Remote Interior Design: How to Design Your UK Home from Abroad
Expert Tips for Remote Interior Design, by Tracy Duncan
You may be relocating permanently or just moving to London to work for a few years. It could be that you need a base for visiting your children at school in the UK. Perhaps you are investing in a second home or adding to your global property portfolio. Every story is different. Remote interior design makes it easy for international clients to collaborate with UK-based professionals and create beautifully tailored spaces without needing to be physically present. Their interior designer becomes their trusted partner on the ground.
We have helped clients from Europe, the US, Asia and the Middle East to create their dream home in the UK. As a company with an experienced team, we are dedicated to delivering high-quality results for every client.
Here, interior designer Tracy Duncan shares her expert advice.
Choose Your UK Interior Designer
Finding the right interior or garden designer is about more than aesthetics. It is about choosing design professionals who bring expertise and a tailored approach to each project. Look for someone who is easy to communicate with and experienced in managing the practicalities of designing a home from abroad.
Make sure that they have the back-up of a great team to help with the purchasing and implementation. The support and leadership provided by the company's head office ensures smooth project management and coordination throughout your design journey.
Remote Interior Design vs Full Service: What’s Right for You?
When planning your move to the UK, one of the first decisions you’ll face is choosing the level of interior design support you require.
Remote interior design is a flexible and convenient solution for clients living abroad. With remote interior design, you can collaborate with expert designers from your own home, at your own pace. You’ll receive personalized design plans, curated collections of interior design products to create your individual design and ongoing guidance throughout the design process, all tailored to your budget and lifestyle.
For clients who would like a full turn-key solution this is followed up with a traditional hands-on service, with designers managing every aspect of your project in person - from initial consultations and site visits to the final installation. This option is ideal if you want a designer to oversee every detail and ensure a seamless process on the ground.
To determine whether to choose just the remote interior design aspect or the full service combination, consider your preferred level of involvement, your budget, if any structural work is required and how quickly you need to move in. If you prefer a more comprehensive, in-person experience with designers handling every detail, full service interior design may be a better choice. Either way you will benefit from the ability to make design decisions at your own pace.
International Interior Design Checklist
Interior designers now work remotely using virtual interior design tools to manage projects for clients in different locations, offering flexibility and convenience. A UK interior designer who is experienced with international clients will:
Have systems in place to help you visualise and discuss design ideas and details, establishing a clear design direction at the start of the project.
Be used to sourcing and co-ordinating trade suppliers, contractors and deliveries, and keeping you updated from the UK, utilizing a detailed floor plan to communicate design ideas.
Have developed financial procedures in place to provide up to date information on spend versus budget, ensuring efficient management of international projects.
Be used to handling international transfers to keep your money secure.
Most of all, they will listen and use their creativity to implement the design that suits you perfectly, transforming your ideas and inspiration into beautiful interiors.
Clarify The Scope of Work & Pricing
The need for clarity and precision in all communication is heightened when designing a home from abroad, as there will relatively little (if any) face to face contact. It is essential not to assume anything.
A positive customer experience depends on clear communication and a thorough understanding of the client's needs. This begins with agreeing the scope of work, and budgets involved.
To ensure all preferences and requirements are captured, clients may be asked to fill out a detailed questionnaire to form the context for the brief and direct the scope and schedule.
Designers do not all charge in the same way. You may be quoted a fixed price or an hourly rate depending on the complexity of the project. Some designers charge a per-centage of the build cost. Some offer a discount on trade purchasing, others will add a fee for purchasing. This makes it very difficult to compare. Whatever approach they take, they should be able to provide a detailed breakdown of the pricing calculations. Be wary of ballpark pricing. It tends to escalate.
Share Your International Home Design
Your designer will spend time at the beginning of the project getting to know you, your design likes and dislikes to understand your vision for your home. The goal is to achieve a beautiful design that reflects your unique preferences. Sharing photos of your international home will help. They will want to know if you would like to achieve a similar look and feel in your new home in the UK, or if you would like a totally different design aesthetic.
Catalogue Treasured Possessions
Treasured possessions can inspire unique designs for different rooms in your home, helping to create personalized and cohesive interiors. Take photos and measurements before they are packed for shipping and share them with your designer.
Consider Planning Permissions
UK planning laws complex. It is advisable to take expert advice if you are planning to make structural changes, before committing to purchase or beginning design work.
You may need to consider 1) Planning Permission & Use Class, 2) Permitted Development Rights (PDRs), 3) Green Belt (AONB) & Conservation Area rules, 4) Listed Building approvals for alterations, 5) Local Planning Policies, 6) Leasehold versus Freehold Considerations, 7) Environmental & Sustainability Rules.
Review The Sign-Off Process
Interior design is just one of the many tasks that are required when moving to the UK. As a result, it is likely that you will be time poor and require an efficient process.
A remote interior design service is flexible and can be tailored to allow you to progress at your own pace to fit your schedule. It is important to have a clear sign-off process in place for each stage of the design process. This improves efficiency and will help you to achieve your vision with less stress.
Best practice is to have a structured sign-off process to include every phase of work and major decision from design concepts , to detailed design layouts, purchasing lists, finishes specifications, selected trade contractors, schedules and bespoke design work.
Interior Design for Temporary Stays in the UK
If you are planning a short stay you will still want to make your rental property feel like home. Your UK interior designer can help you to put together stylish and practical short term solutions that work within rental property guidelines. Look for a company that has experience managing a variety of interior design projects, including those tailored for short-term stays and rental properties.
A professionally designed home is aesthetically beautiful and functions perfectly, whether rented or owned.
Decorbuddi Design Services for Overseas Clients
We create individual homes and gardens for International clients. This ranges from the design and styling of a rental property for a temporary stay in the UK, to the complete build and turnkey solutions for global clients.
Creating a home that truly reflects your style preferences and meets your functional needs is at the heart of our service. Our experienced interior and garden design team is dedicated to helping you develop a personalized design plan that aligns with your vision, budget, and lifestyle, no matter where you are in the world.
We offer a comprehensive range of design services to support you at every stage of your project. From design concept to space planning and layout optimization to mood boards and design details. Our team ensures you can visualize your new space before any decisions are made. We source contractors, co-ordinate and organise building works, purchasing and deliveries.
Whether you're looking to renovate, extend, or simply refresh your new UK home, our service is tailored to your unique requirements.
If you have any questions about managing the interior design process in the UK from abroad, please do not hesitate to get in touch.
Credits:
All images are from Decorbuddi projects. You can find out more About Us here. The featured projects were led by Helene Dabrowski, Jo Miller, Ann Jackman, Lorraine Sakharet, Jessica Jones, Tracy Duncan, Stephanie Bailey and Laura Nicolson.
The photographers are Chris Snook Photography, KT1 Photography and Limelight Interiors Photography