Hola hola Design Talk babes!
Again its been a minute since I have graced the laptop…But this month I have a good one for you!
I am talking to the lovely Gina from Create Perfect (is that not the cutest name?)
Create Perfect was founded by Gina Everett in 2016. Their aim is to guide clients through the design process to create there perfect home… See! Cuteness or what?
Gina is passionate about tailoring spaces to the individual, and today she is going to share some of her design tips and secrets…
Sooo lets see what Gina has to share xx
1: Okay Gina, hello and welcome to Design Talk. Lets start with what has been your favourite interior project you worked on to date and why?
That's so hard to choose because every project brings it's own unique challenges and pleasures. One that comes to mind now is probably my largest project to date in Solihul. We basically ripped down the existing house and rebuilt a 5 bedroom, 6 bathroom family home over three floors, for Sam and her family. Sam and I worked well together with her project managing onsite and with firm ideas on what she wanted and with me on the end of the phone as she needed and putting all the design work together to help it run as smoothly as possible. It was a challenge because unfortunately she was plagued with bad tradesmen and I was working mostly remotely so we had to come up with a way of working that worked for us. Seeing the finished house was a pleasure and being able to help push her to make design choices she wouldn't have done had I not been on board.
2: Haha it sounds like a fab project though! What was the inspiration behind this interior or where do you usually draw your inspiration from?
Sam was very keen from the beginning on the home having a New England, Pottery Barn, type feel. As with all my clients we collaborated on Houzz and Pinterest to create idea-books and themes to rooms as the process unfolded. The children both also having a say on there rooms through their own idea-books meant that every room and en-suite is designed truly to the person using it. From a white, shabby chic teenage girls haven in the loft suite with Laura Ashley tiles and a roll top bath, to the boys den and games room with deep blue walls a wrought iron bed and industrial lighting to grow alongside a young man.
My inspiration comes from the clients themselves, we always begin with an in-depth brief into the requirements and design preferences of the clients (discovering things they may not even know about their style). This along with their inspirational images generally paints a very good picture of the how the space should look. For my personal style, which I share with many of the clients who choose me as their designer, is very organic and natural. I like lots of natural elements in a traditional contemporary design often mixed with Scandinavian and/or hints of mid century modern.
3: What was the Biggest Challenge you have ever faced in designing for a client or even for your own home?
I think tradesmen who don't match up to their reviews or recommendations is always a tough one. As my clients often choose to choose the tradesmen themselves it has sometimes lead to some very awkward and sometimes expensive disappointments. I remember on one occasion a roof actually falling down and needing to start again from scratch with a new team. You really do have to be so careful when it comes to picking your tradesmen, making sure you have sought recommendations (preferably from someone you know) and that you have a contract in place for the work and the payments.
Individual design related challenges would be the wooden beam divider at Vicki and Marks home. For this long thin living room I designed a divider of wooden sleeper beams to go seamlessly from the floor to the ceiling. It took us weeks to work out how to get them safely to stand in the space and then took a team of 6 men just to lift them in to the room and into place.
4: What in your view makes a great designed interior?
That you love it. I am a firm believe in William Morris's quote "Have nothing in your houses that you do not know to be useful, or believe to be beautiful". If the space works for you, as the user, on a practical level and you love to be in it... then it is a great designed interior.
5: Your style is very fresh with great use of texture and colour. Have you any advice or tips for readers who want to create this style?
Begin by getting your inspirational images together. Pick 20 to 30 images on somewhere like Pinterest, Houzz or Instagram.. or old school cut outs in a folder. When you have them, look at them all together. You will see a theme emerge it could be that you notice the same four or five colours appearing, or that it's the same few textures. This gives you a great place to start. I personally like to layer textures to give a depth to the designs.. and of course for me, greenery is a must.
6: Finally, Gina :) What interior designer has inspired you the most in your design career and why?
I don't think any one interior designer has inspired my career, like interiors themselves you can take a variety of things from different people whether its their ethos to work, the work itself, individual projects and so on. Although it is a little contemporary for me, I do love Kelly Hoppen's designs. I have also had the pleasure of some time with both Dan Hopwood and Sophie Robinson who have both given me some great advice and support at different stages of my career. As has the American interior designer Claire Jefford. I think it is important to listen when someone wants to share something from their experience or own challenges and also to share your own in return.
Thank you so much again Gina for taking part. If any of you lovely readers would like to stay up to date with Gina and Create Perfect follow them here on instagram and check out there website here.
Photo credit to Cunningham Captures.
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