Interior Design Consultancy Services
Creating a home that feels effortlessly stylish, comfortable, and tailored to your lifestyle requires careful balance. Whether you are updating a single room, navigating a period property restoration, or managing your own project but seeking professional clarity, Mary Barber Fray Interior Design offers bespoke consultancy services to bring your vision to life.
Based in Bath, Somerset, and working across the UK, Mary Barber Fray brings over 25 years of experience as a professional member of the British Institute of Interior Design (BIID). Our consultancy service provides expert guidance, objective advice, and tailored design direction while leaving full implementation control in your hands.
Tailored Expertise for Your Project
Our design consultancy service is ideal for clients who wish to manage their own trade contractors and purchasing, but need a focused, expert eye to refine choices, solve layout challenges, and establish cohesive design schemes.
What We Offer
- Colour & Finish Guidance: Harmonious palettes tailored to your natural light, building architecture, and personal style.
- Space Planning & Layouts: Functional room arrangements that maximize flow, proportion, and usable space.
- Lighting & Electrical Concepts: Strategic plans to blend mood, task, and architectural lighting seamlessly.
- Furnishings & Textiles: Sourcing suggestions for fabrics, window treatments, upholstery, and key furniture pieces.
- Period & Listed Property Advice: Sensitive solutions for historic and character properties that honour original details while modernising daily living.
How Our Consultancy Process Works
1. Appraisal & Initial Briefing: We meet to discuss your lifestyle, goals, room challenges, budget expectations, and aesthetic preferences.
2. Concept Development: Mary curates initial design ideas, layout options, and finish directions tailored to your brief—guiding you through options without limiting choices.
3. Refinement & Specifications: We translate agreed ideas into detailed recommendations, specifying colours, materials, key furnishings, and lighting placement.
4. Confident Implementation: Armed with a clear plan, you execute the project at your own pace with total confidence.
Why Choose Consultancy?
Professional expertise: Consultants have a trained eye and understand scale, colour theory, spatial flow and proportion. They can spot opportunities and problem that most homeowners and AI tools would miss
Flexibility: Unlike a full-service design and installation, consultancy works around you. You control the budget and can make the changes to the room yourself
Practical and functional planning: Great design is not just about looks. Consultants consider ergonomics, storage, traffic flow and how you will use the space
Avoiding costly mistakes: Sometimes furniture doesn't fit or paint doesn't look good once it's been added. Having a consultant will allow you to get it right the first time which will save you a lot of time and money
Interior Design FAQs
What is the main difference between Design Consultancy and Full Interior Design?
Design Consultancy provides professional advice, schemes, layouts, and sourcing guidance for clients who prefer to manage purchasing, trades, and installation themselves.
Full Interior Design includes complete project management—from concept development through to coordinating contractors and final installation.
Can consultancy help with period or Grade I / II listed homes?
Yes. Mary Barber Fray specializes in historic and period properties. Consultancy offers tailored guidance on working sympathetically with architectural features, choosing period-appropriate palettes, and modernising spaces without compromising heritage character.
How do we start working together?
The process begins with an initial briefing session to discuss your home, your goals, and your style preferences. From there, we tailor a consultancy scope suited to a single room or an entire property.
Do I have to follow a specific design style?
Not at all. Our approach is never about imposing a signature look or chasing short-lived trends. We listen closely to understand how you want to live, creating classic or contemporary spaces that feel uniquely yours.
Still have a question?
Did you know that we also offer listed building design consultancy and a full interior design service?
Get in touch today and Mary will get back to you as soon as possible.
