With over twenty years’ experience in the interior design industry, design consultancy director Lorna O’Toole knows a thing or two about making a house a home.
“A brand new house is a blank canvas for a buyer to stamp their own personality onto,” said Lorna, who designs the interior schemes for many new Bloor homes through her company Euphorium Design Consultancy based in Redditch.
“I always encourage my clients to be a bit different and choose furniture and schemes which really reflect who they are. I believe you should be able to walk into someone’s house and get a feel of who they are as a person from the way they choose to
present their home.
“I encourage clients who hire my design services to bring me items they truly love, so I get a sense of their personality and taste. I’m a big believer in finding alternatives to expensive designer items, whether that be by upcycling existing furniture or by hunting out quirky antique shop finds.
“I also encourage clients to take inspiration from their travels. For instance, years ago I went to Zanzibar and the colours and style I experienced there influence my designs to this day.”
Devising the interior design of a new showhome offers a different challenge as Lorna has to imagine the tastes of a prospective purchaser herself.
Lorna said: “Before I think about the interior design, I drive to the site to get a feel for the area and who might be interested in purchasing a home there. I then devise a projected buyer profile, including their name, hobbies, job and likes.
“From there we put together a mood board which we will give to Bloor Homes to get their feedback and perspective. After any tweaks, we design the entire interior scheme based on the buyer profile we have devised.”
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