East Croydon Cool talks…is a blog series that explores topics of cultural interest via local area experts. The Pandemic might be (broadly speaking) over, but it continues to have an impact on the way we live our lives – from work and relationships to socialising and where we live.
Spending more time at home has led many people to thinking about renovating and redesigning their houses. As Living etc explains “how we want to spend time in our homes has changed – what their purpose is has shifted, and this has affected every decision we’re making about decor”. Homes and Gardens notes that people now “want to embrace health and wellbeing in the home” while Vogue adds “design trends are now focused on making us feel emotionally at ease”.
Hybrid working has created a huge demand for more office space and a clearer division of areas in the home. The love for open plan has been replaced by a desire for separated spaces. Being confined to the house for so long, has also allowed people to look at their garden (or any outdoor space!) in a new way – and create something that works day to day (rather than that one week of sunshine a year!)
With all this in mind, we spoke with Tony Sinclair and Shanie Ryan, the founders of His and Hers Renovations and Interiors, to find out more about home design trends and what services they offer for those looking to update their surroundings…
Hi Shanie & Tony, first off, tell us a bit more about your background!
As a business, things have grown very organically for us. His & Hers Renovations & Interiors was founded after we fell in love with renovation & design whilst renovating our own first home. After buying our first design and renovation project, we transformed the space from a damp, dingy and unloved one bedroom flat into a contemporary luxury two-bedroom flat that we still own today. We did a large amount of the work ourselves, only enlisting expert builders & specialist installers when absolutely necessary. It was an emotional rollercoaster at times, but after seeing the overwhelmingly positive reactions to the finished project (and realising that we had a keen eye for design, solid practical skills and the passion and attention to detail needed to produce high end finishes on a modest budget) we were keen to do it all over again!
We also discovered we had a talent for sourcing properties as well as the ability to make design decisions that help add value. We added £133,000 to our first investment property in a matter of months, so we knew that we had something special to offer! This spurred us on to buy another design and build project for ourselves, this time a Buy-to-Let opportunity. The resulting valuation achieved a healthy 5.2% rental yield and so we caught the attention of other investors wishing to add to their property portfolios.
Finally, after posting images of our work on social media, we were asked to take on Interior decorating commissions for clients who didn’t have the large budgets needed to hire Knightsbridge based Interior designers, but still wanted a luxury feel to their home. This is how His & Hers Renovations & Interiors found its niche. We now handle high end commissions for those with larger budgets alongside the smaller projects that our core business was founded on.
What are the main services you offer?
Our Property Finding service can be used to find the perfect property to serve you as a fantastic investment – whether that’s as your home to live in or for your buy to let portfolio.
Our Project Management service will help you create your dream space. We help coordinate with your chosen architect, organise the building team, source materials, manage budgets, deliver on-site project management and then hand you over a property with a premium finish suitable for your residential, buy to let or resale needs. This service is perfect if the prospect of renovating a property seems overwhelming when added to the daily stress of work, family and household commitments. Unlike most project managers, we commit to give your project our full attention – we make regular site visits, look over every detail of the renovation and give you updates as often as you request. We have a hands-on approach with a handpicked team of builders and tradespeople to ensure only the highest quality finishes are delivered and most importantly we are here to absorb the stress of renovation so that you don’t have too. Our aim is “never to bring you a problem, only ever the solution”
Finally, we have our Interior Design service. This is where we work with you to create a space you love coming home to, a space that you’re proud to show off, and (most importantly!) a space that works for your household. As an extension to this we are excited to announce that we have recently launched our new Joinery service. Having designed and installed many bespoke alcove units, wardrobes, window seats and wall panelling projects, it makes sense to now offer this to everyone (not just our interior design clients).
Tell us more about the Joinery service – what does that involve?
Joinery is essentially bespoke woodwork. By working with us on your joinery project you get the benefits of our interior designer, our skilled tradesmen and our incredible five star rated decorating team all in one place. We can build wardrobes, window seats, storage solutions, decorative wall panelling, media units and plenty more.
We provide a consultation to discuss your joinery aspirations and to understand how you will be using the space to suit your lifestyle. We then present the concept sketches (we can provide floor plans illustrating the proposed joinery layout if needed) and a mood board presentation containing samples of the proposed paint and hardware finishes as well as inspiration imagery of suggested joinery concepts.
What have been the main design/interior trends you’ve noticed since the pandemic?
Decorative wall panelling has definitely made a huge comeback. We used to only have clients requesting it in hallways and boot rooms, but now people are putting it everywhere from bedrooms to WC’s. Another big trend is of course the home office / study. A lot of clients are focusing on library style built in storage, or finding little unused corners for simple, small built-in desks.
What are your top tips for creating an office space within the home?
Our biggest tip when trying to add an office space at home is to make spare rooms multi-functional. A client recently wanted a home office for her new job (that required her to work from home) but her spare room was also the guest bedroom where her parents stayed once a week. We essentially split the room into two. We created a large library style built in storage wall for all of her work books and paperwork, but we incorporated a hidden wardrobe for her parents’ belongings when they stayed over. We added wood panelling to give it a traditional study style, but then painted it a nice green colour that felt more appropriate for a bedroom to give it a guest room feel. We ordered a small sofa bed that worked as comfortable seating for zoom meetings but it also pulled out into a comfortable bed for her parents. Finally, we built in a desk that also doubles up as a dressing table. Everything in the room has multi-use and the room works perfectly as both a study and a bedroom. People tend to forget that rooms can have more than one purpose.
How can people make better use of their outdoor space?
Zoning the space is a great idea – an area for sitting and relaxing with comfortable sofa style seating or sun loungers, another corner for outside dining with the BBQ, table and chairs (these usually do well to be allocated close to the house for convenience however, if you have a gorgeous sun trap at the end of the garden, you might want your sitting area there instead). Then, allocate an area for children to play and for their toys (a back corner away from dining and relaxation area is recommended as a football flying towards the BBQ, or your face when catching some rays isn’t helpful!) A good old garden shed is always an essential, you need somewhere to store away all the scooters and bikes seat cushions and lawn games at the end of a long day. A tidy garden will always be more inviting to enjoy than a messy one.
What can people do to create a more relaxing environment in their homes?
I love this question…. first up, it’s a simple one; declutter and spring clean! I’m a big believer in a messy home, equals a messy mind. Before we begin a renovation project, we will often encourage a client to purge. They will go through every single one of their belongings to decide if that item is really necessary or serving a purpose. Clients will then create ‘keep’, ‘donate’ and ‘dump’ piles. After this, we know what we need to find space or storage for when re-designing the space. A lot of people fill their homes with so much stuff that it becomes chaos to live amongst it and the environment stops being relaxing. We often help clients with this as a little add on service as it can be an overwhelming task for some. Our other tip for a relaxing environment is to think about the scents in your home. As a finishing touch to our design projects, we often assign a different scent to each room using reed diffusers. By giving each room a different smell, you will notice the aroma’s more and it will make the space more inviting by engaging the senses. I also love popping a candle on in the evening, and (in the winter) I would recommend having a soft cosy throw to hand for snuggles on the sofa. Finally, a big one for us is to bring the outside in. “Biophilic design” (the practice of reconnecting people and nature within the built environment) is a massive trend and it is here to stay. We witnessed first hand how incredible this type of design can be when we spent time travelling in Singapore. Greenery is everywhere in that country and is a way of life. An easy was to incorporate Biophilic design into your home is to fill your home with plants of different shapes and sizes. Make sure there is at least one plant in every room. In addition to purifying the air, plants help connect the inside of your home to the outside, add texture and colour, bring life into a room and create a calming atmosphere.
As design experts, what would you like to see more of in Croydon?
For us the high street is currently the biggest disappointment. When Westfield was due to develop the town centre, it seemed like Croydon’s prayers had been answered. We need something big to happen as more and more property is going up here but there aren’t the shopping, entertainment and job opportunities needed to compliment that. I would love to see Croydon thrive and flourish and be a pinnacle of Architectural design. There are some fantastic new buildings around the 02 area in Greenwich. Also in King’s Cross with Coal Drops Yard demonstrating how edgy Architectural design can improve an area. We love how the bars, restaurants, offices, outside spaces, co working spaces and shops incorporated into the space. We’d love to see that type of vibe in Croydon!
If you’re considering re-designing your home and are interested in interior design, joinery or other design services, take a look at the His & Hers Renovations & Interiors website or follow them on Instagram or Facebook.
Shanie and Tony are also offering a free, no-obligation, one-hour phone or video consultation (worth £250.00). Simply email design@hisandhersrenovationsandinteriors.com and quote ‘East Croydon Cool’ to book in.
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