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Can Interior Designers Save You Money?
Once upon a time, interior design services were considered a luxury only the rich and famous could afford. My aim when I started out in business was to try and break down this barrier and create an interior design service that isn’t just for the multi-million dollar clients.
Here are a number of ways hiring an interior designer can actually save you money:
Save Your Sanity & Your Time
Finding the time each weekend to visit the furniture showrooms and shops is a real pain. It gets boring very quickly and stressful if you have the kids tagging along too. Hiring a designer means you get your weekends back and someone else can work out if this cushion goes with that rug which means those niggly 3am worries about your home disappear in an instant
Avoid Costly Mistakes
I’m willing to bet you have at some stage in your life walked into a store and thought “that armchair will work perfectly in our lounge room” only to get it home and realise it’s totally the wrong shape, size and colour for the room. Our job as interior designers is to assess all the decorating elements (you can read more about my five decorating elements in my book HOME). From there we then make sure that all the choices we make for your home are cohesive. That way, you just unpack the box and fall in love with your new armchair, not want to set it on fire!
Buy Once, Buy Well
I wrote more about this in my second book, Keeping House as it’s something I’m quite passionate about. In years gone by our grandparents and ancestors were gifted furniture for their weddings or invested in certain pieces that remained in the house until the day they die. And were then passed on to the next generation. I have inherited some beautiful pieces of furniture from both of my grandmothers that I have either repainted or reupholstered to suit my own home.
But, I often think when I’m purchasing on behalf of a client, “I wonder if this is something they would pass on to their children one day” and I tend to think in our disposable world we wouldn’t really do that like our ancestors would have. When I work with clients I have this in the back of my mind at all times. Is this piece going to last the distance? Are the bones of the piece of furniture good enough that if we were to reupholster them in the future they’d last? This way of thinking, albeit a more expensive outlay will actually save you money in the long run. Rather than buying new furniture each time you move house or each time something of lesser quality breaks.
Save You Money
A little known fact, interior designers can get you discounts! Yes, correct! We have access to a huge range of wholesale furniture, decor and soft furnishing suppliers that don’t deal with the general public. We have access to their wholesale prices too which means we can pass on some great savings to you when you purchase.
Save Your Marriage 😉
Ok so this one isn’t probably true but I often joke with my clients that I should add “Relationship Counsellor” to my business card. Often I will come in and meet with a couple who have spent the last two months arguing over the sofa fabric or bathroom tile selections only to never come to a conclusion. Consulting a third party is often the only solution. I present practical reasons as to why I’ve made certain choices and this generally helps both sides see why my choice is the right one.
If you’d like more information about how my decorating services work, click across to this page. Or shoot me an email hello@emmablomfield.com.
Emma x
How Carolyn Cubela Transformed Her Business With The Mentor Program
WHAT WERE SOME OF THE CHALLENGES YOU WERE FACING IN YOUR BUSINESS BEFORE JOINING THE MENTOR PROGRAM?
In my previous life, I was a Human Resources Consultant which followed by a long stint as a stay at home mum once my son was born. I was a serial renovator for several years during this period, before an opportunity presented itself to assist a local Real Estate Agent with presenting properties for sale. Basic consultations turned into even bigger projects and soon the Estate Agent decided I was far more skilled at styling bedrooms and choosing carpet and paint colours than he ever would be.
As the renovation projects increased in complexity, I decided to return to school and successfully obtained a Diploma in Interior Design & Decoration. The plan was to start my own business, but it soon became apparent that I really didn’t know how to do it, where to start & how to get it up off the ground.
There were indications along the way that I wasn’t really being taken seriously by some, as I didn’t have a website, my branding was far from adequate and I was operating without appropriate legal contracts in place to protect both myself, my trades and my clients. Basically, my business didn’t look professional enough to be taken seriously.
I was lacking confidence in pricing my services & understanding the professional value of my self-worth.
I felt overwhelmed with all the work that was ahead of me, which translated into procrastination on my behalf. I wasn’t sure how to prioritise all these tasks into workable chunks & I had no processes in place to address these gaps.
WHAT MADE YOU DECIDE THAT THE MENTOR PROGRAM WAS WHAT YOU NEEDED AT THIS CURRENT TIME IN YOUR BUSINESS JOURNEY?
Through an internet search, I came across Emma’s website and some information on her Mentoring Program. I contacted her because she was offering a free consultation that allowed me to learn more about what her Program had to offer.
I felt an instant connection with Emma. She was happy to answer any questions I had, was friendly, informative, genuinely interested in what I had to say and came across as someone who really wanted to share her knowledge and make a difference to others.
How Emma communicated and built rapport with me on that day, has remained the same ever since. Joining Emma Blomfield’s Mentoring Program has proven to be one of the best business decisions I have made to date.
BOOK YOUR COMPLIMENTARY 1:1 DISCOVERY CALL NOW
WHAT ARE SOME OF YOUR KEY TAKEAWAYS FROM THE MENTOR PROGRAM?
- You must provide something unique that sets you apart from everyone else, regardless of whether that is a service, your approach, suppliers you work with, or your work ethic so that your potential clients can clearly differentiate you from your competitors.
- Have a very clear understanding of who your target market is, or at least who you want to go out and target. So that your business processes, practices, and systems can be structured to support these markets.
- Know and believe in your worth. Be confident when talking about your pricing, because you are worth it, and if you don’t believe it then no one else will.
- Make sure you are adequately insured for the work you do.
- Ensure that you have appropriate and up-to-date legal contracts in place to support the service that your business provides, including worst-case scenarios. Then you can sleep well at night knowing that you and your business are protected.
- Surround yourself with professionals (such as Accountants & Solicitors) that are keen to get to know your business well, value their relationship with you and reflect your business ethics, morals, and values. They are an important part of your team.
- A social media presence is important and it’s best to concentrate on 2 and do it well, rather than spend time on them all, and execute it poorly.
- Be committed to continued learning and self-improvement so that your business has the opportunity to flourish.
- Sharing your knowledge is powerful – it does not make you vulnerable.
WHAT WAS IT LIKE TO HAVE ACCESS TO GROUP COACHING OVER 4 WEEKS?
Fantastic! At your fingertips, you have a small group of wonderfully talented and creative individuals who have all come together for the sole purpose of sharing and learning. All it takes is a little bit of courage on day 1 of week 1, to introduce yourself and the rest is easy.
When you join the Mentoring Program, you join Emma’s Facebook support group. This adds another dimension of support which is accessible during the Program so that participants can share information with each other. The forum allows you to obtain feedback and opinions, advice etc on current business issues you may be facing or for just seeking assistance on some of the homework you have to complete each week. It helps build trust and form stronger relationships with those who are or have been, part of the Program in the past.
HOW IS YOUR BUSINESS DIFFERENT FROM BEFORE YOU STARTED THE MENTOR PROGRAM?
It’s been turned upside down on its head…in a good way! Ultimately, the program has given me the increased confidence to go out there and create a business I can be proud of. Before I participated in Emma’s Mentoring Program, my business sat on the sidelines, which I am very happy to say, is no longer.
My business (and I) have benefited from the expanded network I have now started to foster as a result of my increased confidence. I now have a dedicated Instagram Page and a LinkedIn profile with 500+ connections which have already led to several inquiries. I have also reached out to my local BNI chapter, which coincidentally has a strong property following, thus enabling me to add to my supplier and provider portfolio. This has translated into several successful introductions with potential work pending.
I have sourced an Accountant whose values and ethics are more aligned with my business and my way of thinking. Now, figures and spreadsheets aren’t anywhere near as confusing. She is someone who always has the time to answer my questions, no matter what they are. She gets me and I finally get her!
Emma recommended her Solicitor to me, who has proven to be an outstanding contributor and supporters of my business. She has taken the time to learn about what I do and the challenges I face so that she can provide me with watertight working contracts for my clients and trades. Her professional services were provided at a discounted rate as I was a participant in Emma’s Mentoring Program. This translated into significant savings, which was greatly appreciated when you consider the amount of money it costs to set up a business.
PLUS, It won’t be long before:
- My business will be successfully rebranded and will be aligned with the services I offer.
- My website will be up and running which will support me in having a much stronger social presence.
- I will have appropriate legal documentation to support my business activities.
- I have a fee structure that now recognises the skills, experience, and qualifications I bring to each project and appropriately rewards me for the services I perform.
WHO DO YOU THINK THE MENTOR PROGRAM IS PERFECT FOR?
- I think this program is flexible enough to cater to a broad professional dynamic in the design arena, whether you are an Interior Designer, Decorator, Stylist, Graphic Designer, Architect or other professionals in a related field.
- Those who are willing to share & support others & who have a genuine desire to grow their business & learn from others.
- Those who wish to turn their hobby into a business.
BOOK IN YOUR COMPLIMENTARY 1:1 DISCOVERY CALL WITH ME TODAY AND GET READY TO JOIN US FOR THE NEXT MENTOR PROGRAM KICKING OFF ON 24TH OCTOBER 2019
Nursery Styling
One of my most favourite rooms to design and decorate would have to be nurseries. The briefs from my clients are always waaay more creative and fun than lounge rooms and bedrooms for adults. Don’t get me wrong, I love designing those rooms too but there’s a bit more fun you can have with a nursery in terms of colours and patterns. Plus, everything is so teeny tiny and just so darn cute!!!!
Gender Neutral Nursery Styling
I first started working with this client earlier in the year when she was only a few months pregnant. She had a really clear idea of what she wanted the room to look like but struggled to find the right suppliers to execute it. Enter me! We met at her home and chatted for about what she wanted the room to feel like and showed me a couple of things she’d already purchased for the room too. After we met I got to work making up the below mood board, picking out all the specific items we discussed in our meeting.
Then once we were happy with the overall design (we made a few tweaks here and there), we started ordering the items. A few weeks before bub was due I popped out to visit for half a day and we unboxed everything, unwrapped all the cute linen and got to work making the room look beautiful!! This is the end result, a gorgeous gender neutral space full of texture and light. Three weeks after my visit I got a message to say a little baby boy now calls it home.
If you’d like help putting a nursery together, email me for a quote! hello@emmablomfield.com
Emma x
Beds N Dreams Catalogue Shoot
Within days of touching down from Europe I had a call from Beds N Dreams asking me to pleeeease helllllp them with styling their Spring/Summer catalogue photoshoot. I got to work picking out 15 different looks for each of the beds we were going to be photographing. This prep work is the most important part of a photoshoot, it’s time consuming looking for every single item that will appear in the shoot but the Beds N Dreams team had access to a range of bed linen suppliers which made my life easier. I picked out all the linen, cushions, decor items, books, lighting and flowers and then pulled it all together over three days. Here’s a look at some of the final images we ended up with for their catalogue…
All furniture and linen by Beds N Dreams.
Emma x
P.S. If you’d like a quote for stying, drop me an email! hello@emmablomfield.com.
Decluttering Your Living Space
It’s not even spring yet but I feel as though I’m ready to declutter before the warmer months arrive! Are you like me, if your rooms are a mess you feel like everything is in a total shambles? I have some friends who don’t mind mess (I avoid going to their houses ;)) and other friends who spend their weekends obsessively cleaning their kitchens.
A few years ago my mum gave me a copy of Marie Kondo’s The Joy Of Tidying Up. I laughed and asked her why she was giving me a book about cleaning up when I was the neatest child she’d raised (don’t ask about my younger brothers…). But after reading the book I had a huge urge to unpack my entire wardrobe and turf 40% of it! It was therapeutic. It felt great. So from then on I became a little bit obsessive about decluttering.
Moving house is a great opportunity to do a huge clear out because you’re forced to see and touch every item you own before moving it into the next place. But what can we do outside of those times to keep on top of the mess?
Here are my top tips for decluttering your living space:
Storage
For most of us, storage, or lack of, is the reason why we’ve got so much “stuff” on display. If you can work out what you might need more of in the room, like storage baskets for small items or do you need a bigger storage system like a sideboard or buffet? Can you rework some of the furniture in the space, upsize your TV unit to a buffet so you get more storage in the TV Unit. Or add pull out baskets to your bookshelf to hide some of the items you need but aren’t necessarily nice to look at?
Stuff
Alright, confession time, who’s going to put their hand up and admit they own too much!? Yeh, didn’t think you would confess to that but that’s okay, you can live in denial a little longer 😉 If you are brave enough to admit you may have a little addiction to ‘stuff’ then let’s find a way to work through this. Do a physical inventory check of what you own, start pondering other uses for them or if a big chuck out is an easy place to start.
Categorise
Once you’ve worked out what to keep and what to chuck, go back through the ‘keep’ pile and work out the categories the items belong in. You might find that seeing it all lumped into categories means you can chuck more out too! Once you have the categories identified (decor, books, electronics, etc etc) you can then decide what storage systems will work better to house the ‘stuff’. It might mean you need a coffee table with a lower level for magazine storage, or it might mean you need a bookshelf to store your books. They don’t have to be expensive changes, re-working what you’ve got might be enough.
Overwhelm
It’s totally normal to get overwhelmed in the decluttering process. Start with smaller areas first, don’t try and tackle the entire project in one hit. Break it into areas of the room, like the TV unit or the bookshelf and then work your way around the space. Give yourself a set goal so it does eventually get done. Maybe two Saturday afternoons in a row is all you need to get on top of things. Or set aside a whole day and sit down with your partner to tackle it together – a problem shared is a problem halved!!!
What are some of your decluttering tips and tricks?!
Emma x
Instagram for Interior Design
At my recent Business of Decorating Masterclass we had three marketing and branding specialists join the panel discussion. One of the most common topics to come up was around Instagram and how to make it work better for business. We all use it for collating inspiration and ideas but using it for business comes with a whole new set of rules.
I asked my publicist and marketing guru Alicia Penhorwood from Harper Collective Management to answer a few key questions about how to make instagram work better for you and your business.
Instagram for Interior Designers
- Is Instagram still a powerful tool to convert followers into clients?
The beauty of Instagram is that you can build connections with your dream clients and create a thriving platform to promote your brand without a huge investment. It’s also one of the first places a client will look at when thinking about working with you. This means that if your Instagram isn’t on it’s A-game that client might keep scrolling to find someone who is more aligned with them.
When it comes to converting clients on Instagram it’s a fine line between selling and adding value. You want to be enriching your followers lives more than you’re trying to sell to them. Otherwise it’s like trying to watch your favourite TV show with half an hour of ads in between.
A great place to start is to map out your content calendar for the month. If you’re wanting to book more initial design consultations, then you might look at incorporating a few posts around projects you’re working on. You could also show how you helped bring the clients vision to life from the first initial consultation to the end result. Then drop in a mention of having limited spaces available for initial consultations for the month and guide people on how to book.
- What do you see are the main benefits of using Instagram stories?
We can all relate to sitting on Instagram and just watching Instagram stories. This means that if you’re not using them, you’re missing out on a piece of the pie.
Instagram stories is the perfect way to welcome your audience behind the scenes and give them a glimpse into the process that goes into creating people’s dream homes. They also let you keep in touch with your audience without worrying about thinking of the perfect caption or maintaining a beautifully colour coordinated Instagram grid. Think of Instagram stories as a way to connect on a deeper level with your audience and maintain a relationship with them in between posts.
- Should I make sure the images I’m posting are really polished or can I share some behind the scenes stuff?
This depends on how you want to reflect your brand to your dream clients. Usually I would recommend keeping your Instagram grid filled with high-quality, polished images and then using your Instagram stories for those fun behind-the-scenes. However, if your brand is all about keeping it real, then 100% share that post of your overflowing candle collection. (Because you can never have too many candles right?). Remember to make sure all of your content is aligned with your content pillars, branding and marketing goals.
- Where do you see video assisting interior designers in building their following on Instagram?
Incorporating video into your content is such a beautiful way to connect with people more than you could through an image and copy. Especially for Interior Designers this is a really exciting way to bring potential clients into your projects and communicate to them exactly who you are and why you’re perfect for them in a way that is going to captivate their attention.
To keep it simple, we all follow Instagram accounts that inspire us in some way. So, when mapping out your video content think about your audience and what they would love to see.
You might like to incorporate styling how-tos or walk people through the design process that goes into making over a client’s master bedroom or share a day in life which shows off a bit of your personality.
- How often should I be posting?
There is so much pressure around how often people should be posting on social media that it takes the fun out of it. Start by asking how often you have time in your week to really dedicate yourself to crafting a post that takes your audience into consideration and gives you the time to respond to their comments. That way you are making sure you’re feeling inspired and connected to the essence of your brand when posting,
If that’s every three days then perfect, let’s start with that!
I’m a big believer that your vibe attracts your tribe. So, if you’re just putting out content for the sake of it, then people are going to sense that through your posts.
Instead if you’re organised, sharing thoughtful content and dedicated to really showing up for your audience then you’re going to build a buzzing community and attract the right types of people to your brand.
Quality over quantity wins every time and if you’re able to work out a social media strategy that fits in with your lifestyle and allows you to deliver consistent quality content then you’re nailing it!
If you’d like to speak to Alicia about the services she offers for interior designers click here. You can also follow her on Instagram here.
What are some of your favourite instagram tricks?!
Emma x
How to Create a Meaningful Home
I always tell my clients when I start working with them that their homes are a reflection of themselves. What you surround yourself with has an enormous impact on how you behave, what you achieve and how your family feels in the space. It’s my job to dig deep and work out what is meaningful to them, what the family loves to do in their spare time, what are some places they’ve visited that they have fond memories of and which rooms do they spend the most time in so we can start to build the ‘story’ of the room. Don’t you love when you invite friends over how they go and discover bits and pieces about your home and inevitably ask “where did you get this”… It then sparks a conversation about that item, where it came from and the memories of that trip or the shop it came from.
Yes! It absolutely is possible. Let me show you how..
Mindset
This is something I work on with clients and my eCourse students all the time. I find a lot of people get fed up with their spaces and are sick of wandering around the furniture super centres on their weekends so end up with a slightly negative feeling towards their home. A big part of my job is to reset this and get them to fall in love with their spaces again. Is this something you can relate to? If it is, it might help you to start seeing if you can catch out any negative thoughts and replace them with thoughts of “I can make a home I’m proud of”, “It doesn’t have to cost the earth” and “I can make my home more “me” with ease”.
Know Your Style
Own your style wholeheartedly! It’s hard not to be swept up in buying items for your home when you’re out shopping because you think that’s what you should have, or what everyone says you should have. But it’s important that you remain true to yourself. If you love it, then buy it. If you don’t love it, toss it.
One of the first things I ask clients when I start working with them is how would they describe their style? I prefer to use visuals for this as I find everyone has a different way of explaining styles which can easily be misinterpreted. There’s less room for error with photos. So perhaps you would benefit from creating a Pinterest board to collate all of your ideas. Once you’ve spent some time pinning some beautiful images you could go back and review the pins and try to identify any common elements. Perhaps there’s a rattan pendant light that keeps popping up in lounge room images or all of the bedrooms you’ve pinned have buttoned upholstered bed heads. This clearly helps you work out which style you identify most with and will help you pick out those items when you get to shopping.
Embrace Imperfections
There’s always going to be something you aren’t happy with at home or something you’re waiting to do when you can afford it. Don’t beat yourself up about it in the meantime. We are never truly satisfied with the way the house looks until the day we list it up for sale. Be realistic about the fact that you have small children or pets that make mess so you can’t live in a magazine photoshoot all the time. Teach the children to respect their furniture and decor but don’t be unreasonable about the way you ‘should’ be living. Imperfections give your home authenticity and character.
Buy Once and Buy Well
Somewhere in the last few years we all started treating furniture and homewares like we do fast fashion. Cushions aren’t disposable, nor are sofas and dining tables. So it’s time we started making better decisions about the furniture we are purchasing and purchasing with the intention to keep them for more that a year or two.
I inherited a chaise lounge from my Grandmother on my 21st birthday. It once belonged to her grandmother. I used to play on it when I’d stay at her house when I was a child so it’s a lovely thing to be able to have it in my own home. I have no intention of ever getting rid of it either. But I often wonder, what would I pass on to the next generation from my own home? I feel as though we don’t really do that anymore, nor do we place as much value on our furniture pieces like previous generations did. Wouldn’t it be nice if we started considering this a bit more with our furniture purchases? Inherited items also bring more meaning to the space too because you can tell the story of where the item came from which is a conversation started right there in your living room.
Work With What You’ve Got
Accessorising with what you’ve got lying around is a totally underrated shopping tactic! You don’t need a big budget to create a home that is a true reflection of you. It might just mean you need to rework certain areas of your home by moving things from one room to another. Is there a grouping of items on your coffee table you’re a bit sick of? Why not move some of them to the centre of the dining table and group some candles on a tray on the coffee table instead. Same goes for cushions, swap your bed cushions with your sofa cushions and see if you can make them work for a different room in the house. Not only will you be flexing your creative muscle but you won’t be spending a cent to do it!
Inject Your Personality
Displaying things that mean something to you go a long way to making your home feel more authentic. I worked with a friend of mine a few years ago to decorate her home. She wanted to start entirely from scratch and didn’t bring a stick of furniture from her previous house. The new house was a totally different style for her so I was a bit lost at first as to which direction to take the design. I knew she had a great love of New York City and that she liked to display a few coffee table books around the house. So I used these as inspiration points. We hung a huge image of the New York skyline in her dining room and I made sure we styled her coffee table with three of her favourite coffee table books (one happened to be mine, subtle advertising I know ;)) By using items that remind you of your travels or a special time in your life you’re building the story of your home and surrounding yourself with things you love. How could you not be happier when you’re surrounded by beautiful AND meaningful items?!
What have you added to your home that you think makes it more authentic and real?
Emma x
Top Tips for Winter Entertaining
Top Tips for Entertaining in Winter
Having written a book about entertaining I think it’s fair to say I know a thing or two about throwing a soirée. In Australia we often wait for the warmer months before inviting guests over to enjoy the warmer weather. I think there’s definitely something cosy and fun about throwing a lovely dinner party in winter time too.
Here are some of my top tips for winter time entertaining!
1. Plan Your Menu
Warm comfort food is your best bet for a winter evening. Think soups, casseroles, roasts, hearty pasta sauces and slow cooked meats. Planning your menu in advance help you in the long run as throwing a dinner party can get stressful lining up all the finer details to ensure it’s a smooth evening. Checklists help significantly too, so write out all the things you need to do to prepare before the party. These can be things like sweeping the front porch, mop the kitchen floors, set the table and buying the ingredients for dinner. It’s also important to think about the menu flowing nicely, if you’re having an Italian themed night then your entrée, main and dessert should all be within that same vein. Don’t forget to check dietary requirements and allergies before planning too much of the menu too.
2. Style The Table
Why not get right into theme and style the table to suit the cuisine you’re serving up! Cheap party shops have plenty of table decor inspiration so you can style the table without spending a fortune. Think about things like tablecloths, napkins, candle sticks, vases and name cards if you want to get really formal. If it’s a fun, casual evening like Mexican Night, then a few additional ‘props’ like sombreos for the guests and mini piñata’s are a nice colourful addition.
Don’t forget to check you have enough serving ware for your party. If your dinner setting is only for 8 people but you’re expecting 12 guests you don’t want to get caught short when you go to serve everyone. Same goes for cutlery and glassware.
3. Set The Mood
We don’t just entertaining for the sake of eating a nice meal, we also entertaining to meet new people, catch up with old friends, discuss worldly topics over a nice meal and connect with people. Setting the mood greatly assists in setting up an environment in which everyone feels comfortable and ready to enjoy an evening in your home. Things like background music, candle light, overhead light, scents and comfy chairs all aid in setting the mood. You can think about the five senses when you’re setting up the party and ensure you’re catering to all five senses – taste, touch, sound, smell and sight.
If you’d like more entertaining tips, why not jump over to my store and purchase a copy of Keeping House. Keeping House is my second book focused on throwing a party and still getting your bond back!
Emma x
Benefits of Working With A Decorator
There’s a pretty common belief that working with an interior decorator is something only the rich and famous can afford. Not true! I work with everyday people with normal homes and normal furniture budgets every single day of the week. Yes I’ve worked with a few famous clients here and there over the years I’ve been in business but the core of my business is helping normal humans make the most out of their normal homes regardless of their budget.
I’ve worked with everyone from farmers on remote sheep stations in central Queensland, young couples buying their first one bed unit in the city, families upsizing into bigger homes, empty nesters downsizing into townhouses after the kids leave home through to those with disabilities that require a totally different approach to design in order to live comfortably. That’s exactly why I love what I do, it’s so diverse and I learn on the job EVERY SINGLE DAY.
But it’s not all about me and what I get out of helping people, that’s just a bi-product.. What do YOU get out of working with a decorator, besides a pretty house?!
BENEFITS OF WORKING WITH A DECORATOR
- Access their Brains – and years of knowledge with previous clients. They’ll know exactly what has and hasn’t worked in the past and steer you in the right direction. You’ve likely wandered the artificially lit corridors of your local furniture super centre trying to decide what rug will go with your sofa and then which cushions will work overall. It all ends in total overwhelm and paralysis analysis. You don’t make any purchases and go home feeling deflated. We see it all the time! Before our clients call us in they’ve usually wasted a bunch of weekends doing exactly this before admitting defeat so you aren’t alone! We’ll make all of those decisions for you and only involve you once we’ve got a full design look together so you don’t need to have any more weekends wasted or wake up at 3am worrying if the stone bench top you’ve selected will match the kitchen joinery.
- Up to Date Trends – we regularly attend industry events and visit our suppliers showrooms to keep you to date on trends as well as new products and technology. We then implement these in your home so you’ve got the newest of new installed in your home. This applies to everything from kitchen cabinetry, bathroom vanities, curtain fabrics, lighting solutions and so much more.
- Trade Prices – not all designers pass on their trade discounts (I do!!), but one of the BIGGEST perks about working with a decorator is getting discounts on anything and everything you’re likely to add to your home. We can access trade prices across pretty much every category from lamps to armchairs to curtains to sofa fabrics. We attend trade fairs throughout the year across the country and even internationally at times where we see the new ranges from our furniture and decor suppliers and educate ourselves on the newest pieces. Once those items come into stock at our furniture suppliers warehouses we can start specifying them in our client projects. Often the general public can’t get access to these items so you end up with a beautifully curated home that no one else can achieve. You can expect to save around 20-40% off the recommended retail price when working with a decorator. That pays for their service fees ten fold when you’re looking to furnish an entire home!
- Avoid Mistakes – similar to number one, you’re paying for the decorators education and knowledge. We’ve all been there done that with previous clients and know what the common pitfalls are in decorating. You can avoid any of these mistakes by working with a decorator which will save you money in the long run.
What’s stopping you from hiring a decorator? Hit me up in the comments, I’d love to know what your resistance to hiring a decorator would be.
Or if you’re trawling the super centres pulling your hair out as you try and work out what sofa goes with which rug, call me. I’ve got you!!
Emma x
The Business of Decorating Masterclass Coming to Sydney
The Business of Decorating
I’m guessing that just like me, you’ve sat down and wondered how you can start working SMARTER not HARDER in your business this year. Especially as the new financial year rolls around.
This is why I’m bringing all MY experts under one roof on Wednesday, 26th June in Sydney to uncover the secrets to success you need to take your business up a notch.
The Business of Decorating Masterclass is a half day event for interiors professionals to come together from all over the country for the sole purpose of elevating their business and minds.
This is your chance to spend time working ON your business instead of IN your business and gain the support, inspiration, and connections you need to feel confident in reaching your big business goals.
Solo Endeavour?
Running a business regardless of how small is never a solo effort. I’ve been in business for the better part of a decade and wouldn’t be anywhere near as far ahead if it wasn’t for investing in services with KEY people. I haven’t needed to employ them full time to help me get a leg up, I employ them for key tasks to help streamline my business at certain times. So if you want to know exactly WHO helps me run my business and WHAT they help me do, this is the masterclass where I’m sharing all of this juicy info. I don’t share these people in my mentor programs or my coaching programs. This is a highly specialised masterclass that I’m offering for the first time EVER.
Meet MY Experts
- Marketing + Branding Panel Discussion with Alicia Penhorwood of Harper Collective Management, Kady O’Connell from Kady Creative & Rachelle Saevil from Saevil Row
- Project Management Software for Interior Designers by Ivy.co
- Understanding Your Numbers with shoe loving accountant and author Melissa Browne
- Protecting your Business Legally with Dari Levy of The Law Boutique
What You Can Expect
Celebration & Gratitude – How often do you stop and celebrate your wins? We’ll be encouraging each of you to honour your work and the work of others throughout the day.
Networking – We are big believers in the power of networking so come along and introduce yourself to someone new, you never know who you’ll meet.
5 Star Advice – We’ve gathered together the BEST of the BEST speakers who are on hand to share all of their knowledge with you to help you make fewer mistakes in growing your business.
PLUS, you will also receive a copy of Keeping House, a delicious lunch, a notebook + pen, and a goodie bag to take home!
Event Schedule
Held at the beautiful Caroma on Collins in Alexandria, Sydney.
9.30am – REGISTRATIONS + Tea & Coffee
10:00am – Welcome address
10:30am – Panel talk: Marketing + Branding
11:15am – MORNING TEA
11:30am – IVY Project Management Software
12:15pm – LUNCH
1.15pm – Legal Talk with Dari Levy
1:45pm – Understanding Your Numbers with Melissa Browne
2:30pm – Networking
2:30pm – CONCLUSION
If you have any questions at all about the event or you’d like to book multiple tickets for team members and get a team discount please don’t hesitate to email hello@emmablomfield.com.
Emma x
Royal Flying Doctors Visit
Last week I had the privilege of a private tour of the Royal Flying Doctor Service hangar at Melbourne airport to learn more about the amazing service the Royal Flying Doctors do. I also had a peek inside one of the non-emergency aircrafts (pictured above) that is fully equipped to transport patients across our big wide land.
It was a very humbling experience to hear from various members of the RFDS about the services they provide to those in need in rural and regional areas across Australia. They not only have a fleet of 71 aircraft, they also have 124 healthcare vehicles that allow them to travel to some of the most remote parts of our country to provide much needed services such as dental care and mental health checks.
I was blown away to find that the RFDS relies solely on donations from people like us to keep them in the air. The government does not provide on-going, consistent financial support. Some of the planes in their fleet cost as much as $13 million and cost $300,000 to keep them flying each year.
Listening to the flight nurse’s stories about some of the people they’ve helped was absolutely incredible, from helping transport stroke patients back to their home towns through to helping mum’s of premie babies get medical attention in capital cities and more. It goes to show how much we take medical care in the city for granted and just how difficult it can be for someone in a remote part of our big brown land to get proper medical assistance. Not to mention the much needed mental health support the RFDS provides to our farmers in times of hardship like the recent drought.
This week is the Flick Us A Flynn campaign, an annual fundraiser aimed at getting people to donate $20 to the RFDS. (Fun fact: John Flynn, founder of RFDS is commemorated on our $20 note.).
If you can spare a $20 this week, why not head to www.flickusaflynn.org.au to donate and help buy medical equipment, replace nose wheels on a plane or provide dental screening for someone in need.
Emma x
For Mum
When I wrote HOME I dedicated the book to clients, past and present. When it came time to write the dedication (above) for Keeping House, there was no questions that it would be for my mum. She’s been a big part of how and why I ended up in interiors and even though she’s a nurse by trade she’s got a serious knack for decorating and crafted many beautiful homes for us during my childhood. We lived in Asia for a few years in primary school and high school and both of the houses we lived in in Tokyo and Hong Kong were carefully thought out and beautifully decorated.
This Mother’s Day also happens to be my Dad’s birthday so it’s going to be a busy weekend showing the parents with lots of love and attention!
If you haven’t sorted a present for Mum for Mother’s Day just yet, jump over here and grab a copy of Keeping House for Mum. It comes gift wrapped and with a little card so all you have to do is write in the card and give it to Mum! Easy!
We’ve sold through the first print run of Keeping House so I actually only have a very limited number of books so be quick because I do expect to sell out of them this week. Yikes!
Emma x
P.S. You can also head to your local Kmart, Target, Myer or Dymocks to grab a copy too.
Hi, I’m Emma
Designer, decorator and author. I am the principle designer at Emma Blomfield Studio. Welcome to our blog!
