Why use a designer on your rental refurbishment project?
I’m sometimes asked by landlords ‘what’s the benefit of using a designer? isn’t it going to take my project over budget? what’s wrong with managing the builders and sourcing myself?’ Recently a client who has a portfolio of properties was very busy and asked me to take over the refurbishment of one of their flats.
Usually they let the builder choose the bathroom fittings and flooring as they want to keep the costs down and although they know what they like when they see it, like many people they have trouble actually finding the things they want, so to save time the builders generally tended to end up taking over.
On this occasion I was involved in all of the sourcing and procurement for the flat, and my client was delighted to find that the overall colour scheme and finish was more than they could have hoped for.
As a designer I’m continually sourcing and keeping up with design trends, its my passion and I thoroughly enjoy it! When I walk into a property I can immediately see what needs to be done to elevate the interior. I will also look at the interior as a whole and make sure the design theme is cohesive throughout.
For this client I made them a mood board with samples, such as colour swatches, tiles and flooring, which they loved. I utilised the original kitchen and with the right shade of paint the cabinets were immediately updated. The bathrooms and flooring needed to be completely replaced, so I found a fantastic quality pale laminate flooring to fit with their budget. As a designer I also think of the the small details which set off a design, such as door handles and cabinet knobs, the right colour of grout for tiles and the perfect finish on the paintwork.
The overall effect is full transformation from tired magnolia to a very modern chic flat, without bursting the budget.
Before: Very tired and magnolia. The client initially was going to replace like for like with the fittings.
After: A mixture of pale grey shades from Little Green, new worktops and a metro tile easily brought this property up to date.
You May Also Enjoy
Mould and damp – what you need to know ahead of winter
Rental price and average salary tracker – September 2025
The cities where buying beats renting – with just a 5% deposit
Rightmove’s Weekly Mortgage Rates Tracker
Data and commentary from Rightmove on stamp duty reforms
