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"Book a Consultation" is the button on nearly every page of our site, and it's usually the first thing a prospective client actually clicks — often before they've decided whether they even want a full renovation. That's fine. It's meant to be a low-commitment first step. But I've noticed people hesitate right before clicking it, usually because they don't actually know what happens next, or whether it's going to cost them anything. It's a fair thing to want cleared up before you hand over your contact details, so here's the honest walkthrough.
Two things called "consultation" — and they're not the same
This is the part that causes the most confusion, so let's separate it clearly. We offer two different things that both get called a "consultation":
The discovery consultation is free, and it's the standard first step for anyone considering a full project with us — a renovation, a new-build fit-out, a full design-and-styling engagement. There's no obligation attached, and no pressure to sign anything at the end of it.
The design consultation is a separate, paid service, aimed at homeowners who want expert design direction or floor plan advice but plan to manage the actual build themselves — you're not hiring us to run the project, just to point it in the right direction. If that's closer to what you're after, our Estimate page has it listed as its own scope option, separate from a full renovation.
If you're not sure which one fits you yet, start with the free discovery consultation — that conversation itself will usually make it obvious which path makes sense.
What actually happens in a discovery consultation
We walk the space if it's an existing property, or review your floor plan if it isn't built or accessible yet. From there it's a conversation, not a pitch: your budget range, your timeline, and — the part we spend the most time on — how you actually live in the space day to day. Storage habits, who uses which room and when, whether you work from home, whether humidity or heat is a recurring problem in your current place. Good design starts from how a space gets used, not from how it photographs, so this is genuinely the most useful part of the whole conversation for us, not a formality before we show you a mood board.
Nothing gets signed at this stage. You walk away with a clearer sense of scope, a realistic ballpark, and — if it makes sense to go further — an outline of what a concept and proposal would involve. If you'd like a rough number before you even book the call, our instant estimate calculator gives you a preliminary range going in, though your exact price only gets documented once we've actually scoped your project together.
Worth bringing, if you have it: a floor plan or unit layout, a rough budget range in mind, and photos of anything you're already drawn to or actively trying to avoid. None of it is required — plenty of people show up with nothing but a general sense that their current space isn't working for them, and that's a perfectly fine place to start.
What actually happens in a paid design consultation
This one is narrower by design. You're paying for our design judgment — layout advice, material and finish direction, a floor plan you can hand to your own contractor — not for us to manage or execute the build. It suits homeowners who are confident running the construction side themselves but want a second, expert opinion on the design before they commit to a layout.
Because this is a standalone paid service rather than the first step of a larger engagement, the exact scope and fee get confirmed directly with us before booking — we'd rather tell you a real number in conversation than publish a figure online that doesn't account for your specific space. Get in touch and we can tell you what it looks like for your project.
What happens after
If a discovery consultation leads somewhere, the next stage is a concept and proposal — mood boards, layout options, and an itemised quote, still nothing signed. Nothing beyond that point starts without a written contract covering scope, materials, and timeline; we've written about what a proper contract should actually contain in what should actually be in your interior design contract, which is worth a read regardless of who you end up working with.
How soon you'll hear back
We typically reply within 1–2 business days of a consultation request. If it's been longer than that and you haven't heard from us, something's gone wrong on our end — follow up, don't assume you fell through the cracks.
Closing
The short version: the first conversation is free, there's no pressure attached to it, and its whole purpose is to figure out — together — whether a fuller engagement even makes sense for your space. If you've got a project in mind, book a consultation and we'll take it from there.