Interior Designers in Berwick Saint James, Wiltshire

“Gemma from Balance Interior Design has been wonderful at transforming spaces within our home. She has a calm, approachable manner and strives to create aesthetic and functional perfection, suited to her client. She worked with us on providing different options to suit our budget and needs, with lots of different recommendations on suppliers and materials, and worked with us throughout the whole process.”

“From start to finish, Chloe was amazing to work with! I felt like she really listened to what I wanted and understood the vision (even though I wasn’t even sure what I wanted). Chloe sent through lists and links to items to furnish the space and worked to strict budget. I was surprised how far she was able to make it stretch and how good value for money everything was. I kind of assumed that recommendations would be costly but that wasn’t the case at all! Also, Chloe is so lovely and easy to talk to too which made the whole process even nicer. I can’t recommend working with her enough and will definitely get her help on the next room we do!”

“Many thanks to Annie , whose knowledge and vision helped us enormously with the design for our extension. She understood exactly what we were trying to achieve. We found it very difficult to visualise the final layout, but Annie’s ideas were excellent, and her skill in a visualisation so we could actually ‘see’ the final outcome, provided us with exactly what we needed. It gave us a focus and an idea of where we were going. Planning an extension and modifying an existing layout is not for everyone; it is very easy to get it wrong, and end up having to modify a poor start! I would recommend Annie without hesitation to anyone thinking about any sort of interior design or architectural or structural changes to their house. Thank you so much Annie!”

“Sonia from Yellow Book Interiors rose to the challenge of designing our Window Display for the Wimborne in Bloom competition. The brief was to interpret a Minster Town. We are a Funeral Directors so needed something beautiful, respectful and restful. She of course delivered, and we went on win the competition. We can highly recommend her services.”

“For some years, we had planned to extend our 3 bedroom, end-of-terrace property and already had plans drawn up and approved. However, with the passage of time, we wanted to be sure that these plans continued to suit our purposes. We invited Nick to review the proposals and he made a number of very useful observations. Importantly, he helped us to see that we could reconfigure the space and change our way of living to enjoy an improved view of the garden and across the valley in a light-filled, open-plan kitchen-diner with separate seating area. He also identified some simple changes to the layout to maximise functionality of the various new spaces, creating a separate utility room that we had always wanted, and an area for our pets. He also spotted a design simplification that would facilitate installation of a new kitchen. The proposed renovation would affect many of the spaces in the house, so Nick produced several 3D models of the whole property to help us to envisage optional layouts. His advice, supported by the different models and estimated costs, also identified elements that were not worth pursuing, releasing funds for other aspects that were more important to us. With the basic layout agreed, Nick worked with the architect, structural engineer, and Council planning officers to ensure that the agreed re-design would be approved. In parallel, he produced a very detailed specification with electrical and lighting layout and schematic for the TV, music and IT installation; this, together with architect’s drawings, formed the tender package against which 3 contractors bid a fixed price. We came to realise that this detailed document with specific references was critical to containing the price within defined limits; through the specification, the contractor was given very clear instructions on specific building works, plumbing and heating, joinery, lighting, flooring and other aspects of the project. Nick ran a competitive tender working closely with us and the 3 bidders. Together, we then selected the winning contractor and work started. In essence, whilst we lived with the building work, Nick was on site almost every day to keep an eye on developments and make decisions where required. Largely, we sat back and made cups of tea for the builders. If we spotted anything of concern, we generally raised this with Nick in the first instance and he would either explain the issue to us or, if some action was required, would address it with the contractor. Having established the principal price for the works, Nick was also keen to show us the total cost of the project including carpets, window dressings, audio equipment etc. He had also designed a number of bespoke storage units some of which were eventually fabricated and fitted. Early in the planning process we met to review decorative schemes with samples to show how each room would look and feel, along with the associated prices. He maintained a detailed spreadsheet, so that we could budget for furnishings over a timescale that suited us. The spreadsheet included a risk budget for identified risks, to help us understand the level of caution required as the project progressed. The value of the main contractor’s work was £120k + VAT (including kitchen) and the total project budgeted price was £150k + VAT (including furnishings etc). Nick oversaw the contractor’s implementation of the design. He also managed any interfaces between the contractor and other suppliers, and organised purchase of additional items such as the kitchen, carpets, blinds, and audio kit. He took us to view kitchens and appliances so that we could confirm our requirement. He then negotiated a good price for us which saved several £ks. This was another feature of working with Nick; not only did he negotiate good prices on our behalf, he also passed on elements of his trade discounts to us, and identified cost effective solutions which more than paid for his fees. We were particularly fascinated by Nick’s attention to detail and came to realise and appreciate its importance. For example, his insistence on the apparently small detail of aligning the floor level at the threshold to the French doors was simple to implement, but the contractors would have proceeded to fit a step over the threshold (because it was easy and what they always do) without Nick insisting otherwise. We now have no such trip-hazards. As the project proceeded, Nick spent more time with us and our teenagers, confirming styles and tastes, bringing samples and putting together schemes, before sourcing carpets and other fixtures and fittings. He introduced us to a number of new ideas: all of our friends marvel at our purple glass splashback and resin-worktop; the walk-in rain shower is fabulous; the music distribution system is fantastic, the wide floorboards are a real feature, and the look of our spacious, contemporary kitchen-diner is very special. He also future-proofed the property with an ethernet network in all key areas of the home. To manage cash-flow, the project was split into 2 phases. In planning for this, Nick ensured that all foundations, cabling, and pipes for phase 2 were installed during phase 1, negating the need for re-work or additional work later. In fact, during the 6 month break between phases, the contractor failed to record works already completed and paid for, and were preparing to escalate the ongoing price significantly (by approximately £8k, or 30% of the price remaining). However, Nick’s dogged determination and scrupulous record-keeping allowed us to maintain the project largely within the original price (allowing only for a legitimate inflationary increase in materials and labour). Throughout the project, we had every confidence that Nick would address any issue with the work. He produced a detailed snagging list at the end of each phase and ensured that all items were closed before the project was signed off. We are delighted with our “new” home and, having lived with it now for over a year, we find it practical as well as stylish, with plenty of functionality, space and light. Nick is a pleasure to work with. He offers fresh ideas and has opened our eyes to opportunities that we would otherwise have missed. Equally, he accepts respectfully that a client may not always be able to follow a particular recommendation. He is extraordinarily diligent and reliable and his involvement saved us money overall (to the tune of many £ks). We will certainly continue to use his services for future developments of our home and it gives us great pleasure to recommend him to others.”

“This team are very thorough and appreciate high quality products, it was a pleasure to be part of this project.”

“Chloe was extremely helpful in working to our budget and getting the best out of our space. We're really happy with the results and would highly recommend her service to others.”

“Had a fantastic experience working with Nina the last 5 months on a renovation project in central Bath. Nina did the initial concept for the whole project (90 sqm 2 bedrooms split level flat), paint colour consultation, sourced carpets, blinds, tiles, furniture and decorations. We also had a professional photoshoot which Nina acted as stylist for the day. Not only is Nina extremely knowledgeable, she also understands our requirements very well, she's conscious of our budget, and tries to add value where it created most impact. I'm sure we saved £££ due to her great furniture sourcing skills. She's also a lovely person, very approachable and friendly. It was honestly a pleasure to work with her. I'd recommend her to family and friends and will definitely work with her again.”

“We have worked with Elaine for many years on various projects from contemporary apartments to detached family homes and she is a joy to work with. Elaine understands our needs and works with our budget to create a finished product that is always very well received. So much so that a number of our purchasers have asked to buy the furniture and accessories in the property. Elaine is an excellent communicator, she will happily liaise with our suppliers and purchasers to design a home that is both functional and personal to them. I have no hesitation in recommending Elaine for your future projects.”

“Louise has been phenomenal! She helped us transform our run down apartment into a fresh, beautiful, forever home. Louise was innovative, professional, efficient and understood our brief brilliantly. She helped transform all aspects of our home, beyond our imagination and has been hands on throughout the process. I couldn’t recommend Louise more and will definitely be using her again! Thank you so much.”