Renovation is complex and doing it well can be difficult.
At the beginning, the idea of renovation can feel deceptively simple. How hard can it be. Right?
But then you are in it. The plans arrive, the decisions stack up and the costs start to feel very real. Suddenly it all feels less fun and the stress builds.
You really want to get this right.
But it doesn’t have to be that way.
It becomes far easier once you understand what really matters, what to watch out for, and where the risks lie. With the right support, it can move from stressful and overwhelming to creative, enjoyable and deeply rewarding.
Renovation Success is here to help people renovate their homes well. With more clarity, confidence and enjoyment. And far less stress.
It brings together practical tools, clear frameworks and hard-won experience to support homeowners at the moments that matter most, whether they’re just getting started, feeling stuck, or deep in the middle of a project.
This isn’t about a single style, budget or way of living. It’s about helping normal people, with normal homes, create renovations that truly work for them.
Why I created Renovation Success.
A short film about why renovation doesn't have to be so hard.
I’m an architectural and interior designer who has helped hundreds of clients renovate their homes and I’ve also been renovating my own homes for over twenty-five years.
It started earlier than that, actually. I was eight years old, borrowing copies of Architectural Digest from the local library and poring over them cover to cover.
In the early days of my career I started off pretty blind. I loved property and design with a passion, but there was so much I didn't yet understand about renovation itself. I made plenty of naïve errors. Wasted money, unnecessary stress, tolerating poor builders. I created outcomes that were okay at the time but, with hindsight, could have been so much better.
Somewhere along the way I developed a bit of an obsession with the idea that renovation could be happier and more successful if people simply had more support. Normal people, doing normal homes, whose budgets don't stretch to working one-to-one with a designer throughout the entire process.
That idea stayed with me. So I decided to act on it. The work of Renovation Success has been shaped and refined through years of real projects, conversations and early prototypes tested quietly with clients along the way.
Starting with the kitchen.
The kitchen is one of the most complex and costly decisions in any home renovation. It is also one of the most common places where things go wrong.
For years I have used the same approach with clients, friends and family when they are planning a kitchen. The same method, the same framework, the same trusted suppliers and connections built up over 25 years of real projects. It has always worked well.
I have now taken that approach and shaped it into a clear, structured method so that anyone planning a kitchen can benefit from the same approach I use with my own clients.
The Studio Journal.
This is where I share what I know. Articles on kitchens, layout, design decisions, the renovation process and everything in between, written from 25 years of real project experience.
Whether you are just starting to think about a renovation or deep in the middle of one, there will be something here worth reading.
Explore the Studio Journal
My commitment is simple. To help you navigate your renovation with clarity, confidence and enjoyment.
Where do I even start?
Do I need an architect?
How do I make sure everything I choose works together?
I'm not sure if these plans are right for us.
What should I decide now, and what can wait?
How do I find a good builder?
We both like different things!
I'm overwhelmed by choice!
Should I just choose everything before we begin?
How do I make sure my house doesn't look like everyone elses?
How do we avoid things going wrong?
Surely a good builder is all I need?
Where do I even start? Do I need an architect? How do I make sure everything I choose works together? I'm not sure if these plans are right for us. What should I decide now, and what can wait? How do I find a good builder? We both like different things! I'm overwhelmed by choice! Should I just choose everything before we begin? How do I make sure my house doesn't look like everyone elses? How do we avoid things going wrong? Surely a good builder is all I need?
A successful renovation isn’t just about an outstanding end result. Because if it costs you your relationship, or puts you into an unexpectedly difficult financial position, you can’t really call it a success.
Through my experience, I’ve identified four pillars of a successful renovation. Get each of these right and you’ll look back at the process with fond memories whilst enjoying a home that feels great to be in and really works for you and your loved ones.
And these pillars hold true whatever your style, your budget or the size of your home.
The Four Pillars of Renovation Success.
I am building tools, guides and content to support each of these pillars.