Redecorating a room and styling a space can be daunting: with so much to choose from it can be difficult to achieve a clear vision of how it’ll look, feel and function. That’s when we all wish we had an interior designer on hand to help guide us through the process and turn our ideas into reality – with some added style and flair, of course!
When budgets are tight, the insider know-how to make your money go further, where to spend and how to cut back, can often make the difference between completing the project as you’d hoped and compromising more than you’d like to.
Happily, interior designers Emily Harrop-Griffiths and Polly Aspinall of Oscar Wren Studios have shared their top tips and design secrets so you can tackle your next reno with confidence.
Meet the designers
With backgrounds in interior design, architecture, television set design, textiles and fine art, Emily Harrop-Griffiths and Polly Aspinall are the duo behind Oscar Wren Studios.
They set up their interior design business after collaborating on Polly’s townhouse renovation and realising they made a great team.
Now they focus on practical but beautiful interiors with a passion for print, colour and texture to suit every family dynamic.
9 ways to shop like an interior designer
1. Gather your inspiration
It can be tricky to know where to begin when embarking on a room refresh. The possibilities are endless and unless you have a clear idea of what you’d like to achieve it’s easy to overspend, and still end up with a space that doesn’t fulfil your needs or reflect your vision.
‘Start by scouring magazines, Instagram, Pinterest and even photographing the world around you to gather images that appeal to you,’ explain Emily and Polly.
‘Considering the room you’re designing, pull together your favourites and analyse what draws you to each – the colour palette, the furniture or even the layout.’
This is also the stage to factor in any key pieces of furniture that you need to incorporate in the room for practical purposes, so that they’re part of the vision from the very beginning.
2. Measure up
Get the toolbox out to take accurate measurements so that you can plan every inch, ensuring there’s plenty of space to move about between furniture.
‘A floor plan is an essential element of the process but you don’t need fancy software, just graph paper and a pencil. Measure every wall, nook and cranny – our motto is measure twice, buy or make once!’ say Emily and Polly.
Drawing items of furniture to scale and cutting them out so that you can move them around within your floor plan is a great way to test out layouts to see how they work aesthetically and practically.
Avoid any installation dramas by taking time to measure hallways and staircases to ensure the pathway to the room is easily navigated when items are delivered.
3. Create your plan
With your measurements in place, it’s time to refine your colour scheme and furniture choices. A moodboard is a great tool for putting all of these ideas in one place to see how they work together, complementing or adding contrast where necessary.
Pinterest is a handy place to bring all of your ideas together in one space. Alternatively, collect them together to make a physical moodboard.
Crucial elements to feature on the moodboard include paint and wallpaper, flooring, lighting, key furniture pieces, rugs, window treatments and soft furnishings.
4. Know your budget – and stick to it!
Allocating a budget for your room revamp is crucial to making sure you don’t get carried away with the spending and that you complete the makeover in the time expected.
Emily and Polly explain: ‘Planning is key – before purchasing anything, list everything needed, including flooring, wall coverings, furniture and accessories, then research and choose your ideal pieces, factoring in each cost as you go. Once you have your total, adjust from there, buying secondhand or upcycling existing items if you need to.’
If you’ve fallen in love with an investment piece that is essential for the finished look, you’ll be able to identify other elements that you could cut back on to make your dream scheme become a reality.
5. Choose your statement piece
Interior designers often seek out a key item, a statement piece, that can set the tone for the room’s entire scheme – whether it’s a sofa, armchair, bed or dining table, the style, colour or pattern can then influence the direction the decor will take.
It’s these items that can take up a substantial portion of your budget too, so choosing this piece carefully is crucial to your project going smoothly.
‘Getting started can be hard, but picking a statement piece – an item of furniture or wallpaper perhaps – can give you a great foundation to build all other design decisions around. If your statement is an item that will get a lot of use, like a sofa, consider investing in quality so it lasts longer,’ says Emily.
6. Invest in timeless pieces
‘If you’re looking to invest in one or two items, ensure that you pick pieces that will feel right in any scheme and stand the test of time. We recommend avoiding anything too ‘trendy’. Choosing a classic design means you can incorporate these pieces into a new scheme if you redecorate or move house,’ advise Emily and Polly.
7. Don't leave accessories until last
A room’s accessories are often considered at the end of the makeover process, as the final touches brought in to complete the transformation. However, these smaller details – such as cushions, throws, artwork, vases and ornaments – play a bigger role than you might first think, and it’s often the budget-friendly buys that can make or break a design scheme.
‘Accessories are an important part of planning a cohesive design and should be considered at the start, alongside colour palette and furniture,’ insists Polly. ‘For us, cushions and lamps are key items to help you bring in accent colours, texture and pattern, giving your scheme personality and impact.’
Spending your budget wisely can help justify the price point of these items, especially if they’re pieces that are used every day.
Sofas, beds and dining tables are often investment pieces, so choose them in a style and colourway that has longevity and the flexibility to work in different spaces. Look for items made to the highest quality you can afford so that they last practically and aesthetically.
Top tip: Three is the magic number! Group accessories in uneven numbers as this is more pleasing to the eye.
8. Shop around
Before you take the plunge and start spending your budget, set aside some time to do a little market research. Lots of stores stock the same, or similar, items so you’ll make the most of your money by being a savvy shopper.
‘Taking time to shop around for pieces helps your budget stretch further. If a design is popular, many online retailers will stock their own budget version – but before you buy, check the measurements. If it’s cheaper, it’s often smaller!’ says Polly. ‘Wherever possible, shop local. We find that the service can be better and items are more unique.’
9. Revamp preloved pieces
Repurposing and upcycling pieces you already own to make them work in a new room scheme is a top tip from any interior designer wanting to help clients add personality to their homes. Particularly as it also takes the pressure off the budget and minimises the environmental impact of discarding usable furniture.
Even if you’re not the creative type, you can still save money by looking at preloved or upcycled pieces to introduce into your space. ‘We love using a mix of old and new pieces in our schemes, but upcycling existing furniture can make a space feel truly unique and tell more of a story about the owners,’ say Emily and Polly.
10. Shop smart
Here are Emily and Polly’s go-to homeware shopping destinations… •
- Facebook Marketplace and Vinted – ‘Great for getting secondhand design bargains’
- petit-trésor, Tom’s Room, JP House – ‘We love these small furniture businesses where every item is a one-off that has been thoughtfully rejuvenated’
- H&M Home – ‘Really fun homeware at fair prices’
- Dunelm – ‘Lots of choice and low prices with some well-designed classic items’
- La Redoute – ‘Colourful and fun collections of furniture and homewares’
- The Pure Edit – ‘Ethically sourced and well-priced fabrics and wallpapers’
- Tinsmiths – ‘One from our local high street, but also available online, they stock well-priced and beautifully designed fabrics and homewares’
- SofaSofa – ‘Lovely range of classic and modern sofas and chairs, and brilliant prices for good quality pieces’
- Perch & Parrow – ‘Classic and modern, good quality furniture and accessories’
- M&S – ‘The homeware department has really upped its game; it’s reliable and good quality’
