As we move back into our offices and workplaces this year, there is a need, a desire for change – a step up to the comfort, the quality that is Wills Bisgrove. Whether it’s professional rooms or simply your home, there’s never been a better time to refresh and renew and the right place to start is the Wills Bisgrove Collection.
Last year with time spent at home we achieved a new perspective. Our living areas became far more important. The truth is that when you are busy 24/7 commuting, picking up kids, cooking, going out to restaurants and cafes, it’s a very different world. The saying “Your home is your castle” took on a new meaning. And now it’s the right time to refresh the castle. Again, start with the Wills Bisgrove Collection. Steeped in tradition Wills Bisgrove furniture is hand-built and hand crafted, designed to be both elegant and stylish yet last for a generation or more.
The Wills Bisgrove furniture story is over 80 years in the making. The Wills Bisgrove Furniture Studio and Workshop maintains traditional methods of upholstery and frame making, ensuring a more durable end product – sofas, armchairs, occasional chairs, ottomans and dining chairs. All Wills Bisgrove Furniture is of the highest quality, guaranteed for a lifetime of luxury and comfort.
The Wills Bisgrove Collection offers the very latest in fabrics, leathers and accessories.
Pictured below is a beautiful Columbia Wing Chair created for Newham Interiors. The client resides at Red Hill on the Mornington Peninsula. The fabric selected is from Mokum in a vintage velvet, colour ‘Lapis’.
Following traditional upholstery methods, Wills Bisgrove chair and sofa frames are made from Australian hardwood timbers, blocked and dowelled for strength and rigidity. Sink into the luxuriant feel of the unique cushion inserts, which are a blend of feather fibre casing covering a combination of memory foam core. Any fabric or leather of your choosing will be used to cover your selected design and style. Let’s take a quick tour of some of our more popular selections.
Classic club arm designed sofa with T shaped front cushion. Traditional hand sprung seating, and Australian hardwood timber framing. For a contemporary look choose polished timber block feet or for a more classic design choose the fully lined tailored valance.
Scoop scroll arm with large hand studding detail, polished, tapered timber legs with bronze castors. Upholstered in leather, this style is the ideal sofa for a cigar room (whilst enjoying cognac or playing billiards).
Traditional diamond buttoning creates comfort in this chesterfield styled sofa. The merry widow design large, splayed out scroll arms with inset piping detail creates a classic, handsome look. This sofa can be finished with chunky timber legs and piano sized castors or tailored skirts.
A perfect family room sofa with its chunky scroll arms and full roll back. Solid, highly polished hardwood timber feet complete this low maintenance sofa. Comfort is assured with the sumptuous feather fibre back cushions. It can be covered in chenille for warmth or a light linen finish for the beach house.
Any of these sofas can be customised to the sizing required, Wills Furniture are only too happy to make modifications to suit your seating requirements. All sofas in the range are available as two seaters with two legs or three seaters with three legs and are also available as armchairs.
Please call 03 9815 0111 and book an appointment now for a thorough consultation on all your upholstered furniture requirements. Or email us at willsfurniture@bigpond.com and one of our staff members will promptly get back to you.
Our showrooms are located at 1346 Toorak Road, Camberwell. You are welcome to visit and inspect but please call first and make an appointment.
Select Wills Bisgrove Furniture – it’s simply the best
At Wills Bisgrove Furniture each individual piece of furniture has been crafted to exacting standards. For over 80 years the Wills Bisgrove team has operated using the same tried and true methodologies. Master Craftsmen, skilled Artisans create simply stunning upholstered furniture. Timeless beauty – the mark of Wills Bisgrove.
In recent times a number of large furniture retailers have made claims to offering for sale ‘handcrafted’ furniture. It would be interesting to investigate the veracity of such claims. A glance, even with an untrained eye will immediately notice that this simply isn’t true. Manufacturers, both local and offshore are known to ‘cut corners’. The phrase originated where tailors and upholsterers gave ‘short’ measure of cloth/fabric to save money. At Wills Bisgrove Furniture you can be entirely confident that our skilled artisans and tradesmen genuinely hand craft all furniture in the traditional manner to produce the very best in superb Traditional and Contemporary Furniture – sofas, armchairs, tub chairs, dining chairs and ottomans.
Where others now use robotics and mechanisation, we used skilled artisans plying the time honoured trade they have been passed down through generations. Each component follows rigid quality specifications and manufacturing processes.
Cushions
Cushions are offered with a range of fillings as standard offerings – feather and foam, premium foam and dacron (seating cushions) and holifil/dacron for firmer back cushions.
Optional choices include ‘Luxury Foam’, Enduro Foam, Spring Cells and Feather combinations.
Coil Springs and Contemporary Springing
All Wills Bisgrove Furniture designs include fully hand tied coil spring construction for extra comfort and durability. This includes the ‘front edge’ of a sofa or chair importantly. However if required the option of contemporary springing remains a selection option.
Frames and Finishing
All Wills Bisgrove Furniture Frames are made from high quality, kiln dried hardwood, corner blocked for rigidity and strength.
Wills Bisgrove offers a range of polishes and finishes. select a colour, provide a sample and our experienced Polishers will match it. Painted finishing and antique style polishing is also available on quotation.
Wills Bisgrove offers a range of studding. For Designers and Decorators this choice provides a great selection.
Close up of upholsterer applying studding to traditional furniture
And the same wealth of choice applies to castors available in 4 finishes – Chrome, Brass, Antique Brass and Antique Bronze.
See our website for complete details on the options and choices available.
Nearly all furniture in our Wills Bisgrove Collection is able to be modified to meet specific design requirements of Interior Designers and Decorators.
Wills Bisgrove Furniture carries a lifetime guarantee on all items manufactured. Quality is always delivered at the very highest of standards.
Call now on 03 9815 0111 and arrange a viewing of the Wills Collection at our Showrooms located at 1346 Toorak Road, Camberwell or email us at willsfurniture@bigpond.com and one of our staff will contact you to arrange a visit or quotation.
For Interior Designers and Decorators, the ability to make the absolute best decision in terms of colour schemes, layouts and texture is dependent on access to a comprehensive range of first class fabric and leathers. It is the imperative when having selected an exclusive Wills Bisgrove design in either Classic or Contemporary Upholstered Furniture, a Designer then has the choice available of the very best in both current and traditional fabrics to dress selected furniture as desired. At Wills Bisgrove Furniture we offer an extensive range of exquisite fabrics and leathers from the world’s leading suppliers.
The key to ensuring a simply stunning, beautiful interior design is to enjoy the freedom of selecting the fabrics, colours, fine leathers and accessories required. When choosing your upholstered furniture, take the time to browse the Wills Bisgrove Collection and select the style, the design that you desire from our extensive catalogue of both classic and contemporary upholstered furniture. Your Interior Designer can then spend time with our team of Artisans to ensure your Bespoke designs are faithfully crafted by the Wills Bisgrove team, meeting and exceeding your expectations.
When choosing premium handcrafted, hand-built furniture, you and your designer can select from the fabrics and leathers available through Wills Bisgrove from Australia’s and the world’s leading suppliers.
So let’s discuss fabrics. Interior Designers consider a number of factors when determining the right fabric to suit your selection from our exclusive Wills Bisgrove Collection.
Houzz imageHouzz image Houzz image
For a designer its often somewhat imperious to select a delicate silk or a pure white linen. However good designers realise their clients must live with the fabric selected and it may be the fabric is determined by the potential use of the furniture, its location and the degree of traffic a room may experience. Often choosing an easy to maintain fabric can be a better long term choice.
Warwick FabricsWarwick FabricsWarwick Fabrics
Here is a list of fabrics, both Natural and Synthetic reprinted from the Houzz.com.au website. It is a useful guide and at Wills Bisgrove Furniture we consider it reasonably accurate and useful.
Cotton is durable and resistant to wear and fading, but not as resistant to dirt and wrinkling. Cotton can go from casual to formal depending on the weave.
Cotton blends are slightly more durable than cotton due to the mix of additional fibres.
Leather is durable and functional. It wears well and gets better with age.
Linen is resistant to pilling and fading. It provides a crisp and casual look to furniture. However, it wrinkles and shows dirt easily.
Silk is elegant and adds a sophisticated and formal touch to furniture. Due to its delicacy, it’s best for light use and requires professional cleaning.
Wool blends with synthetic fibre for easier maintenance. It’s durable while also being resistant to pilling, fading, wrinkling and soil.
Acetate is developed as imitation silk, and is resistant to pilling and shrinking; however, it doesn’t hold up well for everyday use due to its tendency to wear, wrinkle and fade in the sun.
Acrylic is developed as imitation wool and may pill easily if not of high quality. However, it’s softer than natural wool, and is resistant to wear, wrinkling, dirt and fading.
Microfibre fabric is made from polyester fibres, is similar to suede, and easy to maintain.
Nylon is often blended with other fibres, creating a durable fabric that won’t wrinkle or soil but may fade and pill.
Polyester is usually found in a blend with other fibres, and is resistant to wrinkling and fading.
Rayon, though prone to wrinkling, is durable and affordable.
Vinyl is durable and a more affordable option compared to leather.
A clever designer will select fabric that not only looks superb but also wears well, is easy to maintain yet synchronises well with the style of the furniture and the decor and feel of the room you have selected.
Houzz advises:
Neutral tones and floral prints work well in a traditional space, while bright colours and bold patterns give off a more contemporary vibe. Your lifestyle also dictates your design. Here are four quick questions to ask while browsing upholstery fabric online:
• How long is this upholstery meant to last? • How often will you clean and iron it? • Where do you plan to use it – indoors or outdoors? • Which style of furniture pieces is this upholstery meant for?
At Wills Bisgrove Furniture we always advise our designers on fabrics and their properties, recommending the best in looks, appearance, quality and maintenance, ensuring the longevity and durability matches the appearances of the fabrics selected.
The choice is yours. Let it reflect your personality, your home and your vision.
Don’t hesitate to call Wills Bisgrove Furniture on 03 9815 0111 to arrange an appointment to discuss your needs. Manager John Sharkey is highly experienced and can offer accurate and informative advice on whatever your furniture requirements are. Alternatively, send an email to willsfurniture@bigpond.com and the Wills Bisgrove team will send you a prompt reply.
Over Christmas and New Year this year many of us will again enjoy full family gatherings as well a celebratory meals – Christmas Eve, Christmas Day and then New Year. Why not ensure complete comfort and luxury with handcrafted and hand-built Dining Chairs from our fabulous Wills Bisgrove Collection.
Over summer, during the holidays we are able to invite guests and to enjoy dinner parties and entertaining with the longer evenings. Modern apartments with island benches and breakfast bars offer casual dining options, so it’s sensible to consider seating for both the breakfast bar and dining area.
The Wills Bisgrove Collection provides a wonderful selection of Dining Chairs, Tub Chairs and tall chairs such as the Stockton.
Add to this a superb range of both Classic and Contemporary Chairs and the Wills Bisgrove Collection of fine furniture continues to offer meaningful contribution to both the design and style of your home.
Complementary fabrics or leathers matching or contrasting your Lounge Suite, Sofas and Armchairs, a superb selection is available to Wills Bisgrove customers.
The Wills Bisgrove Collection features a range of beautifully designed dining chairs – all supremely comfortable, stylish and of the highest quality. Hand built by our artisans and craftsmen, selected Will’s Dining Chairs will last you a lifetime. This week we review some of our more popular selections.
Hotham Dining Chair
Let’s start with the Hotham Dining Chair. One of our more popular selections, the Hotham is a standard humpback styled chair, utilitarian yet simple and attractive. With tapered legs, choose between Victorian Ash and Tasmanian Oak, both of which can be highly polished or painted as desired. Enjoy the superb comfort of the hand tied coil sprung seat whilst relaxing over a good vintage with friends.
Melba Dining Chair
A standard scroll-back style dining chair, the Melba Dining Chair simple yet attractive. Again the choice is tapered legs in either Victorian Ash or Tasmanian Oak. Your Interior Designer can select to polish the legs or have them painted to specification.
Cambridge Dining Chair
A dining chair should be at once practical, comfortable and stylish. When it comes to practical it’s hard to go past the Cambridge Chair, a classic dining chair style with a humpback and stretcher rails, upholstered for comfort with a hand tied, coil sprung seat. Clients can choose Victorian Ash or Tasmanian Oak legs, which can be polished or painted to suit the style of the accompanying dining table and interior design of the dining room.
Hotham Carver Chair
A variation of the Hotham, the Hotham Carver Chair differs with highly polished timber arms and is slightly wider and higher to make the chair a feature of each end of the dining table. It’s eminently suitable to combine with the Hotham in creating a unique dining table ensemble.
Stockton Stool
The Stockton Stool can be used as a barstool or Kitchen stool. With its arched back tub style, timber detailing and firm foam seat, it’s the barstool that won’t see you moving too far – it’s so comfortable. Strong durable frame – its built to last a lifetime. So cheers to the Stockton!
With all dining chairs there is the option of selecting piping or studded finishes, with your choice of fabric or leather for the upholstery you desire. As previously stated, Wills Bisgrove Furniture has a full range of traditional and contemporary dining chairs available for your selection.
In the meantime, please feel free to browse through our Collection here. Call now on 03 9815 0111 and make an appointment to visit our showrooms and factory 1346 Toorak Road, Camberwell, or leave your details here and one of our friendly staff will respond promptly to your enquiry.
For Design, Luxury and Comfort – it’s always Wills Furniture – your first choice.
Again Victorians are looking forward to their annual Summer Holidays this year with huge enthusiasm after many months of lockdowns and restrictions now being lifted in time for Christmas and the New Year. Now is the time to prepare for a relaxing break and ensure your holiday home or beach retreat is refreshed and comfortable. Why not select a superb new sofa, armchairs and Dining chairs from our stunning Wills Bisgrove Collection in time for the family festivities? Comfort ,quality and design .Pure luxury – its from Wills Bisgrove!
For some it could be time for simple repairs and maintenance. Perhaps there’s a need to to re-cover and refurbish the older classic sofa and armchairs, the dining chairs or the occasional chairs. The Wills team will repair and restore your treasured furniture and return it to you in peak condition – refreshed and renewed with on-trend or classic fabrics and leathers as you desire.
Or it may simply be time to replace the older with something more comfortable, stylish, something that will delight you, your family and guests. It’s the perfect time to introduce the Wills Collection, stunning upholstered furniture in both Contemporary and Classic designs.
The Wills Furniture Contemporary Sofa Range offers a superb selection for the discerning client and is the preferred choice for many Interior Designers and Interior Decorators for both primary and holiday residences.
The Wills Collection provides a unique opportunity for Interior Designers and Decorators to demonstrate real flair and innovation utilising upholstered furniture of the highest quality.
Selected Sofas and Chairs may be teamed with Ottomans, Dining Chairs and Stools.
The Wills Team can adapt furniture listed with modifications as required to ensure project needs are met and fulfilled.
The Wills Furniture Contemporary Sofa Range
The Wills Furniture Contemporary Armchair Range
Please visit our showroom at 6 Guest St Hawthorn and view the Wills Furniture Collection in person. Call 03 9815 0111 now and make an appointment with our friendly and experienced staff or leave your contact details on our website here and we will contact you promptly to make a time suitable and convenient for you.
At Wills, we work closely with a range of Interior Designers and Interior Decorators. If you require assistance in finding such a suitable professional for selecting and dressing furniture items for your home we are pleased to provide referrals for your consideration.
Wills Furniture provide a full range of services including restoration and reupholstering of traditional and classical furniture.
Whether it’s an exquisite antique or simply a gorgeous, classic piece of furniture when it comes time to restore it to its original and pristine state there is really only one destination – Wills Furniture.
Over time upholstered furniture can lose its lustre. The fabrics become worn, the springs and webbing need replacement and the cushions need refilling and refreshing. The real question is who can you depend upon to carefully and cleverly restore your valuable piece to its original glory? There is simply only one answer it’s time to call Wills Furniture and ensure your wonderful lounge suite, sofa, armchair or occasional chair are restored and ready for the next 100 years. Comfortable with selected fine fabrics and leathers for your complete relaxation and enjoyment.
The Wills team is a collective of artisans offering a truly traditional approach to the renovation and repair of Classic and period Furniture. With over 80 years’ experience in furniture making and repair, the Wills team rely on tried and true traditional methodologies utilising premium materials. Hand tied Stainless Steel Springs, featherdown or high quality memory foam, F1 Hardwoods for framing, brass and stainless steel castors, but always in keeping with the original manufacture and build of your heirloom piece.
Maybe, but firstly is it really worth restoring? In many cases the answer is sadly ‘no’, but for those rarer cases where such rejuvenation is both feasible and desirable the Wills Team are the right people to bring your treasured item back to life.
The Wills team are genuine craftsmen and women. Artisans who really understand upholstery and traditional furniture. A quick assessment on the framing, quality and fabric or leather replacement provides the answers on a financial basis.
Some items that are genuine antiques are certainly worth the investment. others such as rundown units from the ‘50s and ‘60s are probably better replaced. The Wills Collection offers an exciting and interesting range of traditional upholstered furniture, very suitable to provide a seamless replacement of that ‘timeless’ piece.
Such restorations are a strong suit with the Wills Furniture team. The team will replace the webbing, springs, and fabric, strengthen the framing and provide new cushioning, castors and armrests. All work is carried out using traditional methods and materials. Great care is taken to ensure your precious furniture is returned to you in pristine condition, ready for the next 50 years.
Here are some of the Sofas and Armchairs available through our Wills Collection that meld beautifully into a traditional interior design.
The settee is available in any custom size with the option of a fitted back or loose back cushion. It has a beautiful hand carved American Cherry timber frame and can be finished in any selected colour with patina distressing and wax finish or a painted or washed finish. Superior comfort is achieved with sumptuous feather down cushions and a hand tied, coil sprung back. Fine double piping detail.
Louis XIV, the Sun King reigned from 1660 to 1720 and the style during his reign was one of unparalleled splendour. He believed his home (Versailles Palace), furniture and décor should reflect the glory, power and wealth of the monarchy.
The Bergere Chair features in our Collection and is very popular. It has a hand carved frame from selected timber, with a highly polished finish. It features a traditional French style jute webbed seat and is superbly comfortable with its deep seat and sumptuous feather down cushion.
This splendid chair has a frame hand carved in American Cherry timber and is highly polished. It features the traditional French style jute webbed seat and is divinely comfortable with its deep seat and sumptuous feather down cushion.
Another reproduction chair is this classic chair from the Charles 11 of England period with hand turned spindle legs and stretcher rails. The timber frame can be made from American Cherry or European Beech with the choice of a polished or painted finish. The elegant high back and hand tied, coil sprung seat ensure comfort. The Charles II carver chair style features carved and shaped arms and a generously proportioned seat on turned and carved legs joined by a turned or carved front stretcher.
This beautiful, classical Victorian style sofa features diamond buttoned upholstered back, large scroll padded arms, polished legs and castors. This elegant sofa will add class to any living space. It can also be made with a fluted skirt. It’s luxurious and sumptuous feather down cushions make it divinely comfortable as well as stunningly decorative.
As can be seen at Wills, we have a complete range that provides the style you require – or desire. Check out our full Wills Collection here – and for further information on our full restoration services, or on viewing our extensive range, please call 9815 0111 and book an appointment with our friendly staff – or you can leave your details here and again a staff member will contact you to assist you or make an appointment to visit our showrooms. Remember – Wills Furniture – it’s simply the best – Design, Luxury, Comfort.
When you’ve selected your new lounge suite and settled on the right interior design format that suits your lifestyle and living spaces why not continue the theme with the Wills Collection? No doubt your designer has selected from Wills Furniture the sofas, armchairs and accessories you desire – why not complete the vista with delightful occasional chairs and dining chairs to match and accentuate the final design of all your living areas.
In any well designed, well planned living area, there is often the need to place or situate the ‘occasional’ chair. It could be a bedroom chair, or perhaps for a study or hallway. The Wills Collection offers a superb choice of simply beautiful handcrafted chairs admirably suited to purpose. Also on offer is a stunning selection of dining chairs to complement your selected dining table with a variety of fabrics, leathers and materials to suit all tastes and applications available.
A classic chair made by craftsmen using traditional techniques and upholstered for comfort and style is a wonderful choice. It can become the focus within a room or accompany a sumptuous sofa. The chairs in the Classic Collection at Wills Furniture offer traditional design and real comfort.
Constructed from eucalypt hardwood, F7 Victorian Ash which is hand-picked and kiln dried, the frames are dowelled, glued and cramp joined, with sturdy corner blocks. Hand sprung hourglass steel coils, sprung edge seats, jute webbing, hand laced and finished with a stitched edge creates seats that are supremely comfortable and certainly built to last.
This classic English design has a claw style arm and is available with a tight fitted back, coil sprung or a loose back cushion. It is elegant with polished legs with brass castors or choose a more ladylike option with a pleated skirt (fully lined) or even a combination of both, if desired.
This occasional chair has a sprung fitted seat with quaint scroll arms, and a curved, filled back for sumptuous comfort. Once again you have a choice of polished legs or a skirted finish.
This lovely bedroom chair is a compact size to fit the boudoir. Its armless design features a traditional deep diamond buttoned back. It has a coil sprung seat and tailored skirt.
This wing chair is an optimal size with square, compact arms in a sleek, flowing design with twin piping on the arms. The chair is complemented by fine, elegant legs and brass castors. Sumptuous feather cushions and a uniquely designed coil sprung lumbur support back ensure comfort plus seating.
Simply select the design of your choice from our Wills Furniture Collection and the fabric of your choice from any fabric supplier to create a designer seat for your interior space.
Whether its modern contemporary style or traditional form and elegance – Wills Furniture is your destination. Your Designer or Decorator can browse through our extensive selection and be confident of finding the right setting, combination or piece to complete the wonderful vista planned for your home.
Continuing with chairs from the Wills Dining Chair Collection, today we review the Odeon, the Sebastian, the Stockton and the Venice. All beautifully upholstered and stylish dining chairs. (The Stockton is perhaps more of a barstool or tub stool)
A low back sleek contemporary design with elegantly tapered legs, this delightful chair will suit any modern home or setting. Medical rooms, waiting rooms and board rooms are also Commercial possibilities. It is a very adaptable chair. With a generous seat size, hand sprung coil seating, sumptuous cushioning and a solid timber frame, this is a supremely comfortable chair.
Definitely a dining classic with scroll back, detailed provincial style legs and a generous height. Comfort is assured with padded back and coil spring seating with plush cushioning.
A unique curved back dining chair. Sleek, elegant lines curving down to low tapered arms, this chair is eye catching yet comforting. It can be used as a dining chair or an occasional chair. Polished tapered timber legs feature brass castors and its overall finish is completed with a precise piped border.
This chair can be used as a barstool or kitchen stool. With its arched back tub style, timber detailing and firm foam seat, it’s the barstool that won’t see you moving too far – it’s so comfortable. Strong durable frame – its built to last a lifetime. So cheers to the Stockton!
Hotham Dining Chair
Please browse our full range of contemporary and traditional Dining Chairs here and remember your Designer can always make modifications to suit your needs. Call now on 03 9815 0111 to schedule a visit to our showrooms at 6 Guest St Hawthorn, or leave your details here for a prompt reply.
With Wills remember – Design, Luxury, Comfort – every time.
With winter fast approaching it’s really time to consider engaging a talented interior Designer to create for you a new vista – a spacious interior design that provides connectivity and flow with superb features and design elements. After lockdown last year many people realised their homes had become cluttered and offered limited space. And with families that have grown – even left home – the furniture has taken a beating over the years. It’s the perfect solution, the right combination – a talented Interior Designer together with the Wills Collection.
For many years now, Wills Furniture have had the pleasure of working with some of Australia’s best Interior Designers. Developing new bespoke pieces, creating exquisite upholstered furniture that is unique yet addresses their client’s tastes and preferences. The Wills Collection provides the perfect palette for Interior Designers and Decorators with a brilliant range of Sofas, Armchairs, Dining Chairs, Ottomans, Bedheads and Occasional Pieces – Classic or Contemporary.
For clients determining and selecting their preferred Interior Designer, their choice may come through a personal reference. Or it may simply be admiration of the work done by a particular designer. Ultimately it’s a very important consideration – you are selecting a professional to renovate or redecorate your home.
Lisa Frederick, a US contributor to Houzz provided some insights in her article and we hope it can assist you in choosing a Designer who is right for you.
Interior designers do much more than make a home pretty — they turn it into a harmonious haven that’s uniquely yours.
When most people think about hiring an interior designer, they zero in on aesthetics: wall colours, window treatments, pillow patterns. But that’s just scratching the surface of what a designer can add to a home. These pros go beyond cosmetic concerns to ensure that a space feels harmonious through and through, from its floor plan and architectural envelope to the last nailhead, tassel and tuft.
What an interior designer does: A designer envisions, plans and outfits spaces in a way that makes them both beautiful and functional. He or she balances aesthetic considerations with structural planning to reflect the clients’ lifestyle, set the desired mood, complement the home’s architectural features, and ensure that less glamorous details (like electrical outlets and air vents) fit into the scheme. An interior designer also cultivates relationships with trusted artisans, vendors and others who execute the design.
When to hire one: You may have a clear vision for your home, but an interior designer can help you bring it to life while making sure it satisfies nitty-gritty considerations such as space planning. A trained eye and a creative mind-set allow for devising solutions that you might never have imagined, and attention to the tiniest details will transform your space into a haven that looks polished and complete.
What it will cost: Interior designers have various fee structures. They might charge an hourly rate, a flat fee or a percentage of total project costs. You may also be asked to pay a retainer before work begins.
If you’re on a set budget, don’t assume that hiring a designer is beyond reach. Many will be happy to arrange a few hours of consulting or will help you source furnishings and decorative accents.
Where to find one: The directory of interior designers on houzz.com.au is a good starting place, where you can find designers in your area and beyond and view their portfolios.
If you spot a room you love when browsing Houzz photos and ideabooks, take note of the designer’s name. (You’ll see a link to professionals’ profiles in the lower-right corner of their photos.) Some designers will work with clients who are based in other cities, though travel time and expenses can add up.
Friends with fabulous houses are another likely source. You can also visit show houses and home tours to see which spaces strike your fancy.
Be sure the designer is a good match for your style. No two clients are alike, and good interior designers are nimble enough to hop from urban pied-à-terre to rustic farmhouse to beachside getaway without missing a beat. However, almost all of them have a fundamental aesthetic that remains consistent throughout their work. For example, if you want pure whites and pale neutrals, don’t choose a designer whose signature is bold colour palettes. When interviewing designers, look for parallels between their previous work and the design you want.
Collect samples. Even if you have trouble articulating your desired look, pictures of rooms you love can instantly give the designer a sense of what you crave. He or she will ask you about specific points of the design that resonate with you and use those as guidelines. Fabric swatches, paint chips, furniture catalogs and your own Houzz ideabooks are other good sources for showing items you like. On the flip side, pull examples of colours, motifs and furniture styles that turn you off, which can be equally helpful.
Decide in advance which pieces must stay. Not willing to get rid of your Biedermeier sideboard or your majolica collection? The process will go more smoothly if you share that information with your designer during the initial site visit and consultation. That way, he or she can plan around the items that you don’t want to give up.
Involve the designer as early as possible in the building process. If you’re remodelling or building from scratch, include the designer in the planning stages with your architect and contractor. This way, the pros involved will all be on the same page and can iron out any potential discrepancies — particularly those that involve the bones of a home, such as doorways, ceiling beams or interior columns. It’s one thing to reorient a window on paper; it’s another entirely to move it after installation.
Try to have all household members present at the outset. Having everyone’s input from the get-go helps to avoid potential conflicts down the road. If a spouse or loved one objects to a certain colour or reveals that he or she just can’t part with Granny’s antique dining table, it’s easiest to work out those issues right away.
Ask the designer to clarify billing procedures. Find out at the beginning when you’ll be charged and what for. In addition to the design itself, you may be billed for travel time, site visits, shopping, phone conversations and more. This way, you’ll be able to anticipate fairly closely what and when to pay.
Keep an open mind. It’s a rare client who loves 100 percent of a designer’s suggestions right off the bat. Your designer might recommend a piece of furniture or a wallpaper pattern that you’re iffy about, but don’t say no without giving the idea some time to sink in. Chances are that when you ask your designer why he or she chose it, and when you take a little time to live with it, you’ll appreciate the reason it works.
Look toward refreshing down the road. Even the best design doesn’t stay current forever. Ask your designer if tune-up visits in the future are an option, whether they involve simply swapping out a few accessories, reupholstering furniture or choosing new paint colours.
For further assistance in selecting an Interior Designer or Decorator, please call us on 03 9815 0111 and ask for Mr John Sharkey, our manager. AtWills Furniture we work with many of Melbourne’s, indeed Australia’s, most talented Designers and we would be happy to assist you in your search.
For further information on our Wills Collection, please visit our website here or again call 03 9815 0111 and schedule a time for a consultation. Our showrooms are conveniently located at 6 Guest St, Hawthorn.
Choose Wills Furniture for Design, Luxury and Comfort.
When interior designers and decorators plan the look and feel of new projects whether in private homes or in commercial premises, such as professional rooms, it’s often the case that unique bespoke design is required. This enables flow and connection through living areas and in commercial applications, traffic areas to private consultation rooms. Bespoke design can lift and accentuate the inherent architecture, the overall layout and the major features of any living space. To truly ensure a perfect rendition of all bespoke designed furniture many interior designers turn to Wills Furniture for traditional hand built, hand crafted, upholstered furniture of the highest quality.
Both Interior Designers and Architects often design and create unique furniture for new and exciting projects. From Booth Seating to Sofas, Lounge Suites or simply just an interesting Ottoman, it’s often this item of Bespoke Furniture that sets a project apart with stunning looks, exciting fabrics or unique design.
The Wills team of Craftsmen are experienced in interpreting such designs and bringing them to life, to fruition, providing the Designer with exactly what was envisioned.
With skill and expertise our artisans breath life into each unique piece of furniture and ultimately into the overall project design and finish.
The Wills Furniture team are experienced and skilled in producing truly bespoke furniture to the design specifications supplied by Interior Designer, Decorators and Architects. As well, where required the Wills team can modify current furniture pieces featured in the Wills Collection to meet the space demands and/or the concepts of the Interior Designer or Decorator.
To provide a real lift to your treasured period lounge suite it may well be time to replace the tired, worn fabrics, the cushioning and springs of your family heirloom. Whether it’s classic, mid-century modern or contemporary a new fabric or leather can instantly lift the appearance and comfort of old furniture pieces. Why not consider one of the newer fabrics on offer to bring currency and rejuvenation to your favourite sofa, armchairs and dining chairs. These days interior designers often arrange such makeovers adding new life and vibrancy to otherwise classic designs and furniture styles.
Naturally at Wills we don’t just facilitate a change in the coverings alone. Worn out springs, wadding and foam or down cushioning will be replaced prior to recovering.
Now is a great time to browse the fabric house websites to see what’s new and what’s available. Imagine your older classic lounge suite refreshed and renewed.
At Wills Furniture, we work with leading fabric and textile suppliers. Here is a list for you to visit and browse to make your selection.
Each company has a website with extensive images of fabrics, textures, colours and designs available. Take the time to visit and browse their sites. There is a world of colour and texture available in a myriad range of fabrics. You and your designer or decorator can select the right fabric to suit your individual taste, and achieve the look, the style, the comfort you wish to achieve.
The Wills Collection provides a range of beautiful upholstered furniture, both traditional and contemporary, from which to choose. The Wills Furniture range is preferred by Interior Designers and Decorators. It offers real choice and distinctly different styles from which to make selections appropriate to particular projects.
Naturally there will be some situations where re-covering or refurbishment simply isn’t practical – insect damage, water damage, wood rot. In that case it’s the perfect opportunity to make a selection from our extensive Wills Collection and enjoy many years of comfort, luxury and exquisite design.
To assist you this week here is our Classic Sofa and Chair Selection for your enjoyment and consideration.
The Wills Collection represents a refined selection of stylish designs that offer genuine luxury and supreme comfort. From the classic Clivedon and Adelaide Sofas through to the more informal St Pierre, the Amelia and the Sheffield – Wills offers an exquisite range of individual styles, fabrics and finishing from which to choose.
All Wills Furniture is handcrafted using the finest of fabric, leathers and solid framing with sumptuous cushioning. Minor modifications to suit floor plans and necessary alterations are possible – simply notify us prior to your final order.
Wills Furniture maintains a strong connection with the craftsmanship and artisanship of the trade in earlier times through the stewardship and direction of Paul Newham, the son of the original upholsterers from the Newham family – the creators of the Wills Furniture range. The same rigid quality standards of the original factory are maintained today.
You can arrange a visit to the Wills Factory and Showrooms at 6 Guest St, Hawthorn by calling 03 9815 0111 or by leaving your details here.
Wills Furniture ensures Social Distancing and a high standard of hygiene and cleanliness Hand Sanitiser and wipes are always available.
At Wills Furniture, we offer excellence in Design, Luxury and Comfort.
Wills Bisgrove 