Design competition winner – Pieve Interiors

Pieve Interiors is a high-end KBB retailer based in Paisley, just west of Glasgow, and has been supplying kitchens, bathrooms and bedrooms for 10 years. Set up by Joe Franchi, who comes from a family of builders, the company provides full installation and design services for all parts of the home. We caught up with Ashley Chapman on her design that won our competition on designing a kitchen that brings the outside in.

The brief was to create a space that felt both indoors and outdoors. By linking the furniture in each room, it created a feeling of the two rooms becoming one and bringing the outdoors in. The client wanted to create an ‘outdoorsy’ feel in the extension but still required shelter from the elements. This was achieved by incorporating large format bi-fold doors, floor to ceiling windows, natural stone flooring, skylights and a feature ‘living’ wall.

The living wall looks great, how did you achieve that look?

It took a bit of work but I was able to use a rugged texture from a rug and turn that green. I then laid that on the walls to give the looks of a ‘living’ wall. I then took a standard object – the flowerpot – and cut out the pot to add the flowers to the wall as well. This added a nice element of colour to bring the room and the wall to life.

How do you approach the design process?

It all starts with really getting to know the client and what they want in their kitchen. The more boxes you tick for them, the more likely you are to secure the job. It’s as simple as that.  It’s my job as a designer to design something as close to the brief as possible. Each individual client is different so it’s important to follow the brief when creating their designs.

From the first meeting, it’s about getting to know what materials they’re interested in using. This gives a big clue on their budget. If they’re interested in stone worktops and real wood cabinets, then they have a higher budget than someone looking at laminate etc. Getting to know their colour schemes is also important. If they’re not clear on that to begin with, then I start with light vs dark and then use samples from the showroom to build up that picture of what they like and what they don’t. Then the onsite survey brings it all together. Seeing their house and the way they have decorated gives a tip on the type of colours and taste they have. The onsite visit also gives vital information on layout restrictions, as well as how the house flows.

Timescales and budget are also very important. Right now, we’re really booked up following the lockdowns, as everyone has been looking to renovate, so knowing urgency is really important. Budget is also really important to know what materials and scope you have for the design, so being upfront on that is crucial.

How do you approach the presentation of the design?

Clients are really thrilled when they see the designs, which is a great feeling. I often include personal objects or even pets into the design to make it not just any kitchen but their kitchen that’s personal to them. This is really important, as that pulls the client in and builds the emotional bond with the design and us as a company. This is where having a really good render has a big part to play in getting the sale.

The customer will often want to see different colours or try different things. Colour is easy to change, as it takes a couple of minutes in Winner but it helps to save different alternatives. Quite often after making a number of changes they then decide they like it how it was, which is fine as can go back to the first alternative. However, I’ve had a few moments where I’ve not saved before making changes and had an emotional call to the customer support team!

When presenting, I like to walk them around the room in Winner. I prefer this over just showing the render, as it allows you to show each cabinet and aspect and how the design works in reality.

At the moment we’re selling at least 3 or 4 out of 5 kitchens and we’re booked up until next year now, so sales are going really well.

What do you like about Winner?

It’s really user-friendly. I’ve been using it for seven years, so know it really well but I find it really easy to use and to change anything, as I did with the ‘living’ wall. The photo-realistic images are obviously a big part of it, as that’s what gives that customer the feeling for the new design and helps sell the kitchen. Specifically, I really like being able to add in the sun position. Natural lighting is really important when showing how the materials and colours work, which is an important part of design in general.

Pricing is also really useful. I can see the price as I design, so I know if I’m hitting the budget constraints and I can also see my margin, which is really important to me. Setting up discounts in the pricing is great and makes a difference when selling the kitchen, as it will give a good impression to the customer that they’re getting a good deal.

What tips do you have on design?

Asking clients the right questions, such as the colour schemes, materials, timescales and budgets. Getting to know them and their likes and tastes are really important to creating a design that’s right for them. It can be easy to create a design you like but getting it right for them is what matters.

Have a pre-made checklist for yourself to use before you pitch your final design makes sure you get everything and don’t rush the design process, take your time. Mistakes tend to happen when you’re going too fast!