HEATHER JENKINSON | INTERIOR DESIGN

We initially went to Heather for ideas on how to use colour in a large space, having seen one of her blog posts on that very topic. We were so impressed with her ideas, style and enthusiasm that we hired her to guide us through the complete renovation of our apartment. Heather helped get us out of our comfort zone and away from the safe-but-bland choices we would have made, had we been left to our own devices. She also taught us how to achieve the look and finish we wanted without breaking the bank. We’re delighted with the end result, we wouldn’t have achieved anywhere near the quality of the final product had it not been for Heather’s assistance. We’ve recommended her to a number of our friends who have embarked on similar works, and would definitely use her again for future projects.

I can highly recommend Heather. One look at Heather's Facebook posts and I knew she was comfortable with all styles. I asked for help with wall colors and curtains. She has a good eye for colors, she supplies samples, and presents her vision for the space in a friendly and professional way. She was open to my style and incorporated my ideas which made me feel very comfortable working with her.

Heather sat with me in my outdated 1970's bed and breakfast, talked with me about my tastes and preferences, then walked through the whole place, room to room, helping me apply my style without making design errors, and maximizing the architectural beauty of the home. She offered many details, simple, easy things, like with lighting and trim colors, that I never would have thought of, but that made a huge difference in the comfort and quality of being in this space. Heather was extremely generous with her time and ideas, is technically and artistically talented, and left me with a detailed notebook so I could make changes as time and money permit. Highest recommendation!

I was looking for a colour advice for redecoration of the two-bedroom furnished apartment. The meeting was promptly scheduled next day as I needed help urgently. Within two hours we managed to confirm all colour schemes for 2 bedrooms, living room and hallway. Heather went extra mile and provided advice regarding positioning of the art on the walls. Communication was very easy-flowing and my taste and views were so well understood. The flat has been completely transformed and I have been enjoying the result ever since. I highly recommend Heather Jenkinson Interiors and appreciate all the amazing effort that was put in!

Heather's pursuit of perfection meant that I could leave her in control of my apartment makeover and know it would be handled with the utmost care and attention. Nevertheless, the interior design process is inclusive, and I enjoyed working with her to tweak various elements. If you leave Heather to it, I'm sure you could have a home worthy of being published in Elle Decoration or Architectural Digest. On the other hand, I wanted to keep various curios from my travels and include some of my travel photography throughout the apartment. Heather worked with me to review my photography and style them in a way created a beautiful atmosphere and even seemed to make my photographs come alive. She also helped me to curate a collection of Australian aboriginal art to reflect my homeland. Through Heather's involvement and working to a tight budget, I've been able to not only add significant value to my property, but also create a stunning modern classical feel that reflects my personality and is an oasis to return home to each day; seven years later, I haven't changed a thing from the way she styled the apartment back in 2007. Since then, I used Heather again on another property development project and I look forward to working with Heather again on my next project.

Before I met Heather, I had lived in my house for two years and was unable to make any progress with making it feel like a home. It seemed that nothing I purchased matched either the property or the rest of my belongings. Thankfully, I was lucky enough to meet Heather and initially engaged her to recommend possible colour combinations. After only a few hours of conversation, it immediately became apparent that Heather was ideally qualified to help me transform my empty shell of a house into a home. As a pilot, we agreed to start on the bathroom, as this was the room most in need of attention. Heather suggested several new layouts and worked patiently with me to create a detailed design that brought my vague requirements to life. We then agreed that Heather would take full responsibility for managing the implementation of my ew bathroom. This included sourcing quotes, engaging builders, locating specialist carpenters, etc. Having Heather on-board was a great experience from start to end. Her exacting standards and attention to detail meant the pilot project was finished on time, on budget and to a very high standard. The success of the bathroom pilot encouraged me to engage Heather to help me with the rest of the property. Heather co-ordinated each room within an overall theme and ensured a natural flow to the house. As the project gained momentum, I was able to take a very ‘hands off’ approach, simply agreeing a budget and minimal set of requirements for each room. I then left Heather to finalise the design, source materials and manage the implementation. Throughout Heather’s involvement in my project, I never once had cause for concern. I believe that Heather’s creativity, attention to detail, ability to listen and project management skills make her the ideal interior designer. It is only due to her dedication, tenacity and passion for design that I was ended up with a house that I’m now very proud to call my home. Ravi Chhabra, Middleton Road

I must admit that until relatively recently, I was a bit dismissive of the idea of interior design. Having someone come and tell you about colours and surfaces seemed like an frilly indulgence. I had images of some fragrant lovely, wafting about the house talking about scented candles and feature walls in fuchsia. As Heather took me from room to room, she kept a dialogue going – not a monologue. The vision for the space unfolds as a co-construction. Wherever I had shortcomings in vision or budget, Heather took as a piece of data to calculate. She thought out loud, she seemed to compute a million permutations before making a suggestion, justifying her thought and gently leading me to a shared conclusion. At times I felt like we were standing in a 3D simulation with Heather, like some smart, tasteful Tom Cruise in Minority Report, conjuring up vivid images of masculine table lamps on consoles, shelves with lighting underneath, painted headboards, brushed chrome and dimmers. By the end of the consultation, I felt like Heather had quietly, sensitively pushed me towards a better-realised vision of what I wanted, what was possible and what was desirable. Like a particularly skilful teacher, she gave me enough information to come to an understanding of what could be. More importantly, she opened my eyes to the potential of the space, and that's a skill that's quite hard to put a price on.