I need the forum's help to find a new designer

Ashington Homes · May 29, 2024 5:45 am

Hi All,

I really need the collective wisdom of the forum please.

The time has come to make some changes to our business and take it to the next level.

A big part of this is finding an affordable innovative design team for our new builds.

Just wondering if anyone has any good recommendations. I have tried googling and calling a few companies, but word of mouth recommendations are generally the best way to go.

Many thanks in advance

Simeon

ponzutwo · May 29, 2024 9:00 am

Have you considered reaching out to universities or other institutions that do design? Getting insights and ideas from young minds that are a) probably more affordable, b) se ethe world through a different lens to todays fuddy duddy "tried and tested" crowd and c) could lead to an innovative partnership where part of your engagement could lead to scholarships as part of your offering to the successful candidate(s) and imagine the press you'd get...

I just personally feel all the stuff were seeing today is designed without 20 years forethought. how are these designs and standards going to age and live up to things like climate change, utility etc. Perfect example is garages - haven seen one yet that is purpose built or has the capacity to be retrofitted for a fully electric set up with hidden chargers, concealed battery stations that don't takeaway from usable space, separate solar circuits for ensuring your car battery charging isn't unduly impacted by the home's day to day usage or bi directional charging set ups etc.

this might not be the best way or the only way, but it might be something you consider in tandem? Or offering placements, internships to support the design phases of the process. etc.

Just a thought

Ashington Homes · May 29, 2024 2:50 pm

ponzutwo

Have you considered reaching out to universities or other institutions that do design? Getting insights and ideas from young minds that are a) probably more affordable, b) se ethe world through a different lens to todays fuddy duddy "tried and tested" crowd and c) could lead to an innovative partnership where part of your engagement could lead to scholarships as part of your offering to the successful candidate(s) and imagine the press you'd get...

I just personally feel all the stuff were seeing today is designed without 20 years forethought. how are these designs and standards going to age and live up to things like climate change, utility etc. Perfect example is garages - haven seen one yet that is purpose built or has the capacity to be retrofitted for a fully electric set up with hidden chargers, concealed battery stations that don't takeaway from usable space, separate solar circuits for ensuring your car battery charging isn't unduly impacted by the home's day to day usage or bi directional charging set ups etc.

this might not be the best way or the only way, but it might be something you consider in tandem? Or offering placements, internships to support the design phases of the process. etc.

Just a thought

You raise some really good points which I totally agree with.

alexp79 · May 30, 2024 1:31 pm

I also notice that most the builds in Australia are really simplistic when it gets to the interior design and lighting design. Most of the builds are just offering off the shelf finishes without any attempt to personalise and adjust to the tastes and habits of the actual families who will be living in the house.

Bimbob · Jul 08, 2024 6:04 am

ponzutwo

Have you considered reaching out to universities or other institutions that do design? Getting insights and ideas from young minds that are a) probably more affordable, b) se ethe world through a different lens to todays fuddy duddy "tried and tested" crowd and c) could lead to an innovative partnership where part of your engagement could lead to scholarships as part of your offering to the successful candidate(s) and imagine the press you'd get...

I just personally feel all the stuff were seeing today is designed without 20 years forethought. how are these designs and standards going to age and live up to things like climate change, utility etc. Perfect example is garages - haven seen one yet that is purpose built or has the capacity to be retrofitted for a fully electric set up with hidden chargers, concealed battery stations that don't takeaway from usable space, separate solar circuits for ensuring your car battery charging isn't unduly impacted by the home's day to day usage or bi directional charging set ups etc.

this might not be the best way or the only way, but it might be something you consider in tandem? Or offering placements, internships to support the design phases of the process. etc.

Just a thought

Simeon is being nice with his response.

How do you intend to design with 20 years of forethought?
Did you imagine the advances in technology could even support a car let alone have electric cars 20 years ago?
AS5139 prevents concealing a solar battery, didn’t see this coming 20 years ago.
Did you imagine Covid causing a change in the work/life balance?
Did you imagine the cost of electricity increases being so high?
Did you imagine climate warming and electicity costs requiring more energy efficient homes hence 7 star 20 years ago?
Did you imagine Facebook in 2000?
If you’ve built, did you include stepless showers, 1200 wide passages, zero threshold doors or any other access requirement now required? Which I may add are required to aid you when you are older, such as in 20 years.

Foresight in construction is a basic premise covered by the vast array of Australian Standards and ISO’s. It’s also completely impossible to do.
In 20 years, the regulations set out by the accessibility standards may be so out dated due to levitating wheel chairs that ramps at doors ways are an unnecessary requirement but I bet you didn’t think that could be possible in 20 years.

Bimbob · Jul 08, 2024 6:08 am

alexp79

I also notice that most the builds in Australia are really simplistic when it gets to the interior design and lighting design. Most of the builds are just offering off the shelf finishes without any attempt to personalise and adjust to the tastes and habits of the actual families who will be living in the house.

This is what is expected in a project home build.
Its unfortunate but necessary to maintain high profitability and lower building costs.
The majority of new home owners don’t have the knowledge or budget to extend beyond the project home market, and this is in no way a smear upon the Australian home owner. It’s just how it’s been since the end of WW2.

That’s why we had the McMansion trend in the naughties and why we have the poor performing, cookie cutter, design for cost trend now……it’s just capitalism

Subbu · Jul 08, 2024 1:54 pm

Ashington Homes

Hi All,

I really need the collective wisdom of the forum please.

The time has come to make some changes to our business and take it to the next level.

A big part of this is finding an affordable innovative design team for our new builds.

Just wondering if anyone has any good recommendations. I have tried googling and calling a few companies, but word of mouth recommendations are generally the best way to go.

Many thanks in advance

Simeon

If you are looking for an interior designer, I can recommend the one, who did my home. Her taste is expensive - should be ok for north shore budget.
External architecture was done by a friend of friend for a very good price (unsure whether it was just for me). I can do the inroductions and you will have to do your due diligence. Please PM me if you need the companies' names or I can ask them to contact you.
Cheers

Ashington Homes · Jul 09, 2024 3:57 am

Subbu

Ashington Homes

Hi All,

I really need the collective wisdom of the forum please.

The time has come to make some changes to our business and take it to the next level.

A big part of this is finding an affordable innovative design team for our new builds.

Just wondering if anyone has any good recommendations. I have tried googling and calling a few companies, but word of mouth recommendations are generally the best way to go.

Many thanks in advance

Simeon

If you are looking for an interior designer, I can recommend the one, who did my home. Her taste is expensive - should be ok for north shore budget.
External architecture was done by a friend of friend for a very good price (unsure whether it was just for me). I can do the inroductions and you will have to do your due diligence. Please PM me if you need the companies' names or I can ask them to contact you.
Cheers

Thanks Subbu

I managed to find an amazing designer who has been a game changer for us. I wish I had started this search a while ago.

Also expanding our business we are experimenting with a couple of interior design girls but I will PM you as we can always use more resources

Thanks again

Simeon

suku18 · Jul 10, 2024 9:07 am

Ashington Homes

Subbu

Ashington Homes

Hi All,

I really need the collective wisdom of the forum please.

The time has come to make some changes to our business and take it to the next level.

A big part of this is finding an affordable innovative design team for our new builds.

Just wondering if anyone has any good recommendations. I have tried googling and calling a few companies, but word of mouth recommendations are generally the best way to go.

Many thanks in advance

Simeon

If you are looking for an interior designer, I can recommend the one, who did my home. Her taste is expensive - should be ok for north shore budget.
External architecture was done by a friend of friend for a very good price (unsure whether it was just for me). I can do the inroductions and you will have to do your due diligence. Please PM me if you need the companies' names or I can ask them to contact you.
Cheers

Thanks Subbu

I managed to find an amazing designer who has been a game changer for us. I wish I had started this search a while ago.

Also expanding our business we are experimenting with a couple of interior design girls but I will PM you as we can always use more resources

Thanks again

Simeon

Hello Simeon,
Finding a good designer who actually listens to what you envision for your home and delivers is actually pretty hard. I have seen most of the designers will try to force their ideas on you if your dreams are too tedious for them to put on paper.

Would love it if you could share your designer details , as we are looking to start work on another site soon.

Thanks

Ashington Homes · Jul 10, 2024 3:31 pm

Suku18

We are using Alaa from Architecture insight at Merrylands Ph 0490 542 179.

He is absolutely amazing ( so much better than my last one). My clients in the forum will know what I am talking about.

He is so responsive, knowledgable and easy to work with,

I often get people contact me asking what they can do with their site, ie is it a duplex site or what are my setbacks, how much GFA can I fit if we go DA v CDC etc and within 24 hours I can normally get a comprehensive summary that I can give to people.

We are doing our first CDC with him now and I have 3 others in the early design phase.

He has a really good insta page if you want to check out his work.

Cheers

Simeon

suku18 · Jul 10, 2024 3:48 pm

Thanks Simeon,
Any idea they would venture into Canberra and have knowledge of Canberra building rules.

Thanks

Ashington Homes · Jul 10, 2024 5:15 pm

suku18

Thanks Simeon,
Any idea they would venture into Canberra and have knowledge of Canberra building rules.

Thanks

I shall ask for you

suku18 · Jul 10, 2024 6:36 pm

Ashington Homes

suku18

Thanks Simeon,
Any idea they would venture into Canberra and have knowledge of Canberra building rules.

Thanks

I shall ask for you

Hey Simeon,

All good. I had a chat with him. Have sent him the details to look at.

Thanks for your recommendation

Infinite-Justice · Jul 11, 2024 9:37 am

Ashington Homes

suku18

Thanks Simeon,
Any idea they would venture into Canberra and have knowledge of Canberra building rules.

Thanks

I shall ask for you

Would you mind elaborating why the last one is no longer a fit for the business? PM if you prefer. Much appreciated.

Interior design + full furnishing with furniture from Guangdong seems popular and something that might be worth looking into for customers wanting a full ready to move in package without the headache of furniture shopping/matching.

Ashington Homes · Jul 15, 2024 4:49 am

Infinite-justice

Thanks for the question.

I try and bring 100% transparency to this forum, and I had been avoiding saying anything negative about my previous designer publicly as I wish no harm to them, as over the years they have done some wonderful things for us. But seeing as you asked;

In summary 3 things

1. Customer service
2. The quality of their drawings
3. Price.

Whilst over the years they have done some great things, unfortunately they have also been awful at times, and it has now become a lottery for our clients as to which level of service they are going to get. ie the amazing company who does fantastic designs in a short period of time or a company who ignores calls and emails and puts projects on hold for months at a time because of errors in documentation.

The inconsistency between them being great and smashing out plans and approvals on some projects to those where they produce nothing and fail to communicate and when you email, text or call on the slow projects we either get ignored or stonewalled or treated like we are imposing on their time and a being nuisance is astonishing.

They have also been making significant mistakes in recent times on some plans and they take absolutely no accountability. We had several projects go on hold for extended periods in the last 12 months because of these errors.

But then on the other hand they managed to find design solutions to really tricky problems on other projects.

The only way I can describe it is like being in a relationship with someone who has bipolar. There are massively happy and wonderful times when your partner is on a high and then when they come down it is complete hell.

And then the final nail in the coffin was that they significantly increased their prices on us a few months ago by roughly 50% and yet are offering one off new clients the old prices.

A lot of my customers are in this forum so they will understand what I am saying.

We offer new clients the opportunity to speak to our current or previous clients as a reference to make sure we are a good fit for each other, and the main negative feedback that I was getting was all about design. There are other parts of the business we are constantly working on as well but this was the main one.

So yeah, we now have a new designer who is so far very good, although his engineer is trying to put OSD's in my projects and I need to retrain him. So not all perfect but so far the price and customer service are far better.

Have a great week

Simeon

Infinite-Justice · Jul 15, 2024 2:50 pm

Ashington Homes

Infinite-justice

Thanks for the question.

I try and bring 100% transparency to this forum, and I had been avoiding saying anything negative about my previous designer publicly as I wish no harm to them, as over the years they have done some wonderful things for us. But seeing as you asked;

In summary 3 things

1. Customer service
2. The quality of their drawings
3. Price.

Whilst over the years they have done some great things, unfortunately they have also been awful at times, and it has now become a lottery for our clients as to which level of service they are going to get. ie the amazing company who does fantastic designs in a short period of time or a company who ignores calls and emails and puts projects on hold for months at a time because of errors in documentation.

The inconsistency between them being great and smashing out plans and approvals on some projects to those where they produce nothing and fail to communicate and when you email, text or call on the slow projects we either get ignored or stonewalled or treated like we are imposing on their time and a being nuisance is astonishing.

They have also been making significant mistakes in recent times on some plans and they take absolutely no accountability. We had several projects go on hold for extended periods in the last 12 months because of these errors.

But then on the other hand they managed to find design solutions to really tricky problems on other projects.

The only way I can describe it is like being in a relationship with someone who has bipolar. There are massively happy and wonderful times when your partner is on a high and then when they come down it is complete hell.

And then the final nail in the coffin was that they significantly increased their prices on us a few months ago by roughly 50% and yet are offering one off new clients the old prices.

A lot of my customers are in this forum so they will understand what I am saying.

We offer new clients the opportunity to speak to our current or previous clients as a reference to make sure we are a good fit for each other, and the main negative feedback that I was getting was all about design. There are other parts of the business we are constantly working on as well but this was the main one.

So yeah, we now have a new designer who is so far very good, although his engineer is trying to put OSD's in my projects and I need to retrain him. So not all perfect but so far the price and customer service are far better.

Have a great week

Simeon

Thanks for the insight. Pretty surprised that anyone would do this to a regular customer. They are probably in a comfort zone with you for too long.

Good of you always trying to find better and more competitively priced suppliers for your customers though, rather than descending to a lower level and joining them in ripping off what is likely to be your one off customers.