Stage 1 - Researching & building narrative

Stage 1 - Researching & Building Narrative

The design process requires strong foundations, just like a building. These foundations come from understanding exactly the purpose of a project and what its narrative will be.

Stage 1 - Research

The first stage of my 4-step process is research. This can be divided into three subcategories.

Narrative

From the outset, I will work to establish the narrative around the project, asking myself questions to build up the wider context.

• What is the history of the building?
• What is the history of the local area and community?
• Why are the homeowners undertaking a renovation?
• What are the homeowners' needs and wants?

The design process requires strong foundations, just like a building. These foundations come from understanding exactly the purpose of a project and what its narrative will be.

The Age and Style of the Property

Once you have ascertained the history of the building, it's incredibly important to spend time researching the style in which it was built and how this might inform your design direction.

• How many original features do you want to keep and restore?
• Do you want the design sensibilities of the building's style to inform your furniture choices?
• Does the architectural style impact your choices of colour and materials?

The Questionnaire

When onboarding new clients, I find a comprehensive questionnaire to be an invaluable tool in gaining clarity on exactly what the client wants. At my studio, we have a multi-page questionnaire that covers every aspect of every room that we will be working on. This then becomes a vital document that steers the entire project and is constantly referred back to.

The questionnaire also acts as an inventory of all the items the client already has and wants to factor into the new designs and schemes.

At this early stage, the questionnaire enables you to begin to build a picture of the floor plan as well as the electrical layout for lighting and appliances.

I have enclosed a copy of the questionnaire we use with all of our clients when designing a kitchen.