4 minute read
NEW) WAY TO GO From virtual consultations to more considered
from Cxzdfccr
INSIDE | RENOVATE
The Block: Glasshouse co-winner and interior architect Shannon Vos. voscreative. com.au
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(new) way to go
Like everything else this year, the design world changed fast, and we all raced to adapt. From the massive uptake in virtual consultations to people happily ordering furniture with long lead times without blinking an eye (we certainly had the time to wait), the interior design landscape became a much-altered state. Here’s how you can tap into some of the changes...
LOOKING TO THE FUTURE Design visionary Hannah Tribe of Sydney’s Tribe Studio does some preliminary drawings for a residential project.
PHOTOGRAPHY: MAREE HOMER, NIC GOSSAGE (MOODBOARD) T he world we live in now is a vastly different place to what it was a mere six months ago. We are cautious about what we do and whom we see, but we are also a bit more focused on what really matters. A healthy home life and good work/life balance seem to top the list for most of us. During that extended period indoors, you probably started to notice in more detail the things that bug you the most: wine glasses that weren’t quite full enough, nagging kids and, you guessed it, the way your home looks and performs. Many of us picked up on annoyances relating to our living rooms, kitchens and bedrooms, from dodgy floor plans to bad lighting to the kids still living at home. It’s high time we addressed those issues and changed things for the better, ’cause this braver new world has some exciting and previously unimagined opportunities.
you, the designer
What we have all been through has changed the way we do business. Firstly, as a homeowner or client, you have more power. There are now so many choices – all at the touch of a button – and things for the home are easier to buy. The world is not as big as it was 10, five, even two years ago, and the smarter companies know this. They are selling direct to the consumer and removing the need for a ‘bricks and mortar’ presence – at prices designers like me get all uppity about.
Yes, you pay pretty much what we pay these days, and all it usually takes is an ABN and a decent grasp of Google. Design services are getting cheaper as systems are streamlined and databases move online, so hiring an interior designer is no longer a luxury only the wealthy can afford. On top of this, it’s becoming easier to bypass the designer altogether and get your favourite furniture straight from the source.
the first rule of design club
The way in which interior designers work has also been flipped on its head. Fading are the days of working closely, hand in hand with clients (sanitiser saw that one out), and online is now the bread and butter of our trade.
With a decent understanding of Photoshop, we can create looks for your home, specify furniture, decor and lighting from the comfort of our (insert cushy office location here). Though nothing beats an in-home service, mock-ups, plans and sketches can all be submitted remotely and to a high standard. Skype, FaceTime and Zoom (although awkward at first) are great ways to kick off a design conversation. While such a chat may cost you upfront, it’s always good to talk to an industry professional before committing to any sort of project.
Designers should be set up for online work (as our kids now are) and have a great range of tools to help them through this new way of operating. Just about all design can be done online these days, with tools such as SketchUp, Ivy, AutoCAD, Morpholio and Homestyler to help create and manage the designer’s workload. As new products emerge, a lot of these systems are (and need to be) constantly updated, making the whole distance-working process that much simpler.
get ready
If you’re still spending a lot of time at home and levels of craziness have set in, it’s even more important to prep for the future. Without ordering half the nation’s supply of toilet paper, take stock of your home’s current state and start a wish list of things you may want tackled by the time summer rolls in.
It might be a case of a new paint job, a better sofa or even a revamp of the kitchen splashback. Make a list and start to tick off the smaller, more manageable jobs. This is a perfect time to hire a trade as many of them may still be short on work (you might even negotiate a slightly cheaper rate), and furniture and decor suppliers and retailers are under plenty of pressure to sell, which means better prices for you.
As we start to breathe easier again and take stock of what we are thankful for, let’s look at how to make our homes more efficient, better prepared for an uncertain future and just generally nicer places in which to live and work.
