Design Consultancy

Design consultancy suits clients who wish to lead their own projects, but just want help on some key areas. It offers the chance to access my expertise and get advice in a cost and time effective way. Often, I find the this falls into three main camps.

Help with starting out

With a huge range of (often conflicting) inspirations and rules online, it’s easy to get overwhelmed by choice and be unsure of where to begin. Sometimes couples design ideals don’t align, and they want help to find a middle ground. Here I can help either by us sitting down for a 1-2-1 meeting to chat everything over and/or by working on an initial idea’s presentation with some mood boards to refine your ideas and get you started.

Help with colours

For those dreaming of being bolder, colour consultancy helps draw out what you’ll love, inform you what will work in your home and give you the confidence to go for it. Here I’ll work on a presentation for each room including any details such as your existing furniture. I’ll recommend actual paints you can go and purchase to achieve the look.

Help with everything else

After a second eye on the architect’s plans? Aren’t sure where to shop for an item? After getting advice on how to use your budget best, do you need an expert eye to review your plans before committing?

The best solution here is a Design 1-2-1 session,  an hour-long ‘ask me anything’ session. I do these on fixed days, mostly in central Bristol or via Zoom, but I can also include travel to the site.

Commercial Interior Design

My Process

01

Initial Consultation and Fee Proposal

All work starts with a complimentary 30 minute chat to learn more about you and your project. We’ll discuss which service suits you and then we’ll be able to send a fee proposal. For larger projects meetings will take place before fees are outlined.

02

Concept Design

Concept design defines the function and feel of an interior design project. Using the information from our conversations and my own research, I will enhance your ideas, experimenting with layouts, sketches and mood boards. This will help us to explore ideas for the look, feel and practicalities of your space, getting lots of feedback from you so we can agree a clear direction.

03

Detailed Design

Detailed design takes the concept we have agreed on and develops it into something that can be implemented. This is through CAD drawings, sourcing furnishings, joinery, flooring and paint finishes, switches and sockets and all details down to the most minute. This ensures that everything has been thought of and the end design will entirely meet your goals. At the end of this stage you will be able to seek tenders from contractors, and have fixed costings for your project.

04

Procurement and Implementation

Your design will come to life as it is implemented by your contractor and other specialists. We oversee the implementation of the design, ensuring the contractor and project coordination teams have the information they need. At this stage we may also provide a procurement service to obtain furnishings and fixtures for your project.

05

Completion and Styling

This stage adds the finishing style touches, elevating the final finish by helping place soft furnishings, decorations, artwork and other accessories to ensure everything is looking the best it possibly can.

FAQ

Consultancy is for clients who are designing their own projects and want help with areas they’ve got stuck on, whereas I design the project in a full interior design service.

Of course! This a popular ask and we are happy to review plans in a 1-2-1 session or look over plans from an architect. We will just offer advice or sketches in the session, though if CAD drawings are needed, we can assist as a follow-on, chargeable, body of work.
The design 1-2-1 session is really led by you. It is an ask us anything session, so the more you prepare the more you will get out of the session. It might be helpful to have a presentation ready with images, samples or links open for the things you want discuss. Whatever you ask, we will do our best to help on the spot.

We are delighted to do a one-off session.

Absolutely! We are happy to help on anything from a repaint to a renovation. Our minimum booking is a one hour 1-2-1.

1-2-1 sessions are stand-alone, so if you need more help, you can come back for another one, or we can discuss a scope of work and associated costs. For concept or colour consultancy packages, our initial proposal will state the scope of work and what we will deliver, so everything is clear before you commit.

kind words

Iain Boyd
10:46 08 Jul 25
We've worked with Gemma three times now, initially on tricky heritage projects. She was so good - positive, creative, reliable - that we engaged her again when working on our own home, a II* listed building, which again required thought and sensitivity. Gemma is great, not only does she have good instincts when it comes to design, but is also knowledgable and practical.
Corine Hines
17:06 29 Mar 25
Gemma is amazing! In a short space of time she made recommendations for our interior decor that were perfect. Her plans were detailed and we followed everything - the results are brilliant. I recommend her highly!
C C Stephens
00:34 04 Mar 25
Working with Gemma has been a wonderful collaborative experience and our first ever project engaging the services of an interior designer.

From an initial relaxed discussion developing our thoughts and ideas, Gemma came up with a cohesive design utilising some of the items we already owned, to transform both the look and the feel of the bedroom in our georgian flat in Bath.

The whole process gave us the confidence to go bolder than we perhaps otherwise would have, particularly with colour, and Gemma also assisted with sourcing some excellent tradespeople to execute the work required, thus ensuring a smooth ‘journey’ along the way.

I would have no hesitation in recommending her services.
Paddy Conn
19:35 27 Feb 25
Gemma was really professional and helpful with our kitchen renovation.

We were feeling very overwhelmed with decisions. Gemma was able to help us compartmentalize our ideas and give us the confidence to make brave decisions. We learnt alot along the way and Gemma's contacts and recommendations were all super useful!

We would definitely use Gemma again and highly recommend!
Eleanor Heck
12:26 09 Apr 24
We had never used an interior designer before and I wasn’t entirely sure we needed one. However, having seen everything that Gemma has added to our project, I would now always recommend people consider using an interior designer when undertaking a building project of any substance.

We chose to use Gemma as she clearly understood the result that we wanted to achieve and we seemed to be on the same page when it came to design. She took what was quite a broad brief and narrowed it down to a coherent overarching vision. She then supported us throughout the decision-making process, providing a sensible number of options for us to choose from in each instance. The completed project provides everything we wanted, both from a functional and a design perspective.

Gemma liaised really well with our builders, ensuring that nothing slipped through the gap in the construction phase. She provided detailed design drawings to the builders, sourced and procured furniture and fittings and picked up on details we wouldn’t even have considered, which added a huge amount of value. I wouldn’t hesitate in recommending Gemma; she was great to work with.
Victoria Gage
19:37 04 Apr 24
Gemma has been a wonderful help in the renovation of my central Bath apartment. The Georgian features of the apartment dictated somewhat the style the apartment needed. It was quite daunting for me, as I wasn’t used to this period and so I approached Gemma to help.

Gemma has been professionally trained which I specifically wanted, as I had already interior design experience but needed some extra expert guidance.

There were several space planning issues and her spatial planning was brilliant, so I had the confidence to buy furniture items that I knew would fit.

Gemma sourced some AMAZING PIECES that I would never have found on my own. One of these was a rug that brought my whole scheme together brilliantly. I think that is a special talent to find something that integrates with all of someone’s personal items . The living space just looked fantastic after she added the rug!

Gemma was good at giving honest opinions on my choices. She wasn’t afraid of saying things wouldn't work and instead gave some good alternatives . She was especially good at suggesting decorative lighting. She also introduced some contemporary items that blended seamlessly with the Georgian features, so creating a really gorgeous, eclectic space.

Gemma was super friendly and approachable and it was a real joy to work with her. She maintains a professional manner though in her work, maintains deadlines and you can tell she really cares about getting an excellent result.

I’m looking forward to working with Gemma on future home projects and would highly recommend her to anyone!
Thanks so much Gemma!
Alex Holbourne
16:15 20 Feb 24
Working with Gemma on this project helped take the stress out of this large renovation and got me to view the house as a whole rather than looking at one thing at a time. Everything was really clear and organised which helped a lot with the builders. Gemma had great ideas and a lot of creative solutions which really helped me get the most out of my budget. Everyone who visits has such lovely things to say. I am so delighted with the outcome and still can’t quite believe this is my house!
Sally Wright
12:10 25 Nov 23
I asked Gemma for help designing my sitting room and hall wall. I already had some ideas of what I wanted which she really helped me develop, giving me the confidence to take things further with colour and styles. She also had some really creative and practical ideas as to how to transform a relatively dark space into a welcoming entrance for my home. Gemma understood what I needed and I’m delighted with the outcome.
Would definitely recommend.