LIFESTYLE
INTERIOR INSIGHTS “THE COST OF THE DESIGNER WILL BE NEGATED IN THE DISCOUNTS THEY CAN PROVIDE.”
Receiving a brief to style the sub–penthouse at Peppers Soul on the beach at Surfers Paradise would seem like a dream job for any interior decorator. For Kellie Hobbs it was all that and more. “It was a huge honour but it was also quite the challenge. Veronica Gravolin from www.airlisting.com is handling the sale and there were so many elements to be considered to complete the brief. Bespoke art was ordered for both the living areas and the foyer. I know that nothing ever goes quite according to plan and this turned out to be true. One piece of art was mistakenly dispatched to Sydney a few days prior to install, while another was delayed because of warehousing issues due to the recent floods in Brisbane. Covid has created many challenges with furniture deliveries but we always seem to find an alternative or another option just in time. That is one of the things of which I am most proud - we have never let a client down.” As the leader of a team of Interior Decorators and Property Stylists, Kellie Hobbs Interiors specialises in modern, luxury real estate and retail interiors. Consultation, listening and forward planning are the corner stones of achieving what the client wants and to their budget. “The initial consult is extremely important. It’s where we gain the trust of the client by providing a vision of the end product and then settle on a common goal. During the initial consult we will video the entire property so that we can build our design and refer 78 GOLD COAST • PANACHE Magazine
to the video when selecting the furniture. I am often asked about favourite jobs but with something like property styling, the biggest buzz comes when a property sells for more than $100k over what the client was hoping for which means we have successfully added value. The whole idea of styling your property is to add value so when this is achieved we are very happy. Our absolute favourites are when the property sells at the first open home with multiple offers.” There is one particular interior design rule that Kellie follows wherever possible. “If in doubt – go BOLD. This one has never let me down. There are thousands of listing in www.realestate.com.au and our job is to stand out from the crowd from a marketing perspective and stop potential purchasers in their tracks. Go ahead, choose the bold art and the bright chairs, you won’t regret it.” There is one big mistake that is made constantly - not hiring a designer. “People think it is costing them money but the reality is that it will make and/or save them money. More often than not the cost of the designer will be negated in the discounts they can provide. They know what they’re doing, they understand what is going to work in your space and they know where to get it at the right price. We also offer a Bespoke Shopping experience tailored to busy professionals which is a cost effective way to engage a designer and get accesses to trade pricing.”
