample coverage that can be increased if your project requires it.

  • I'll work with the relevant party to resolve the problem quickly and keep delays and added costs to a minimum. My process makes decisions and places orders early, specifically to build in flexibility. If there's ever a disagreement between us, I'll work to resolve it fairly and promptly.

    My complaints policy can be found here.

  • I collect only what's genuinely needed to design and run your project, keep it only as long as I have a good reason to, and never sell it or share it without a good reason linked directly to your project (e.g., dimensions or photos for vendor quotes).

    Full details are in my Privacy Notice.