Has anyone used an interior design service like those offered by John Lewis or Next?

I love watching interior decor programs and checking out websites, and I would love to hear ideas from a good interior designer - sometimes it's just that one little idea that makes you see things differently.

Sadly I've not been impressed with the designers we used to do our kitchen and bathrooms - they had some basic skills (like measuring) and ideas from other people's houses but I've yet to meet one with any really original ideas.

Good luck with yours though - I'd like to know how you get on and what they are like.

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Look at the House Beautiful website. Some fabulous ideas on there.

Skydancer the thread is 4 years old
resurecte

Sorry... resurectef by someone advertising.

So many old threads being resurrected, why?

In order to advertise gs.

Well, we are moving house this week, to, hopefully, in a months time move into a project house that needs complete redecorating. DD moved 3 months ago and is doing much the same (very different houses) and I am open to as many ideas as I can get access to. I have a big folder with pictures cut out of newspapers and magazines, a folder on my computer with lots of links to sites, and I am more than willing to look at interior design sites as well. It is all grist to the mill.

I will not be buying any new furniture, we have just got rid of a lot as we are down sizing - a bit and I know my style, but even then by looking around you will see a curtain fabric you haven't seen before or something painted a colour you had never thought of using. Bring on all the help and advice available - but I will make the final decision.

Kate54

Never fear, it won’t be a show home! And people tell me it is already welcoming and comfortable. I think this arose from thinking about buying a new sofa/suite and wondering which would be the best shape, size etc. I don’t want to make expensive mistakes as I have a habit of rushing into purchases, often online.

I’ve now made two expensive mistakes when it comes to sofas so I could probably have done with some guidance; my biggest mistake was having a suite custom built only to find the chairs were too big for the room and, although size wise the sofa was ok in the room it was so big they struggled to get it into the house ( something I hadn’t thought about..).

I think you’re absolutely right to try something new, sometimes a fresh pair of eyes can really shift the way you see a space. I had a similar moment of frustration with our dining room a while back. Like you, we’d just made do for years with a layout that didn’t really suit the space. I didn’t go with John Lewis or Next, but I did use a design consultation through: www.art-decor.com/services, and honestly, it helped me stop going in circles.

What I appreciated most was that the service wasn’t pushy, they really focused on how we live in the space rather than just pushing products. They offered a few clever layout ideas I hadn’t even considered and pointed out how different textures and lighting could make the room feel more inviting without a complete overhaul. I didn’t feel pressured to buy everything suggested, but having a cohesive design direction made a big difference.

So even if you don't follow every suggestion to the letter, getting input from a pro can be really grounding, especially if, like me, you find interiors overwhelming or just haven’t had the time to properly plan things out. Hope your session with John Lewis is helpful! Let us know how it goes.

Thought this looked like an interesting thread - before realising it was started by me! I did take note of the ideas given to me by JL but ended up re-covering the sofa and one of the chairs, buying a smaller chair for the other end of the room, moving the too large bookcase upstairs and buying a longer TV unit and narrow display cupboard thing. Oh and a large rug for the floor. Nothing came from John Lewis apart from the curtains. That service is brilliant and I ended up with a direct line to one of their advisers who has since organised more curtains for me. Highly recommended.

Kate54 Was it financially worth getting the sofa covered please? I’m thinking of doing the same but haven’t researched the cost.

My DS and DiL used Next when they moved into their first house. They had a combined living/dining area and no furniture at all except for a sofa left by the previous owners, which was in fair condition and which they couldn’t afford to replace, ditto the carpet.
The woman who came to help was lovely. No pressure whatsoever, and completely understanding of their limited finance as newly-weds. She suggested some lovely curtains which picked up the colours of both the sofa and carpet. Then a small dining table and chairs, a single armchair which again complemented the sofa, an inexpensive bookcase and cupboard and that was it apart from new light fitments, table lamp and a picture and suggestions for a shade of emulsion. They were delighted with their purchases and 10 years and 2 small children on have not needed to make any substantial changes.