Let the magic begin…

Using an interior designer may feel like something reserved for the rich and famous – something you see on television or in glossy home interior magazines. However, it is actually a very ‘real’ service used by all sorts of different people for both domestic and commercial properties.

Using an interior design team isn’t just about getting a beautiful finish with design, pattern and colour complementing the light and space in the room (although this is a very important bit!). Initially it’s all about making the very best use of the space.  Our experience and visualisation skills mean that we can understand an issue you may have with a particular room and see through the space as it is now.  We understand how changes to walls, doorways and a variety of other components can really improve the flow and maximise the useable space in a room.  There is no use in dressing a room to make it look amazing if you still have a problem with the fireplace being in the way, or the door being in a spot that would be perfect for the tv! 

This is the difference between interior designers and interior decorators.  We design the space to meet the brief, not just make it look amazing with fabrics and wall-coverings (although of course we do this too!)

We work with our clients every step of the way to really understand their brief  - what they want from the room, what the issues are with it currently, how they use the room now and how they intend to use the room once it is finished etc. We then go away and map out a detailed floor plan, which clearly shows how we can best use the space to meet the requirements, along with the design look and feel to accompany it.  Once this is all approved, we bring in our team and set to work on the magic!

We’ve worked on many different types of briefs: bedrooms, kitchens, living and dining areas, kids bedrooms, whole houses to commercial properties including offices, an Oxford college, reception areas and many more.  We’ve worked on modern buildings, grade 1 listed buildings, quirky buildings, serious buildings and everything in between! 

Our service is efficient on your time because our experience allows us to get to the solution very quickly.  We can also maximise your budget – we understand exactly what you need to create the look that you want so you won’t waste money buying things that ‘don’t quite fit in’.  We can design and create bespoke pieces and can go straight to manufacturers and suppliers, culminating in a very impressive finished project. And of course, there's our bespoke wallpapers and soft furnishings add a unique design stamp.

Why not give us a call, or drop us an email.  We’d love to sprinkle some of our magic for you!

Telephone us in the studio: 01993 898763 or email Mandy at: mandy@collissandquinton.com.

Case Study 1: British Study Centres, Oxford

British Study Centres Oxford is situated in the heart of the historic city and offers quality English language courses and a modern learning environment. We were called in to design the reception; a cramped 'corridor' arrangement with oversized and under used reception desks, no storage, four door access areas and poor room flow for students, teachers and business professionals.

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We zoned the room to contain a custom made formal reception, a form filling desk area, a waiting area and a private area behind the reception divider to provide seating for meetings. We also designed 'Oxford-centric' murals to convey life both in Oxford and at the Study Centre.

Further commissions followed including designing their cafe and student meeting rooms.

Case Study 2: Boutique B&B, Breacon Beacons

We were asked to turn a large Edwardian villa into a boutique B&B hotel. Our clients were hoping to achieve a 4 star rating... we delivered "an easy 5 stars" (quote from the hotel inspector). 

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We designed every aspect of the B&B from the colours on the building, branding, all bedrooms, en suites, seating and dining spaces. Once again, our wallcoverings were central to the signature theme for each suite.

The B&B was featured on a TV programme showcasing 'design hotels' around the world and in an Ideal Homes magazine feature.

Case Study 3: Apartment in Temple, London

A family were loving city life in the centre of historic Temple but not loving the furnishings they inherited with the property.  We re-designed the kitchen after successfully completing the children's rooms. This room was complex! A tiny kitchen with a breathtaking mix of miss-matched materials, lack of storage, redundant fireplace... and Grade I Listed. We had design meetings with English Heritage, structural engineers and the Inner Temple to progress this. All work had to meet with strict English Heritage listing requirements and incorporated strengthening the floor, fitting a new supporting wall and concealing the fireplace.

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Using every millimetre of available space we kept materials to a minimum. Glamorous custom made sleek white units, Corian worktops, travertine tiles, Amtico flooring, Kartell lighting and lilac LED up-lighters. The completed kitchen not only contained seven pieces of kitchen hardware (including a coffee machine) but housed all of our clients crockery previously distributed between three rooms and a mini breakfast bar for her boys! The family were thrilled with the results and commissioned us to design the rest of the house.