Design Anatomy
Welcome to Design Anatomy, where we examine the world of interiors and design. With a shared passion for joyful, colour-filled, and lived-in spaces, Bree Banfield and Lauren Li are excited to share their insights and inspiration with you.
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Design Anatomy
Save Time, Money, and Heartache: The Value of Interior Designers
Ever wondered if hiring an interior designer is worth the investment? Design Anatomy hosts Bree Banfield and Lauren Li tackle this question head-on, sharing five compelling reasons why professional design guidance can transform your renovation or building project from potentially disastrous to genuinely delightful.
Drawing from their wealth of experience, Bree and Lauren reveal the costly mistakes they've witnessed when homeowners go it alone. From a client who replaced windows before consulting a designer (limiting bathroom layout options forever) to another who wasted money refinishing mismatched timber floors that could never look cohesive, these real-world examples highlight how seemingly small decisions can have major consequences.
The designers emphasize that having a comprehensive plan isn't just about aesthetics—it's about clear communication with builders and tradespeople who need specific guidance. Without professional documentation detailing everything from tapware mounting to tile edge finishing, homeowners often find themselves making rushed decisions or discovering too late that what they envisioned isn't what they received. As Lauren explains, "You've just invested all of your time and money... and if they don't have the information, they're going to make it up and you're going to pay for it."
Beyond preventing mistakes, designers bring valuable expertise to material selections, spatial planning, and technical requirements that most homeowners wouldn't think to consider. They know which suppliers offer the best products for specific needs and have established relationships with reliable tradespeople. Whether you're undertaking a full renovation or simply need help refining your vision, consulting a designer can ultimately save you time, money, and the heartache of living with regrettable design choices.
Struggling with a design dilemma? Both Bree and Lauren offer focused online design consultations to help you overcome specific challenges without the full service commitment. Book a session today and gain the confidence to create a home you'll truly love.
Bree is now offering a 90-minute online design consult to help you tackle key challenges like colour selection, furniture curation, layout, and styling. Get tailored one-on-one advice and a detailed follow-up report with actionable recommendations—all without a full-service commitment.
Bookings now open - Book now
Join Lauren online to discuss Trade Day a critical step in a project before getting too far in & having to pare it all back.
Or break down the design steps to run your project & business a little smoother with the Design Process MasterClass
Welcome to Design Anatomy, the interior design podcast hosted by friends and fellow designers. Me, brie Banfield.
Speaker 2:And me, Lauren Lee, with some amazing guest appearances along the way.
Speaker 1:We're here to break down everything from current trends to timeless style.
Speaker 2:With a shared passion for joyful, colour-filled and lived-in spaces. We're excited to share our insights and inspiration with you.
Speaker 1:Before we jump into our episode, Lauren and I would love to share what's happening with us in our actual, real jobs. At the moment, we're offering a 90-minute design consult online. So if you're overwhelmed by options, second-guessing your style or just living in a space that doesn't feel right, a 90-minute consult with me could make all the difference. So it's one focused online session. We'll work through all your key challenges, whether it's choosing colors, curating furniture, making sure the layout works or even just styling a space. It's tailored advice from me, one-on-one, and you'll receive a clear written report afterwards with everything we discussed, plus some extra recommendations so you can move forward with confidence. So it's a no full service commitment, just expert help right when you need it. And bookings are available now so you can head to the show notes to find out more there and what's happening with you, Lauren.
Speaker 2:Oh well, apart from getting really excited about Milan and Paris next year, oh yes, absolutely. I've actually been doing a bunch of those consult consultations as well, and they are so fulfilling. And we just I did one this morning, actually, with a lady who was meeting me from the beach. She was she's like oh, I don't mean to boast, but I think I might be getting sunburned. I'm like I've got my heater on in Melbourne.
Speaker 2:Down here she was in Caloundra love it so, anyway, it's really fun to be able to help people from all around the place, um, but I thought I might just mention um another way you can learn a bit more about interior design. I don't know if you're on Substack, but it's a really great platform for all different types of writers it's really cool.
Speaker 2:So, um, I have a page there called the style studies and I talk about. You know, the latest one was about tiles and I've just got rounded up like a hundred, probably a hundred different tiles. So if you want a bit more about interior design, your love of tiles shining through.
Speaker 2:It's probably a bit boring on an obsession, but anyway we get it here right. We're all friends here. So, yeah, maybe jump over to the Style Studies. You can subscribe for free, and there are some special content that I save for my paid subscribers over there. So thank you if you're a paid subscriber as well. But today let's get into it, because we are talking about why you should even bother hiring an interior designer, and I've got five big reasons.
Speaker 1:Well, only five. I reckon I could rattle off at least 50. But go on All right. What's number one?
Speaker 2:I think my biggest one is number one have a plan, because without a plan you're just kind of winging it. You don't know what you're aiming for. And if you don't know what you're aiming for, then how is your builder supposed to know? So true.
Speaker 2:It's something that I just find, even with this lovely lady that I met today, she's building a house for the first time. We don't do this every day, we don't know what to do, and it's just having that overall plan Everybody's on the same page like literally put it onto a page. But if you're, I understand. There are so many beautiful images out there, there are so many different aspects we like from different images and plus, we're all talking about images here and you know what it's like, right, it's a smoking hero situation. So I think having a plan is good.
Speaker 1:Yeah, no, totally, and I think also just that reassurance. So when you sort of starting out A someone who can explain to you the best way to go about it, as you said, have a good plan and then also so you don't miss anything. So I feel like I've worked with clients before where they've come to me and gone, we didn't even realize we had to do X, x and X and we haven't thought about it. And now we need to come up with this in the next two weeks or whatever, because there's a time frame. So at least if you're working with an interior designer and you have a plan, they already know all the things you need to think about and you can start thinking about them as early as possible. Which I guess kind of brings us to what I think is number two, which is working with the builder too early. So this is a really common one, because obviously you get very excited.
Speaker 1:What's the first thing you think about? If you're renovating or building from scratch, whatever it is, it's who's going to make it, who's going to build it, who's going to put it together. So you might sort of jump into that first and whilst that's great to be researching, you're going to have to be making all these decisions without having that plan and overall vision for the space. So if you can get, I guess, an interior designer on board early enough, a they're going to have the plan for you and B they're going to help you even just make a great decision about the right builder. They can give you that advice about who they think helps sort of fit your look, your style, your budget, whereas you're just kind of like you know, yes, you can research it, but the interior designer's job is to sort of understand and know you, so there can be the perfect person to be kind of this, I guess, sounding board about who the right builder is right.
Speaker 2:Exactly, and I mean it kind of does tie into having a plan as well. I get it because I mean I've come into projects where, oh, we're ready to renovate, so exactly what you said. They call the builder. I understand that does seem logical. And then when we get a builder, then we can figure out or the builders are asking from information what is the flooring, what are the tiles?
Speaker 2:And they're like oh, okay, we need to figure that out. The last thing a builder wants to do is to stand around in a tile store with you scratching their heads. That's just not their job. Or, and the last thing you want is to get the the sample bag that he's had that. This is what the last clients have all done. This is what we do. That happens a lot doesn't it even?
Speaker 1:like you know, if you've hired a trade like a painter or something, they're most likely going to go.
Speaker 2:Oh, natural white, it's good, because they used it on the last job, you know and especially if you're doing a custom build, it's like well, why would you want a cookie cutter? Look, when you've got this opportunity to do a custom build, um, and I know that um, I've got a client at the moment. I know she listens to the podcast um yeah, she's.
Speaker 2:I have to say not that she's, she does. She's a very busy lady. I don't think she listens to all the time, but but she's such a cool woman. But, um, if you've not been in that building kind of renovation thing before, you just don't know.
Speaker 2:And one of the the things that's a bit disappointing is that she wanted to replace some windows upstairs, but basically it's about renovating some bathrooms. So what she did before she called me is she replaced the windows with what was existing. So I didn't know that those windows were brand new, made in Germany, really good quality.
Speaker 2:But they're really really big for a bathroom. So there I was designing this bathroom. We're going to have a big shower and we're going to have this really great vanity. We're going to swap over this and that we're going to make it amazing more functional. And then she's like oh, but we can't do that because those windows have to stay. I was like, oh, my God, I didn't know that one knew. She's like I really wish.
Speaker 2:I hired you before I paid for these really expensive windows. So it's things like that I've now. I didn't know I probably should have asked, but because we were renovating the bathrooms I thought the windows were up for grabs and they could be changed.
Speaker 2:Why would you think yeah, and I've now shown her this amazing option that she can't actually have, so it's things like that, and I think it's about getting a builder too early without having that plan. It kind of goes together. I think number three, which kind of leads into that as well, it's communicating what you want.
Speaker 1:And it does sound obvious, but it does.
Speaker 2:And I'm actually quite curious. You know, if you've renovated, if you've built without a designer, how do you communicate that? Because I know that.
Speaker 2:You know when you work with a designer, we put everything down in drawings. So documentation, which means that it's got dimensions, it shows the locations and fittings and fixtures and lighting. It's just a part, forms part of the contract. But before all of that, we come up with the design and we show that visually and sometimes you can show things using mood boards. But there's things like is the tap wall mounted? Is it bench mounted?
Speaker 2:They need to know these things when they're roughing in with the plumbing. And just this lady I met before. She was so cool and I don't want to pick on her because she's just top of mind, but it's just such a common thing. I actually asked her how are you going to communicate these ideas to the builder? And she's like oh, we just do a walkthrough. And I explained and I said to her bare minimum, I was just doing a consultation. I said why don't you put together this information on a mood board? I don't care what you use PowerPoint Canva. List out what the fittings are the tapware wall mounted, is it under mounted? Basin, is it this or that? List out all the finishes for each room by room. I mean, as a designer, we convey that information in a more refined technical way. It just means that, because if you've got a builder who then gives those drawings to a plumber, they can understand, but if you give a mood board to a plumber, they're just like I don't know what to do.
Speaker 1:I can't even imagine doing that. That would be quite funny actually. I might prank one of my trades and say here you go, can you make it look like this Well, I mean, that's the danger.
Speaker 2:You've just invested all of your time and money. You've been dreaming about this luxurious en suite bathroom because you've been living in a small apartment for the past your whole life and now's your chance. And you see what they, if they don't have the information, they're going to make it up and you're going to pay for it.
Speaker 1:You know, even as a designer, I find you know I really have to check those details, like on joinery or even just the way tiles are finished. So you know, if you're tiling a bathroom and it's not a fully tiled bathroom, where do the tiles stop? How are they finishing that? Is there a little, you know, niche for soap and whatever? And how are they finishing all those edges? Are they mited? Is there a metal angle?
Speaker 1:If you don't have that documented somewhere, they'll either put you on the spot and go what do you want here, and they're about to literally do it, or they're on the day where it's going to happen and you have to make the decision, or you'll get something and then you'll look at it and go, oh, that's. I kind of thought it would be like this. So you know, that's our job really is to be making sure those details are correct and are the way you want them to be, because in the end, that's what you're stuck with. Are you going to pull the tiles off and redo them just so you can have a mitered edge? Well, it's going to cost you money, because if it wasn't explained and somewhere in writing in the first place, then the builder's going to go well, you never told us you don't want to get stuck with that.
Speaker 1:And I guess that sort of leads into what I would say is number four, and that's access to expertise, so that you know again that those things are going to be needed. So if you're doing a bathroom reno for the first time, you might think, oh well, I guess it's just standard to have, you know, a metal angle finishing here and here and here, and it's not, it's just one option, right? Whereas how would you know? Maybe you're just basing it on a bathroom you lived in before, or someone else's bathroom, or a photo of a bathroom, and a designer is going to say, well, actually a better way to do this is xxx, because you have this happening here and this happening here and these two things coming together. So we can make, I guess, elevate what could be like an okay space based on what you've potentially this is what I want it to look like we can make it an amazing space literally just through those little details, and you don't know what they are unless you have that expertise.
Speaker 2:A hundred percent, and I mean talking again about a bathroom. It could be something so small but as so impactful as using the correct type of grout. You want to use an epoxy grout. That is going to be a lot easier to clean. It might cost you a little bit more up front, but you know, the metal angle thing.
Speaker 2:I mean it just actually sends shivers down my spine thinking of spending three hundred dollars per meter on a beautiful tile and your eye just goes through straight to this shiny silver edging around a shower niche and your heart is sunk.
Speaker 1:You just invested thousands of dollars and I think that comes back to the saving money we can save you money in those kind of scenarios.
Speaker 2:I mean even back to the window scenario, where that was one example where she was like I wish I had have bought you in before. I would have had smaller windows. I could have had a great layout for my bathroom, and it's also without having that plan. The client had sanded and refinished all of the timber flooring throughout the house, which seems like a great thing to do, but it's the type of the species of the floor. They're different. So no matter how much you're going to sand that and refinish that, you're never going to be happy with the different species that intersect and it's not in a pleasing way. Yeah, and that was a waste of money to sand and refinish those floors.
Speaker 1:And that's a big job. We were going to have to put an engineered floor over the top.
Speaker 2:We're going to have to do that, my god such a waste of money it's such a waste of money and it's it's really upsetting that's having to happen. Um, yeah, we can't work around it. That flooring is different species, it's just.
Speaker 1:There's nothing else we can do flooring such a really good example. Because, you know, even if you just get a designer involved to, I guess, look over everything and make sure that all your base finishes will work. Because, say, you know, how many times have we worked on a project where the flooring is, say, a particular, like it's spotted gum, which is a beautiful floor but it's very difficult to work with with many color schemes, so that you sort of have to go a particular way with it? So if you've sort of already made that decision just on its own, without looking at everything else and going, but I really love this floor, but then I want pink walls, well, you kind of that does not work. So, as a bit of an extreme example, but those base finishes have to be right, don't they?
Speaker 2:Totally, and I think that another example to talk about flooring would be. So my slab's just been poured and now I'm treating my flooring and I want to have a crazy pave going through the entry that meets up seamlessly with the timber floor.
Speaker 1:All those floorings are different thicknesses, so that's off the table now.
Speaker 2:We cannot do that, so if we can know those things right at the beginning, before we've done any building work. You can have those things. You can have a PowerPoint in the middle of your lounge room to use your laptop and your phone and all that stuff, all of those things. You can't retrofit that through a slab. So I think when you see those endless mistakes it's really upsetting. Expensive mistakes, sorry.
Speaker 2:And also the time I love working with clients that are professional women working expensive mistakes sorry. And also the time I love working with clients that are professional women working in corporate lawyers. They're the best. We get it done, and I just think they're just such cool people. They don't have the time to go back and forward to the tile shop ten times over, so I think working with the designer.
Speaker 2:I've been to all the tile shops. I can't stop talking about tiles, as it turns out. I've looked at them, I'm obsessing over them. I know that if you want a stone mosaic, we're going to go to Byzantine. If you want a full-bodied porcelain. We're going to Tianto if we want to Zelige.
Speaker 1:Where are we going? Bree Tales of Ezra.
Speaker 2:I don't know, oh yeah, but we know, we know you don't have to figure that stuff out. We are efficient and we can bring from all of those great suppliers and also we like working with nice people. So you know, I'm going to be working with those suppliers. That are just something you know, I'm going to be working with those suppliers that are just something will go wrong. You will need to lean on your suppliers and your trades, so we want to work with the best people.
Speaker 2:And that's, I guess, another thing that we can bring to the table as well.
Speaker 1:Yeah, that's 0.6.
Speaker 2:I know. Well, you did say you had 50.
Speaker 1:I know we could keep going, we could keep going on and on and on yes, but yes no, yeah, contacts is actually a really good one, and just and well, it really comes back to expertise. I think our point about expertise is we do know people as well, so we know the places to go for the right things, Whereas you could be like I kind of want this, I don't even know where to start, because there's so many different suppliers out there. You know think about fabrics that's probably one of the biggest ones that you can kind of fall into a massive rabbit hole, Whereas we'll know that you know if you're looking for a particular type of fabric and price points as well, because then that fits into it. We know which suppliers to go to for that. Yeah, but I think that's. I think it's a pretty good summary of five amazing reasons why you would bother hiring an interior designer, right?
Speaker 2:Exactly, and I mean, it's also finding a designer that you can talk with, that you click with and I'm definitely not the right designer for everyone and we all offer a different service as well. You mentioned at the top there you're offering an online consultation and I started doing that as well, but I think traditionally we've done full service, so there's more than one way to work with the designer as well, and I'm trying to meet people where they are because, like this lady I met this morning, she wanted a bit of a sounding board and she felt really confident to move on and go. Yes, these are great.
Speaker 1:And it's so great to be able to help someone when they're in that position. All we want is for you to love your home in the end and to feel really great about the decisions you make. So, yeah, it is really nice to be able to do those one-on-ones and do, I guess, a paired back service. And I guess that's the other thing. You know, if you're coveting a designer and you think that that's all they do, it's always worth just reaching out to them and saying you know, look, I have a smallish project, I have a smallish budget. Do you? Do you know a one-off consultation, just so I can use you as a sounding board? I'd love your opinion and a lot of designers will do that.
Speaker 2:Or you just come to Lauren and I and you know also, I don't work across all different sort of aesthetics and styles. So if you've come into me with a certain aesthetic that I'm not that familiar with maybe the supplies that I work with don't offer that um style I would like to be able to point you into a direction of somebody that can help, absolutely, yeah, yeah, for sure, cool, we're only here to help talk about tiles and things all day long, so I guess basically it's plan.
Speaker 2:Don't rush into engaging a builder. Communicate clearly what you want and use expert brains to save yourself time and money.
Speaker 1:Yeah, it's pretty simple. I hope that you got something out of that listening and we'll be back with some amazing tips again, probably next week.
Speaker 2:See you, bree. We've got the utmost respect for the Wurundjeri people of the Kulin Nation. They're the OG custodians of this unceded land and its waters, where we set up shop, create and call home and come to you. From this podcast today, a big shout out to all of the amazing elders who have walked before us, those leading the way in the present and the emerging leaders who will carry the torch into the future. We're just lucky to be on this journey together.