No.9 | Before Design Begins

The Invisible Layer Series No.9 | July 2026

A note from Jacqui

Good design advice comes from understanding what is happening within the home before deciding what should change.

A request about furniture, a renovation or a floor plan can be a good starting point. Once the property, layout and daily frustrations are understood together, the priorities of the project can shift completely.

Warm regards,
Jacqui

The Invisible Layer Series No.9

Before Design Begins

Early design involvement allows the property, the client’s priorities and the decisions ahead to influence the project before major decisions are fixed.

During one Design Consultation, the main bedroom stood out as we moved through the property because it had the best water view in the home, yet the layout made very little use of it.

The original orientation missed the strongest outlook in the room.

In its existing orientation, the view was immediately visible on entry, but when lying in bed, you were left staring at a wall.

Re-positioning the doorway changed how the room related to the view.

We redesigned the bedroom, moved the door and reworked the layout so the bed faced the view. The new orientation changed how the room was experienced every day.

The outlook becomes part of the space.

Our Design Consultation allows us to understand the client’s needs and assess the opportunities and weaknesses within the property and existing layout before defining the design brief. The brief is grounded in what we have seen and discussed, giving the project a meaningful starting point.

Across two hours, we review the property, objectives, priorities and available information, including plans, inspiration imagery, existing conditions and decisions already under consideration. From there, we identify what needs closer review, where the opportunities and constraints sit and which service pathway makes sense before larger commitments are made. The consultation provides professional guidance around direction, scope and next steps before the project moves into design work.

After the consultation, we prepare a tailored proposal outlining the recommended service pathway, proposed scope of works, design fee estimate and next-step recommendations.