If you’re wondering whether an interior designer will want to clear everything out and start again, my answer is no. I’d much rather work with what you already own.
It’s wasteful to get rid of things for the sake of it. It’s also far more meaningful to bring your own possessions into the design, because they connect you to your past, your family, your travels and everything you’ve experienced.
In all three of the Poole homes below, we worked with furniture and art the clients already had.
In this post, you’ll discover:
- why I like working with what you already own
- what stayed in three Poole homes
- how we made the art look new again
- how I decide what stays and what goes
- whether it saves money
Three Poole homes, and what stayed
We’re a Bournemouth interior design studio, and these three projects are all in Poole. You can see more photos of each on our interior design in Poole page.
A whole-house renovation in Canford Cliffs
This was a big one: a new kitchen, all the bathrooms, new lighting, curtains and blinds, and new flooring throughout. Even so, the design incorporated the furniture and artwork the clients already owned.
The owner wrote on Houzz that over nine months we had helped “transform this house into my home.”
A new-build flat in Canford Cliffs
The owners had moved in after relocating from overseas, and they wanted to add their own taste and personality to elevate the flat and make it a lovely place to be. We worked with the furniture and art they already had.
Their review described the flat as “transformed into a beautiful, functional, comfortable, relaxing space”.
An Arts and Crafts house in Poole
A beautiful Arts and Crafts house, redecorated with a colourful, high-energy colour scheme and new curtains and blinds. We worked with some of the clients’ existing furniture and art alongside the new pieces.
How we make your art look new again
The art is where I have the most fun. On these projects we did three things:
- We grouped it for impact. Smaller pieces were re-framed and hung together.
- We lit it. Larger pieces were hung below new picture lights.
- We tied it in. We matched colours with the furniture and furnishings in each room.
It was a really fun process! For the clients it meant seeing their art in a new light (quite literally, thanks to the picture lights), almost re-energising it, and discovering it all over again.
How I decide what stays
The clients usually point out the things they treasure, such as heirlooms and anything with a special meaning. They also tell me what they’re ready to let go of.
Sometimes another member of the family would like a piece, which makes it easier to let go or replace it.
If you’d like a head start before you speak to a designer, it can help to write two lists: the things you treasure, and the things you’re ready to let go of. That’s all I need to get going.
Does it save money?
Yes, it generally does. More important to me is how the home feels at the end. Without your own things in it, a house can end up like a sterile (but beautiful) show home. With them, it genuinely reflects your life and your tastes.
Ready to talk it through?
If you’d like to keep the pieces that matter to you, book a free discovery call with me. Tell me about your home, whether it’s in Poole, Bournemouth or anywhere across Dorset and the New Forest, and I’ll tell you honestly whether we’re the right fit before we go any further. Book a free discovery call
Final thoughts
Your own furniture and art are what make a home yours, and a good design is built around them. Is there one piece you’d never let go of? I’d love to know!