What is the difference between an interior designer, a contractor, and an architect?
Why all need to work together, not in sequence
Here's where a lot of projects go wrong. Treating these roles as a simple handoff – architect finishes, then contractor starts, then designer gets involved once the walls are up – sounds logical, but it tends to produce compromises nobody wanted.
If a designer isn't in the room while the architect is still drawing, structural decisions get made without any input on how the finished space will actually be used.
These problems are the kind of thing that costs real money to fix once concrete has already been poured.
What to consider before going open-plan
Should you really knock through?
For the best part of two decades, open plan living has been the default renovation ambition – kitchen, dining room, and living room merged into one bright, sociable space. It's been on every property programme and every estate agent's listing photo.
But the appetite is shifting. And for good reason.
Open plan living comes with a pitch that sounds compelling and a reality that doesn't always make it into the brochure – noise that travels, cooking smells that linger, and mess that has nowhere to hide. Sometimes knocking through creates more problems than it solves.
In our latest blog we break down when open plan genuinely works, when it doesn't, and what a good designer actually does instead.
How to choose an interior designer in Brighton
How to choose an interior designer
Starting a renovation is exciting. Finding the right designer to guide it is harder than most people expect – and the wrong choice can do serious damage to your budget, your timeframe, and your patience.
A good interior designer is not just there to make things look beautiful. They become your project's advocate – someone who cares about every detail and is firmly on your side.
But how do you know who is right for you before you've handed over a deposit?
In this blog we share exactly what we'd look for if we were the ones doing the hiring – from fee structures and local knowledge to the small signals that tell you more than any portfolio ever will.