There are many things our luxury interior designers have expertise in, and shopping is one of them. Whether you’re looking to refresh your whole home or just want to create a bespoke feeling for your space, our interior designers have shared some of their best tips to help you shop.

This guide is for anyone anywhere who is looking for some advice, but as we are interior designers based in Chelsea, London, we’ve also included some extra advice for our fellow West Londoners!

Take Your Time
This might seem obvious, but a lot of people might rush to buy everything as soon as they set their eyes on them, only to get back home and realise it’s not what they want, or it doesn’t quite fit. It’s important to plan ahead and figure out exactly what style it is that you want so you’re not shopping aimlessly. It’s fine to shop around whilst you’re trying to decide what it is you want, but make a note of the colours or styles you like. Instagram and Pinterest are great places to start making a digital mood board, or if you’re more traditional then get some magazines and flick through! Not rushing into anything will give you time to make sure you like the products you’re investing in, and increase the longevity of your interior style!

Know Your Space
This one is a little bit boring, but unfortunately, it’s a part of interior design, especially if you’re creating anything bespoke. You need to know sizes, measurements and any technicalities. You also need to find out what work you’re allowed to do on a property, especially if it’s a rented space. Jumping the gun and splashing out on designs or products before you’ve got the groundwork is counterproductive, and will take more time in the long run. An example, there’s no point looking into handfuls of bespoke countertops, only to find out that no structural changes can be made to your property.

Statement Pieces
Shop the bigger things first, then the smaller gaps are easier to fill. Statement pieces are something that give a room a bespoke feel and adds personality to a place. Going back to the importance of taking your time, do some research into the types of statement pieces you want in your home and something that you’re not going to get bored of looking at each day. A statement piece should draw people’s attention to it when they enter a room, and they help to set the feel for the whole space. Remember, your statement piece shouldn’t be stand-alone, once you have chosen this you can then add other items to complement this.

Budgets
Like anything, sticking within a budget is extremely important. Housing and design projects are notorious for going over budgets so it’s important to plan as much as possible. It’s also extremely helpful to have an overflow budget to cover any unexpected costs you may come across. Of course, how much you need to plan depends on the size of your interior design project. If you have multiple rooms you are working on, decipher an overall budget and then break this down into rooms. You’ll then be able to ensure that you’re not left with zero budget to finish the rest of your project.

Mix & Match
Now back to more of the exciting stuff. Mix and match your colours, furniture, designers and style. You don’t want your home to look as if it’s straight out of a showroom, you want it to have life, personality and a unique feel. There are tons of products out there, and this is where your mood board will come into use, explore different retailers, products and styles that you’re most interested in. Lastly, if you can shop in stores then you’ll have a better idea of what the products feel or look like, as well as their quality. There’s nothing like a disappointing online delivery that looked nothing like the stock photos.

Follow your personal style
Like any style, when designing your own home make sure you like it. You will quickly get bored of a design or a style if it doesn’t match your own personal style and taste. You also don’t want to follow trends for trend’s sake, as by their nature they’ll fade out and make your home look dated very quickly. If your home design is styled to only look perfect when the house is spotless, but you live a hectic life where a house looks truly lived in, make sure you design your house to suit this. Your house should feel like a home, so make sure you’re shopping for what you like and what makes you feel comfortable, not just what you think is ‘in style’ at the moment.

As we promised, we have added some advice here for our West Londoners, who might be looking for some more tailored advice on how to shop!

Shopping locally is not only good for the planet, but it’s fun! West London has so much to offer in terms of shops and inspiration. If you’re local to the area just check out Kings Road or Portobello Road and you’ll find not only an abundance of furniture or homeware shops but also other boutiques, markets and antique stores that might spark an idea of what will suit your home!

Five of our favourite West London interior design shops

Silvera
Silvera is a beautiful homeware store on Kings Road, Chelsea. This West London store not only is styled to be an interior designer’s dream, but it has two floors of high-quality furniture and gifts to browse through.

Yeoward
Another gem based in the heart of Chelsea, again on Kings Road. This store has everything you need for some elegant interior inspiration, from fabrics and upholstery, to lighting and vases.

Soho Home
We couldn’t speak about our favourite interior design shops in West London without mentioning Soho Home. This space is beautiful, and a wonderful area to get some inspiration for styling your home. You also get perks if you’re a Soho House member!

Graham Green
For those in the Notting Hill area, Graham Green is a great place to visit! Filled with gifts, furniture and accessories, this store is super helpful if you’re looking for some contemporary aesthetics in your home.

Indian Jane
This store offers four levels of diverse and luxurious furniture, including a lamp room. So, if you’re unsure of lighting in your home, we’d recommend heading here for some interior design inspiration!

Company Bio
Hi-Spec Design is a family run interior design agency based in Chelsea, South West London. We specialise in bespoke kitchens and work with some of the best appliance manufacturers across Europe, this company is remembered by its customers for its unique and luxurious designs. Read more about our story here.