Interview with Rachel Power What makes you different to other design practices? We approach all design from a practical perspective. We look at how people live their lives and not just the aesthetics of a room, focusing on the clients needs and how changes to their home can improve their day to day life. We do not dictate stylistic direction but through strong communication and creativity help to realise the ambitions our clients have for their homes. This collaborative approach extends across all avenues of the business ensuring that we draw on the expertise of our contractors, utilising knowledge and experience to provide the best results. Why should people appoint an interior designer instead of managing their own project? Engaging an interior designer has a number of advantages. Working with individuals who are professionally trained in their field enables you to make the best of your home. Our skills and talent mean we are able to realise the full potential of your property, making the best use of the space and creating beautiful schemes. These not only create a wonderful home but add value when considering future re-sale. Living in a well designed space can enhance your life and while aesthetics are important the practicalities of everyday life also need to be considered. At Rachel Power Design we work closely with our clients building a strong relationship and ensuring we fully understand their needs. We are passionate about great design and through our thorough development process ensure we make our clients vision a reality. We offer a full design and build service so can take you from concept to completion managing every stage of the design and build process saving you time, money and stress.
In developing a style for a client’s property who takes the lead or is it a collaborative effort? We have been described as approachable and user friendly in the past which sums us up really well. We do not dictate to our clients what they should be doing and do not force them down a particular design route. We work collaboratively recognising that we are there to make our clients dreams a reality. The approach we take varies from project to project and is very much dictated by the clients needs. When clients have a very clear vision of what they want to achieve we work within the brief, developing and enhancing the ideas which have been brought to us. In other cases we take the design lead helping clients recognise what style suits them, their lifestyle and everyday needs. People can feel overwhelmed when embarking on home renovations and we aim to guide them through this process building their confidence and enabling them to make good design decisions. In all cases the key for us is listening to our clients needs and understanding how they experience the space within their home. Never working to one particular style.
What type of projects get you most excited? One of the things I enjoy most about my job is working with different people and building relationships with my clients. In terms of properties I really love the challenge of working on houses which have become unloved and need a new lease of life. In many ways these houses are like a blank canvas with endless possibilities of what can be done. We can take a completely fresh approach to the design and are not constrained by existing details and finishes. Walls can be removed, spaces opened up and new rooms created allowing us to target all the specific needs of our clients.
Is there a project that you are most proud of? We have worked on so many beautiful properties over the years it is really hard to pick just one. We are always proud of what we achieve when we see the joy on our clients faces.. The most exciting projects are those which result in a complete transformation so if I had to pick just one it would be a fairly recent project. We were brought in to tackle a family home which required complete renovation after years of bad DIY and interesting design choices by previous owners. We made changes throughout the property creating a look and feel which suited the family and their busy life.
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