create your
perfect environment
Frequently when we engage on a new project, it can involve a form of renovation or retrofit, which often will require the expertise and consultancy of an interior designer. When the need is there, Mayflower can call upon the services of highly sought-after interior.
designers to make certain that the design and installation
perfectly matches the aesthetic of the property, whether
it is a new build or a listed building.
briefing
The initial client briefing is all about discussing your desires and needs when it comes to the form and function of your home, as well as the desired outcomes of the project. Interior design can be an intensely personal journey, and getting to know and understand your motivations will lead to better design decisions.
Listening to and understanding our clients is vital to the success of any of our projects at Mayflower London Interiors, whether its interior design or something such as a bespoke AV design and installation. At the initial meeting we discuss the client’s needs, personal tastes and how they could work within the project space, in order to fully ascertain a clear view of their hopes and aspirations for the project space or property. We then use this information to tailor the interior design to create a finish that is unique to the client and suits the space or property perfectly.
Here we ask you the relevant questions that explore how you envision the look and feel of the finished project. The initial briefing helps our team to jumpstart their creative juices and how our team can translate your desires into the perfect concept for you and your family.
It is important to remember that the ideas discussed during the initial client briefing are not set in stone. It may just be to provide a general understanding of what you as the client wants. All the ideas that we brainstorm together at this stage are further refined during the next phase of the project cycle, the conceptual design development stage.
A nominal design fee is agreed at this stage in order for Mayflower London Interiors to produce technical drawings and rendered designs that are to be presented to the client at the next stage.
design
Mayflower London Interiors works with homeowners, developers, investors and businesses alike to produce stunning interiors on time and on budget. Previous interior design commissions have ranged from exclusive inner city apartments to stylish country retreats and listed buildings; from showhomes and restaurants to offices and hotels. Interior designs are put together to fit the client’s tastes and desires within the chosen budget.
During the conceptual design development phase, our team will draw additional inspiration from previous projects and find interior design concepts that are relevant to the aspirations you have for your home. Remember that the conceptual design development phase is not about assembling all the pieces. It’s about finding the right features, products, finishes, furniture, colours, tones and moods that we think will meet your needs.
Finding the right ideas that are feasible and worth pursuing is often no easy task. However, creating things like a mood board will help our team to narrow down the styles, themes, and features that stand out as being suitable options for the choices as set out by you in the initial brief.
At Mayflower London Interiors, we apply the elements and principles of design theory and apply it to the client’s chosen purpose and design specifications, resulting in unique and effective interior design solutions that combine form and function seamlessly to satisfy your every desire. Where necessary, our design team can draw inspiration from well known or popular interior design styles.
A design for each room is presented showing options for colour schemes, furniture pieces, lighting specification, floor finishes, fabric palettes, as well as potential room layouts. Photo-realistic CGIs are used along with any drawings or renders, as appropriate and where requested, to help the client visualise the potential scheme.
Following the initial presentation, schemes are revised where necessary, until the client is completely satisfied with the results.
Supply (FF&E and OS&E)
Anything that Mayflower London Interiors designs such as kitchens, bathrooms, dressing rooms or even libraries, we have our own longstanding suppliers. For things such as curtains and upholstery, we can offer an end to end soft furnishing, upholstery and curtain-making service, as well as any furniture, joinery or rug design, sourcing beautiful handcrafted rugs made from whatever material is desired. Whatever we design and supply we make sure that it always suits the client and the property perfectly.
FF&E (Fixtures, Fittings, and Equipment) is the frequently used industry and contractual term that much of the global design / procurement industry works with to categorise any movable, non-fixed furnishing products that are specified for an interior design project. The longer, more detailed answer is a little more complicated, and considers the classification of FF&E within a building contract or even a business accounts system. In summary, an FF&E budget covers any and all of the items that go into an interior design project that are not part of the structure of the building.
FF&E refers to the products that Interior Designers specify to furnish and equip the interiors including sofas, chairs, tables, beds, headboards, decorative lights, curtains, spa furniture & equipment, office desks, accessories, etc along with items such as specialist joinery, bedroom case goods, public area shopfit and not forgetting lighting, appliances, audio-visual & IT kit.
The journey starts with Mayflower’s pool of FF&E designers that are regular contractors on projects we take on, but doesn’t just end with the final selection of the required products. Once all the agreed upon products have been approved and scheduled, the project Design Team passes the product specifications to the designated FF&E Procurement Team who get on with the business of pricing, negotiating, purchasing and delivering all the products on-site, on budget, and according to the scheduling programme.
The same could be said of OS&E (Operating Supplies and Equipment), although typically OS&E are products that do not need to be installed. So, when Mayflower London takes on a luxury home or hotel/hospitality project, commercial or a large residential project, OS&E can include items such as towels, bed linen, crockery and glassware, irons and hairdryers etc.. Where applicable, it can also include products and items that housekeepers or staff use, such as uniforms, housekeeping equipment, or office supplies.
So whether it’s fabrics and wall coverings or accessories and floor finishes, our procurement team sources and supplies any required materials, products, fabrics, wallpapers, furniture, accessories, floor coverings, or any other relevant FF&E or OS&E components for the scheme.
construction & fitout
Mayflower London offers a full architectural and project management service on build projects across Greater London, the UK and internationally. We have teams of architects, interior designers, builders and any required contractors that we regularly work with, from the initial concept to the finished solution. Should the client want to work with their own preferred contractors and professionals, we are always more than happy to work alongside them.
Our attention to detail ensures a smooth experience for our clients over the course of the project and a high quality finish, whether it’s a simple AV installation, cabling, or a complete property refit. Our project management fee is charged either by the hour or as a percentage of the build cost on a case by case basis, often whichever is most convenient for the client and his preferences.
consultation
Some clients prefer to manage their own designs and just need guidance and advice. Mayflower offers a consultation style based on the classic RIBA methodology, ensuring that the client has all the information, know-how, and selection of contractors that they require to make their project a reality.
We have a near unrivalled access to the finest talents in design and architecture as well as some of the most experienced contractors in the country, so no matter what stage of a project a client requires consultation for, whether initial briefing stage, supply of contractors, FF&E, OS&E, or even just for installation and potential aftercare requirements, the team at Mayflower London have the necessary breadth of experience and network of architects, designers and contractors to provide our clients with options and opinions on their project, whether private residential, commercial, or government specific.
personal shopping
Mayflower London offers a personal shopping service to accompany clients on visits to showrooms, art galleries, antiques dealers and product fairs. We often work with art dealers and can acquire art, antiques, and bespoke products of all kinds on behalf of the client.
Our dedicated personal shopper will start a conversation with you the client so we can really understand exactly what you’re looking for, your life and lifestyle, the ‘must-haves’ and the ‘avoid-at-all-costs’, having agreed on a rough budget. If you’re looking to enhance your property aesthetic, we can offer dedicated services through services like colour, space and material analysis, as well as comprehensive project/property design consultation.
We know that for many people shopping can feel like hard work: wandering around not knowing at all what to choose and picking up some random stuff, or even going home with a selection of wrong things or nothing at all. Spend a day or even a few hours with our personal shopper and you’ll see shopping in a whole new light.
Our personal shopper will use their flair for style and an acclaimed eye for detail to help you choose whatever products and furnishings that will make your property or room look and feel great, leaving you feeling confident about what to buy, where to buy it and how it will improve the look and feel of your project.
Step by Step Process
Mayflower understands what it takes to not only optimise your home’s automation or design with elegance, but also what it takes to make the process as stress-free and involving for the client as possible. During the entire project process, Mayflower will work closely with our or your chosen contractors (for example: builders, electricians, architects, interior designers) to facilitate and ensure smooth running throughout the process until the project’s completion.
1. An initial free consultation with the client allows us to get a feel for any specific, individual requirements. This could include meeting our automation experts, lighting designers, our Audio Visual consultants, or even our interior designers.
2. We’ll then put a proposal together for you with our recommendations and ideas. This is often carried out whilst we work from a set of your architectural plans, which enables us to propose suitable solutions for the size and location of particular rooms.
3. Once our proposal meets your requirements in terms of functionality and budget, we’ll get to work on implementing our designs, with AV cabling designs and an accompanying cabling schedule along with any necessary architectural changes, all of which will be the backbone of your future-proofed infrastructure once realised.
4. Mayflower London will then make continuity tests on all cables to confirm their integrity and make sure that they are free from damage. After testing and labelling all the cables at the head-end, our engineers will start to second fix cable terminations at both the head-end and in-room socket locations.
5. Our first fix cabling infrastructure can then be installed by our qualified electricians, or alternatively by your on-site electricians – whatever suits you best. Either way, Mayflower’s project management throughout will ensure cables are run correctly so as to offer optimised efficiency and effectiveness.
6. The next stage for us is to start installing your chosen FF&E / OS&E once the site is dust free. In addition, our in-house programmers are always on hand for any automation control particulars.
7. Our installed systems are then commissioned for sign-off and we’ll give you handover training sessions, as required.
8. Once all of the above has been completed, Mayflower London’s exemplary post installation after-care and maintenance service begins.