Narrow Room Interior Design

• See photos of work

Customer reference for Taylored Interiors as told to pickapro by Kay and Sam Notkin from Sandymount on 11-Oct-2008

When was the work done?
July and August 2008.

What was involved?
There was a lot to be done. It's a living room cum kitchen. It involved putting in a whole new kitchen, new furniture, new doors, beautiful roman blinds, rugs, painting, everything.

Our place is an old mews house. It was a very long narrow room and the way Mary now has done it, it's brightened the whole room up and made it feel wider. I must say we're thrilled with it.

How did you choose Taylored Interiors?
I knew Mary from a golfing society and I knew that several years ago she had changed careers to interior design. I always liked her and I always said I'd see what she could do when I did this work. Mary is very impressive, she's very calm. Mary doesn't get excited, nothing is a problem.

Had you definite ideas in mind before you talked to Mary Taylor?
Well I had absolutely nothing new because I've been living in this house for about 25 years and really couldn't visualise anything different. I had changed the room myself with a new suite of furniture and new curtains but I decided I wanted more.

Did Mary introduce new ideas?
Absolutely, Mary has great ideas. What she did I certainly couldn't have done. She completely transformed the place.

I think it's very important to bring somebody else in and get their ideas. Also, because I didn't have time to look around at say, kitchen stuff or furniture, I didn't know what was on the market. Mary was able to show us what was there.

Having said that, she was very good at listening to what we wanted. My husband is very artistic so he was very involved in choosing the colours and samples.

How did the project run?
Mary is very meticulous and very thorough. First she took photos of what was there. She did her designs and came back to us. She even put in the design where every piece of furniture should go.

Mary brought everybody together - the painter, the guy who does the kitchen. She certainly has a very good team behind her that she can call on. If anything was done, she was in to see it and she'd come back again until she was satisfied. She knows what she's doing and they did what they were told! Mary keeps a firm hand on the job.

What was the biggest benefit to you of using Taylored Interiors?
For me total peace of mind, that I didn't have to chase after workmen. Mary came in and everything happened from there. I really didn't have to do anything.

Another big benefit was the Mary sourced everything. For larger items like furniture or rugs, she would source something, then she would take me a photograph of it and finally bring me to see it. She also brought so many samples for blinds and fabrics for myself and my husband to look at. Mary gave so much of her time to it.

I wanted it done right and I gave her the budget. I felt once it looked right, it was well worth it.

What's your favourite part now?
It's hard to say because the whole room is transformed. When I come into it now in the morning, I feel I'm in a different place. Everything is just brighter. It's a north facing room and it's hard to do anything with, Mary certainly got the most light you could get into it.

Would you recommend Taylored Interiors to others?
Absolutely, I would certainly recommend Mary, she really knows what she's doing. She's very thorough and very hands on. She did a smaller job for a friend of mine, and she's most impressed by her too.

Any tips for other people?
Yes. If they were like us and had lived in a place for so long, it's very difficult to see it with different eyes and it's very difficult to see how you're going to change it. Like I said, I think it's very important to bring somebody else in and get their ideas. Because I wasn't looking around at say kitchen stuff or furniture, I didn't know what was on the market. A designer can bring all this to you, first in catalogue form and show you what's there.