Design tips from Justin Bishop Interior Designer

Welcome to the first installment of our new Design Talk series.

Planning a new interior design project is no easy feat. Even for those working with a designer, there are certain things you need to consider before you start in order to achieve a successful outcome.

Fortunately we have interior design visionary Justin Bishop to guide us.

#1 'STYLE & DESIGN'

Justin recommends that the very first thing is to define your own personal style. You need to have a think about what style means to you.

"I ask my clients to think about THREE THINGS THEY LOVE. Things that SPEAK TO THEM when they see it and represent their SIGNATURE STYLE. Then we transform those three things into a design scheme." JUSTIN BISHOP

#2 'STYLE: Visual Inspiration'

Gather together inspiration for your project and the more visual, the better. We love using Pinterest to create idea boards or Instagram to see what designers are producing. 

JB: "When you're gathering together your inspiration boards, keep referring back to what style means to you. Looking at other spaces alone will not necessarily help you define your signature style. Instead, consider also drawing from life experience and memories, nature, fine art, film and television set and costume design, retail design, fashion design, graphic design and any other creative visual sources which you find inspirational."

If you are working with a designer talk about these things with them and discover what style means to you."

#3 'DESIGN: Balance and Order'

Once you have decided on style, design is the nuts and bolts of how you pull it all together. Within 'Design' you have Balance and Order.

Q & A SECTION:

TETC: How to do you balance your love of whites with practicality (having children for example)?

JB: If you choose white palate for the walls - then add a darker colour to the large pieces of furniture.

TETC: Do you recommend choosing natural products over imitations?

JB: Although I love natural products nowadays you can buy some technologically advanced imitation products which are far more durable and practical than natural products. Silk mixed with polyester will last much longer when exposed to the sun than silk alone, for example.

TETC: How do you design for a large space which doesn't have obvious lines?

JB: If there is a big space, you need big pieces of furniture to fill it. This will create a sense of order especially as you can use large pieces as room dividers to break up the space. A few well selected pieces that are proportionate to the space will look better than trying to fill it up with clutter. 

TETC: What would your one piece of advice be for someone thinking of building or renovating?

JB: Plan your project as it is completed. Plan the way you want it to look right down to the last detail. Then don’t deviate. Stick to that plan and work backwards. There are a lot of influences these days such as social media, retailers pulling you in different directions. It is so important to choose that end vision and stick to it.

SHOP JUSTIN'S FAVOURITE KITCHEN TAP

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