For over five years, Nav has been an invaluable part of the team at our Preston showroom, assisting customers in designing their dream kitchens and bedrooms. She has made countless interior dreams come true and has been recognised for her efforts with two prestigious Wren ‘Golden Egg’ awards in 2021 and 2022.
We had the pleasure of sitting down with Nav to gain insight into her top tips for designing a kitchen and bedroom.
How long have you been designing kitchens and bedrooms?
I’ve been a designer with Wren for over 5 years and I’m currently based at the Preston branch. Initially, I was only designing kitchens and have worked across multiple showrooms, but since the launch of bedrooms in 2023, I now plan bedroom spaces as well. It’s great that we are able to help our customers with more areas of their home. There are so many fantastic products available, and we are constantly expanding our ranges with classics as well as ‘on-trend’ items.
Do you have a favourite part of the design process?
I love being able to bring a customer’s space to life based on their needs and requirements, making their kitchens and bedrooms practical yet aesthetically pleasing. Everyone uses their space in a different way, and I like to make sure a little bit of their personality can be expressed within the design.
I try to make the design process a fun experience for customers, where we work together to explore what can be achieved. Having a look around the showroom, gathering all the samples, and then getting to work to ensure all our customers leave happy, there’s always so much positive feedback when they are able to see the project on the 3D planner, where you can open and close the doors on the units to arrange what can be stored where – it’s almost like you are involved in how customers arrange their home. I also enjoy propping the kitchens on the 3D planner, changing the flooring and wall colours, adding in props to bring the design to life even further. The HD renders and panoramas are of great quality. The 3D tours which we have introduced this year are brilliant, as all our customers can see their dream kitchens and bedrooms in a video once the design has been completed, and they can show this off to their family and friends – not to forget virtual reality, which allows customers to see their project life size.
Book your free design appointment here.
Have you got a favourite kitchen and bedroom trend from this year?
That’s a difficult one – there are so many different products and I like all of them. The Milano style in kitchens will always remain a favourite, but I personally do love the traditional kitchens. I am loving the gold accents this year as they are so on-trend. In bedrooms, my favourite has to be the Shaker Classic 5-Panel. Colour choices I always leave to customers and base it on their preferences.
What is your personal interior style?
I have a white kitchen at home and my bedroom has a mixture of black and white furniture. I like to change feature walls regularly to change things up, so everything is quite neutral. My ideal interior style would be a country-style kitchen with some solid-surface worktops and definitely a hot-water tap.
You’ve worked on hundreds of designs over the years, but do you have a most memorable project?
There are hundreds! More recently, it would have to be Toni Duggan, who is a football player for Everton Women’s Football team. Toni and her partner were so lovely to work with and were very involved in the whole design process. Her kitchen is featured as a Wrenovation on the Wren website, as well. The project was made further special to me, as during her second appointment, Toni told me they had just found out they were having a baby. I was over the moon for them! In all honesty, most projects are special because everyone’s story is different. Some people are having extensions, some are moving into new homes, and some are just renovating their existing space. To think that you have helped create a part of their home is so rewarding and satisfying.
Click here to check out Toni Duggan’s Milano #Wrenovation!
How do you understand each customers wants and needs?
I ask lots of questions! I advise customers beforehand that I will be asking questions to gauge their lifestyle and how they use their spaces, and I’m not afraid to make suggestions that would benefit them. I always ask customers beforehand if they have any ideas already in terms of colour palettes or styles, and suggest products accordingly.
When it comes to kitchens, I ask them how many people are in the house, what appliances need to be factored into the layout, and how they use their kitchen – whether it is only practical for cooking or whether it is somewhere they entertain – and then suggest a layout based on their needs and wants. We have four different kitchen ranges and two bedroom ranges, catering for all investment levels, which may be difficult for someone to understand who is doing this for the first time. I tend to work with the customer to help them get their dream project.
What is the most challenging aspect when designing a kitchen?
Making sure all utilities can be accommodated for, such as boilers, gas meters, consumer units, and stop taps, planning access for these alongside appliances and storage can be challenging at times, but we have so many different cabinet sizes available that it’s very rare that I have to say, “I’m sorry, this cannot be achieved.”
We launched our much anticipated bedroom collection this year, what do you think will be the most popular bedroom trend going into 2024?
The bedroom range is incredible – the amount we have been able to launch within the space of a few months at such competitive prices is phenomenal. Only Wren could do this! I think the Georgian and Shaker styles will be the most popular. Olive Green with gold accents has been a very popular one for me, as well as Mushroom and Cashmere.
View our bedroom ranges here!
Lastly, do you have any design tips for those just starting a kitchen or bedroom #wrenovation?
Search the web and brochures. Gather ideas through the Wren website, Wren’s social media (Instagram, TikTok, etc.), see what styles appeal to you the most. There are so many real-life inspirational projects available to view. Think: colour palettes, storage, work surfaces, appliances, and not to forget investment levels, as we do offer some fantastic finance options too, allowing you to spread the cost of your project. Work with your Wren designer and tell them your vision, but go in with an open mind and prepare to be amazed. If you’re not sure about something or if something is a must – tell the designer – the more you tell us, the better, as we can help you as best as we can. We are here to help you plan your dream project.
Follow us on Instagram, Facebook and Twitter for constant trend updates, or check out our Pinterest for kitchen and bedroom inspiration.
If you’d like to start your #wrenovation journey, book a free home measure, or visit your local showroom to turn your interior dreams into reality!
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