My Work Experience with Precious Time Design.

Before I started my work experience, I thought interior design was mainly about creating spaces for clients using mood boards and ideas. However, after completing my work experience, it has surprised me how much more an interior designer actually does. For example, creating product lists, adapting ideas to best suit the client, and so much more.

When I started my work experience, I was set the task of designing a living room for the "Wilsons". This was a made-up family (for my benefit) consisting of four people, with two young children and a dog. The brief explained that their style was Scandinavian with pops of colour, including blues, greens and mustard yellows. However, I also introduced colours such as coral and light pink because, after talking it through with Nicola, she explained that you don't always have to stick to the colours in the brief. Sometimes you can expand on the colour palette to enhance the space.

The family's budget was £10,000, which helped me think realistically and start building an inspiration board for their living space. As they were moving into a new home, I was able to picture where everything would go and how it would work together, which helped me develop my final design.

My favourite day of work experience was when we visited Lucas Furniture. This was because, while designing the living room for the Wilsons, I had to think about them rather than myself. It made me realise that choosing a sofa isn't just about how comfortable it is. You also have to think about the fabric, who will be using it, and how well it will suit the family's lifestyle. I also created more of a product list, looking at furniture and accessories for the space, while making sure the sofa measurements were right for the room. I found lots of different options, but in the end I chose one from the MySofa collection with a polyester fabric, as it would be the most practical choice for a family with young children and a dog.

One thing I found difficult was thinking about what the customer wanted rather than what I wanted. This is because every client has a different style, and creating something that suits their taste instead of your own can be challenging. It might not be exactly what you would choose, but your client may absolutely love it. Making sure I stayed focused on their needs helped me concentrate a lot more, and as the week went on it became much easier.

Overall, I would say that I've learned lots of new skills during my work experience. I've gained confidence and patience, and I've realised that I have a strong creative mind. This week has been amazing, and I'm so grateful that I chose interior design for my work experience. I would definitely do it again, and I hope I can start my journey towards becoming an interior designer one day in the future.

By Ella Gibbard

First Home Tips & Tricks

You are moving into your first home, you are filled with excitement and nerves. You cant wait to make the space your own, although it is a little daunting. So here are some ideas to help you create the home you always wanted without having to break the bank:

Let's start with hand me downs, family and friends can be pretty generous when it means they dont have to go to the tip to get rid of that old piece of furniture. Take a look at what is on offer, can you upcycle it? Change what it is used for? For example, an old metal storage cupboard usually used in a garage can make a fantastic side-board or drinks cabinet.

Do you have some furniture and not sure on what space you have available for new pieces, if you can get into the room/s before moving day take the measurements of the furniture you have and some masking tape.....map out on the floor where you think these pieces will go. This gives you a great idea of what space is remaining for those items that you are missing.  

Photo by Manja Benic on Unsplash 

Moving into a rental property? If you arent able to paint the walls, or in some cases even drill - the Command adhesive strips are fantastic, perfect for hanging some photos or prints. Why not add a bit of colour and character to your walls with wall stickers, they have come a long way from the variety available a few years ago and most are removable.

If you are working to a tight budget, second hand stores, local social media selling pages and IKEA are the places to go. IKEA's furniture is simple and affordable. Do some research on IKEA hacks, there are so many ideas out there for the different uses of their range. Keep your eyes peeled here as I plan on writing a post in the future all about exactly that.  

Photo by rawpixel on Unsplash 

Starting with a new build or blank canvas, my advice would be to live in the space for a week or so before commiting to paint colours. Get some paint testers onto the walls and take a look at them at different points in the day and have a think about how the colour makes the room feel, warm and cosy, or bright and light, etc. Is that the look you are going for?

Don't Panic! Moving house is always stressful, but it is worth it. So long as you have the basics, a bed, a kettle and some tea & milk (high on my list of importance!!). You can add furniture over time, get an idea of how you want to use each space while your living in it and can sit back and enjoy the walls around you and making them your home. 

Photo by Calum Lewis on Unsplash

If you need help or advice on any of your future decorating projects, head on over to my E-Interiors Pages on my website to see what I can do for you.