How we work
Wondering what actually happens when you hire an interior designer? A full Coral Interiors project usually takes three to six months, and we look after it from the first measure to the last picture hung on the wall. Here is what happens at each stage, so you know what to expect before you get in touch.
A free chat, to see if we’re a good fit
It all starts with a free 15-minute discovery call, which is a friendly chat about your home. I ask what you’re planning to update or renovate and why you feel you need some help. I also ask how many rooms are involved, what isn’t working, and how you want your home to feel. Then I’ll tell you honestly whether we’re the right fit, before we go any further.
Not ready for a full project? A Design Direction Session (£345) can stand alone, or be the first step of one.
We measure up and plan the space
Next we go through everything that came up when we first spoke, and it’s all captured in our contract. Then we carry out a full measure and site survey. Your rooms go into our CAD software, and we start planning how the space will work.
We find your look and feel
This is where it gets fun. We order samples for anything that’s staying, then choose the overall look and feel and your colour palette. And paint comes last! We choose the fabrics and furniture first, then pick the paint to suit them.
Your online studio, and the big presentation
We set up your own online studio, with a board for each room showing every item we’re proposing. This takes a few weeks. Then we schedule your presentation, in person or by video call, and walk you through it all. You get physical sample boards to look at too.
This is the moment clients get excited (it’s a lovely stage). You can see your rooms in 3D, look at all the samples together, and see the costs and the overall plan before you buy anything. One client wrote:
“The process helped me focus on what I really wanted… I absolutely love the end result.”
Then we make any updates based on your feedback, the design phase is complete, and we move on to making it real.
We order everything and line up the trades
You’ll see a visual invoice showing everything we’ll be ordering, followed by the invoice itself. Most items are paid for in full before we order. While we’re ordering the furniture, we schedule the trades too, with access to trade pricing, so the decorating and the new flooring are done before your furniture arrives.
Delivery, and the big reveal
Everything is ordered to our removals and storage company, who check each item as it comes in. Then it’s delivered to your home, usually with your curtains and blinds installed at the same time. We arrange handymen to hang the mirrors and pictures, and then comes the ta-da moment. You walk in and it’s all done, styled and ready!
What we look after for you
- The project management and the buying, with access to trade pricing
- Planning and organising the trades
- Deliveries and installation
- The styling, so the room is ready for the big reveal
So you’re not left chasing anyone yourself.
How long does it take?
Usually three to six months, with the redecoration, the approvals and the back and forth along the way. One Poole client wrote that their project “came in on time and under budget.”
Do I need the whole project?
Not at all. We design for a single room or a whole home. A VIP Day (£995 per room) is one room designed in a day, and a Design Direction Session (£345) can stand alone or be the start of a full project.
Ready to talk it through?
Book a free discovery call and tell me about your home and what you’d like to change. I’ll tell you honestly whether we’re the right fit, and if we are, we’ll take it from there.
We work with homeowners across Dorset and the New Forest.