Because no project, dream or goal is the same our whole process begins with a thorough consultation. We believe really getting to know you means we can communicate in your language and recommend a solution you'll love.
This consultation typically includes a review of the aspirations for the project, along with any plans and/or reference imagery that helps us gain an understanding of your vision. This can happen on site, at our studio, or over a Teams call.
Following the consultation, we customise a unique design journey for every client and provide a fee estimate alongside a tailored scope of services that we feel will suit your project best.
We begin the design process with a lookbook that responds to your brief. This evolves into your personalized guidebook to enable you to make interior selections with confidence.
The document will often include area-by-area reference imagery along with examples of recommended plumbing fixtures, materials, feature lights & hardware that will work with your scheme.
We have a large sample library at the studio and can take you through all of the materials and fixtures, allowing you to see the palette come to life and gain confidence in the selections. Achieving synergy throughout the project is important to us, so we aim to sample everything.
Once selections and layouts have been refined, we document everything into a full set of schedules, detailed plans and elevations. This clearly records all of the specifications and design intent, making pricing more accurate and coordination at fitout stage much quicker.
Sometimes our clients opt take the look-book and run with it themselves, which is totally fine as well.
We offer a full procurement service including window treatments, floor, wall and ceiling finishes, kitchen joinery, plumbing fixtures. We deal with this stuff every day and often find that what clients gain back in their own time more than makes up for the cost for us to do it. We have a wide network of suppliers and trade accounts, and share all our access to trade pricing with our clients.
We will always see a project through to the end and include an optional allowance of hours in our scope to be there to support your construction team throughout the duration of the build or fitout.
Even with a well documented set of drawings, there are always questions, challenges and problems to be collectively solved on site.
It’s important to allow time post design for meeting installers, joinery inspections, coordinating orders and deliveries, joinery inspections, checking setouts and progress on site. This is valuable support for the build team and their programme, and ensures the concept, your dream, is realized to its full potential.
“Working with Jess was an absolute pleasure. Her knowledge and experience were evident from the start, carefully managing our expectations on all aspects of the project including budget, process, timing and quality. Her recommendations were thoughtful and creative, enabling us to keep what we loved, while adding new features that improved the feel and flow of the space. Jess's eye for design sees beyond the latest trend or fad, and focuses on what actually works. The result was a new kitchen that functions better than before, but with fresh and updated elements that blend beautifully with the rest of the house. Her passion for design is in perfect balance with her patience and willingness to listen, ensuring the finished product is not only high-quality, but matching the particular style and needs of the client.”Tell us about your project >
Judith Ostronic, Home Owner
We always begin with an initial discovery session and site visit. It’s paramount to us to take time to consider and plan the space so it’s as functional as possible for guests and staff. We map out the fundamentals to research further. Who you are, where you came from, where you are going. The location of your site. The size, features & potential of the space. We can also suggest other consultants you may want to involved, for example, an architect, project manager, or graphic designer.
Working with many business owners over the years has given us valuable insight into what matters most so we tailor our services to support you, advise well and maximise your time in our care. Following our site visit and discovery session, we prepare a tailored scope of services and fee agreement contract. We also include a preliminary mood board capturing ideas sparked in our discovery session, peace of mind that we have listened, absorbed, and are on the same page.
Once the fee and scope are signed off we progress to research further into location and context, your genre, and ideas to translate your vision into an immersive space. The enhancement of people’s experience is always at the forefront of our minds which allows us to focus on creating spaces that are not only aesthetically pleasing but also functional, comfortable and inclusive. Using reference imagery, sketches, material samples, plans and 3D visuals, we prepare a concept package that clearly communicates the design intention for your feedback.
Following review and feedback, concept visuals get updated, reference imagery refined, and materials and fixtures captured into schedules. This is the point where we do further material sampling if required, and start to line up potential makers and creators to fabricate the designs. At this point, we can give you a better idea of fit out costs and refine selections to work with your budget.
Capturing the design in detailed drawings for pricing, final design sign off & contractor appointment. This stage often includes the requirement for a building consent which we can do depending on the scale of the project. If we do not do it, we partner with trusted Architects to deliver this service for you.
We are consistently in awe of a lot of our commercial clients who are very hands on throughout the build. It’s an expensive time and a precious investment. It is incredibly rewarding to be a mode of support for the entire fitout team during the construction and fitout time. We work closely with every trade to ensure design is delivered as envisaged.
“Jess was the designer / creator of our new jewellery shop located in Ponsonby, Auckland. Jess not only designed our beautiful shop that required a total renovation in a lovely old wooden building but also designed all the new show cases. She introduced us to top craftsmen and took on the job as project manager as well. The result: our shop made the finals in the Best Retail Shop Design award. However, the most satisfying result of Jess’s work is the continued positive comments our clients give us daily regarding our boutique shop. Jess’s creative flair and attention to detail has made something very special. My staff and I love working in this space and I totally recommend her to anyone one looking to create a beautiful, special and lasting environment.”Tell us about your project >
Win Charlbois - The Diamond Shop
It is often helpful for us to cast our eyes over the concept plans and offer insight into the layout from an interior perspective.
We check that flow and circulation space is comfortable, if the kitchen will work the way you envisage. We also pay close attention to bathroom layouts to ensure the vanity size is sufficient and fixtures fit in a sensible position that optimizes the space and opportunity for material placement.
It’s a good time to double check window positions, doorways and how window treatments will sit.
We often get a phone call once plans are complete and clients have become unsure how to pull their interior inspiration together. Sometimes they are overwhelmed by the number of suppliers to choose from, or unsure where to start.
We have a talent for seeing a theme emerging among the imagery and know how to translate this into a cohesive palette, often using an area-by-area lookbook to capture everything in one place.
Clients can come into the studio to view materials, or we can put together a list of showrooms for them to visit.
Once selections have been narrowed down, we capture everything into schedules including appliances, lighting, hardware, plumbing fixtures & materials.
Our detailed schedules and corresponding plans can enable builders to move through the house fit out with ease and confidence knowing that all the little details are accounted for.
Kitchen design is a huge passion of the studio, it really is the heart of the home, a gathering point and an opportunity to express fabulous design with ultimate function. We encourage clients to use the studio for at least a high level kitchen concept that can be used to brief a number of joiners. This ensures the design is cohesive with the rest of the space and detailed considerations are captured early on.
We are often engaged to do interior plans, joinery drawings and elevations that coordinate material set outs and fixture placement. This speeds things up on site for the builder and reduces assumptions that can be costly to redo.
We can help your clients source rugs, cushions & furniture, and offer a full window treatment service which often needs to be allowed for at an early stage. For example, if clients want recessed tracks or motorized blinds.
'Really enjoyed working with Jess! She has delivered all possible outcomes as demanded. I must say that we (and our customers) just love the design that Jess came up with. Thank you for being part of our journey."Let’s talk collaboration >
Diana Pan - The Botanist
