by Adam Burtt-Jones and Liz Brewer
With more and more creative businesses diversifying their offerings and emerging trends catching clients eyes, Interior Designers are now competing in a very odd space.
Today we strongly feel that Interior Design sits in a lost boundary between architecture, branding, graphics, marketing, product / furniture design and events design. It appears that everyone likes to think they can ‘do’ Interior Design and as a result interior design skills are in danger of becoming extinct. And what’s more, it’s making it very confusing for clients to know who to approach when tasked with refurbishing or reconfiguring their workspace, home, showroom, shop, hotel etc. Do they call an Architect? Fit-out company? Design and Build company? Commercial Interior Designer? Domestic Interior Decorator? Brand consultant? Interior Architect? Ghostbusters…?
With refurbishment already becoming more popular than new build, it’s anticipated that by 2050 approximately 87% of building stock will still be standing. This is good news for those working in the interiors world, but is it?
Here at Burtt-Jones & Brewer we believe it is, but only when our discipline stops being so frequently misunderstood, misrepresented and misconstrued. We regard ourselves as a new breed of Interior Designers, on a mission to make the industry more transparent, ethical, honest and above all fairer to the client.
It’s no secret that in this current unregulated industry unbelievable ‘mark ups’ are placed on the build part (and usually on furniture specifications). Arguably it’s very much like the print industry where print mark-ups are notorious on jobs, the same is true within the Interior Design world.
Is it enough to simply suggest that this is just what happens in business? Adam Burtt-Jones, Co-founder and Partner of Burtt-Jones & Brewer thinks not and says, ‘when our clients are made aware of the cost savings that our strategic design approach could save them, their jaw literally hits the floor. One of the reasons we set up Burtt-Jones & Brewer was because we became fed up with the way clients were being exploited. It’s time the industry is made to clean up its act and by openly tendering our drawing packages is one of the ways we believe our clients can gain a fairer cost for the build part of the project and ultimately get the best deal.’
We care about providing our clients with top tips on how to approach interior challenges, here are just a few:
- If you’re looking to move, what type of new space do you really need? Property agents will rarely take on board psychological, spatial and subjective factors that can influence interior decisions. Finding the right space for you is more than just looking round what’s on their books.
- Could your new space benefit from a test fit? This will make sure you fit in the space BEFORE you sign up the lease, don’t just take the agents word for it.
- If you’re looking to stay put and want to make your space more effective and efficient then Burtt-Jones & Brewer would recommend a feasibility study.
- Does the design of your new space need to work for the Facebook generation and 60+yr olds?
- How engaged do you want those working within the new space to be?
- Wellbeing is much more than just a spider plant in the corner! What are the overall needs of the end users of the space?
As specialists in creating interior solutions that maximise the performance of any type of space, we delve far deeper than simply selecting curtains or carpets; they design solutions that increase wellbeing, productivity and improve business efficiencies.
Burtt-Jones & Brewer argue that to be a successful interior designer requires a specific set of skills, ranging from a broad understanding of psychology and culture, to specific and detailed knowledge of building structure, statutory regulations and mechanical services. Our discipline is more than resorting on occasion to ‘placing’ iconic furniture, finishes and graphics to simply satisfy a stylistic itch.
It would be foolish for those working in the Interior Design world to not recognise the value of branding, architecture, marketing, graphics etc. within the space of any type of building. Yes, Interior Design is arguably the glue that binds these disciplines together, but it is also about ideas, philosophies, shaping of behaviour, strategic design, wellbeing, productivity, technology, sustainability… and should not be one of the last dinosaurs in a room, full of more evolved species.
With programmes like Channel 4’s The Secret Life of Buildings exploring these topics the debate about how we can encourage the design of working environments to motivate, stimulate and empower has come alive. However, Steve Brewer, Co-founder and Partner of Burtt-Jones & Brewer, feels that while these debates are important to have, its sad that the presenter Tom Duchoff only interviewed Architects, and not Interior Designers about these issues. ‘For me, it completely reflects how misunderstood and disrespected our skills are.” explains Steve. “It is our view that architects look at a building from the outside in. We look at space from the inside out. After all, it’s what’s inside that counts.’
