Hamptons-Relocation & Renovation guide- Henley On Thames

Meet Niki Schafer Henley Interiors Maestro

Tell us a little about what inspired you to establish your business? I’ve always been fascinated by homes (I was brought up in the RAF and spent my childhood moving and looking at house particulars for the next home) so when I settled in Henley with my family, I decided to retrain from my advertising career into another creative field. A background in project management, (budget, people, communications) and the ability to nurture a creative idea through a building process is exactly what interior design is all about.

Niki Schafer

How does your process work from receiving an initial enquiry?

We have a friendly phone conversation to enquire about the basic brief, then send an NSID questionnaire to be filled out to explore tastes and requirements. Next we meet on site to talk through the project in more detail, look through existing furniture and valued items, and discover cultures and backgrounds of the people and the property involved. This leads to a scope of work which, when approved, is followed by a professional contract.

What type of project gets you most excited?

Henley is full of people who love their homes and want to express their personalities and backgrounds in them. We get excited when there are a combination of cultures, or clients have travelled a lot and collected interesting items. We love houses with character too. And potential, there’s nothing more exciting than potential!

What would you say are the most rewarding gains clients enjoy from appointing you for their project?

Most clients have ideas about what they want their home to say about them but have very little time to find the right resources to bring their ideas to life. We not only make this happen but we expand on their ideas and help them create spaces that a just a bit more than their vision – developing them into something truly special. As ex ad agency executives we follow a structure and engage in processes that please our clients by keeping them well informed and keep the project moving at the right pace. We are a great combination of insight, creativity and professional structure.

What’s the most satisfying aspect of your job?

I have three favourite parts of my job: 1) getting an exciting brief and finding out about new clients. 2) fabric samples arriving in the post (13 years later and I’m still thrilled to see new fabrics) and 3) photograph day – seeing everything come together into a few images is a real treat, then sharing the befores and afters with clients is truly satisfying.

www.nikishaferinteriordesign.co.uk