We asked Interior Designer, Dawn Powell from Designing Interiors, to give us some advice on choosing fixtures and fittings.
Whether you are choosing fixtures and fittings for a new build or renovation, there are a number of things to consider before you trawl through the endless showrooms. Firstly look through images (on Instagram, Facebook, Houzz, Pinterest and specific Designer’s websites) for inspiration to help you understand your vision of how you would like to see your property every day.
The aim is to achieve a cohesive, contrasting and complementary look that is consistent throughout the property. This starts with the exterior materials and colours and needs to be carried through the interiors.
1. Style.
What is the style of the property? If for example it is Hamptons, then choose Hampton’s fittings including your tapware, cabinetry style and finishes, flooring, colours and lighting for consistency.
2. Budget.
Prices for fixtures and fittings vary hugely and can easily blow out your budget if not managed properly. There are smart choices you can make without compromising on the overall look you are trying to achieve.
3. Complementary, Cohesive and Contrasting.
There is normally some form of connection between each room in the property, whether that be a colour or material and they work seamlessly with each other to create a harmonious feel. The contrast is to create some interest so that the spaces are also memorable!
More things to consider…
1. Kitchens and Bathrooms sell houses.
Don’t compromise in these areas. These will create a huge perception for the overall value of the property. Keep it simple, classy and stylish.
2. Plumbing Items.
There are so many things to consider with these – tapware – colour, shape, style, wall or basin mounted including the height of the spout…what is the depth of your basin which may be affected by this. This information is required very early on in the process by your builder for accurate placement of pipework.
3. Flooring.
There are so many to choose from including vinyl, engineered timber, hardwood, tiles and carpet. Firstly consider your budget, the style you are trying to achieve and the colour.
4 Tiles.
Wet area tiles can vary hugely in pricing. This can depend on whether it is natural (like travertine), porcelain, ceramic, rectified edge, mosaic and many more choices! Typically all wet area floor tiles are the same, however the en-suite is where it’s at! If you’re going to mix it up with a funky floor tile, then this is the place to consider it and also in your powder room where your visitors will go! Tiles is certainly an area where you can really create impact.
5 Benchtops.
Natural stone benchtops are priced individually and you select the specific stone you would like, whereas engineered stone is mostly based on colours with a number of suppliers offering very similar products. However keep in mind, that there are many price brackets for each supplier of stone, so you can end up paying thousands for just one piece of stone. Each stone comes in a specific size – to cover most of the suppliers, work on a general rule of 3m wide benchtop.
In summary…seek professional help to keep you on track and ensure the overall look works well for a fabulous finish. Selecting the fixtures and fittings with an Interior Designer will save you money in the long run. They will guide you with the right cost effective choices. Your interior designer will also provide you with a detailed schedule that will be the bible for your builder, but also help you achieve a fixed price contract. A great plan for a stress-free project!
