FAQ

With 26 years of experience across residential interiors, retail design, colour selection, multi residential projects and original artwork, I offer practical advice that draws on a broad range of design disciplines. Whether you need a complete design solution or a simple second opinion, my goal is to help you make confident decisions and avoid costly mistakes.

I suggest hiring an interior designer before or around the time of hiring an architect, builder, or general contractor. Knowledgeable designers enhance the project and work to ensure the end result delivers on your vision. If you are renovating, then a designer should be the first person you talk to. It helps to get inspiration and ideas so that you can move forward with confidence. Depending on your location, if you're on the mid north coast of NSW Australia, a face to face consultation is a great option however Lisa has completed hundreds of remote design consultations in her 26 years of industry experience. If you're located further away, it's no problem, there is a very reliable and successful system in place for remote design consultations. I use Whatsapp to communicate with my remote clients and it has worked perfectly for my clients.

Hiring a professional interior designer such as Lisa Affleck is essential to ensure that your project achieves a cohesive and well-integrated design outcome. At Visual Edge, Lisa serves as the main point of coordination, managing all design decisions and overseeing the process from start to finish. This hands-on approach guarantees that every element aligns with the overall vision, creating a timeless and confident result. Whether you are working remotely or locally on the mid north coast of NSW, having Lisa’s expertise available whenever needed helps streamline communication, resolve challenges efficiently, and ultimately delivers a polished and harmonious interior design tailored specifically to your needs.

My fees are typically based on an hourly rate and are sometimes adjusted based on the scope of work. Design consultations start at $295 - $390 for an on site visit and advice. More involved projects can be pre quoted. A retail layout review starts at $795 and colour overlays from $595. After the initial consultation, we will both understand your scope more clearly and what the project involves including the level of support you prefer. You then have the choice to continue on an hourly rate or be quoted for the remaining scope of works as a package. Many of my clients like to have unrestricted access, I call it 'designer on demand' as they navigate through their project...this seems to be a popular method. They can contact me when they need me and this helps reduce stress and worry. Time spent on the project is tallied and the client is billed every month. This also means that you only pay for what you use.

Your budget is the map that shows us the right lanes to navigate in finding and delivering the best for your home. Most of our clients will know how much they want to invest but may not know what is reasonable to spend on furnishings and fees within their project scope. We guide you through all of this with utmost transparency and design to your budget level. The first consultation will provide you with a clearer scope and this is often a great resource to compile your budget. You will come away with a 'scope of works' which can be utilised by your builder and your designer to help clarify what's needed to achieve your dream.You decide what you want to invest, and we eagerly look forward to working within your investment range.

At Visual Edge, for renovation projects, Lisa serves as your unbiased, expert resource and dedicated advocate. She acts as the essential liaison between all parties involved, including your architect, contractor, and various tradespeople. Lisa collaborates closely with you to select the best options for your design goals and meticulously communicates these decisions to each service provider. This ensures clear, consistent information flow and helps prevent misunderstandings that can cause delays or added costs. Additionally, she can provide trusted trade referrals when specialised skills are needed, offering a seamless, well-coordinated renovation experience, whether you are local to the mid north coast of NSW or engaging our professional remote interior design services anywhere.

I believe that successful interior design starts with a clear understanding of my clients' vision and preferences. I encourage clients to share any visual guides, inspiration images, or ideas they have, as these resources significantly speed up the design process and help us tailor solutions that truly reflect their personal style. Our professional remote interior design service is designed to be highly collaborative; we present ideas based on your input and then gauge your response and enthusiasm to refine the plans. This iterative approach ensures that the final design is both timeless and creative, perfectly suited to your needs whether you are located on the Mid North Coast of NSW or anywhere else in Australia.

For smaller consultations, I book out about 1-2 weeks in advance. Depending on the season, we can be booked out much longer especially if the project is larger. As mentioned earlier, you want your interior designer on board early in your project. So make us one of your first calls to start the conversation and get on my calendar.

Full service commits your designer to be present as required throughout the whole project, providing a turnkey result. Your support is solid from start to finish. I will create floor plans, design boards, elevations, renderings, and finish samples to bring your design visions to life. You’ll get to see, feel and interact with it all to eliminate the guesswork as to the final product of your home’s transformation. Next, we take care of all the ordering, procurement, site observations, communication with contractors, and finally, installation!

In short, NO! Reality TV shows are not real life and certainly not done in real-time. They’re entertainment based on real events. Reality design shows are certainly educational and fantastic at showcasing parts of the process and potential drama. But at the end of the day, they’re a highly curated result of months and months of production, including pre and post-production. Designers are often not professionally trained and are selecting from a small collection of sponsored products. Reality design shows are about as far from the real process as I can imagine.It's important to have a realistic timeline allowance for your project. Having your designer involved certainly helps minimise the drama! In the meantime, enjoy watching the shows and gather new ideas for us to discuss!

Interior Designing is much like hiring a baker to make a wedding cake. You trust they are buying the highest quality ingredients and mixing, sculpting, and baking it all at the perfect temperatures and will deliver exactly what you budgeted and dreamed of. We are also a service, and part of the magic we deliver is keeping the original intent intact throughout the process. It’s tempting to do your own shopping to save money. Yet, in the end, experience has shown me it inevitably costs my clients in scale and quality mistakes, which results in buying items twice and experiencing frustration from the extra costs such as shipping or assembly. I am however flexible - this is your home after all...I have found that 'the devil is in the detail' - cheap finishes or mismatches even when designing ecclectic spaces, can make or break the result.

YES ; ) I love doing 'shopping tours' - if you're located on the mid north coast then of course, I would love to take you shopping. It's a very efficient way to work with your interior designer and results in a more personalised finish. Hiring an interior designer provides you with two crucial things – It removes the stressful burden of all the many complex decisions involved; and creates peace of mind because you’ve hired a professional to help guide you through the process. I regularly provide shopping tours both in person and on line remotely. It's fun!

Yes, hiring an interior designer for a small project can absolutely be worth it, especially if your goals require clever spatial planning, custom joinery, or technical trade coordination. While a DIY approach works well for simple cosmetic refreshes (like painting a wall or swapping out cushions), small spaces actually demand much higher strategic efficiency where a minor mistake can ruin the room's entire functionality.

Knowing your personal interior design style is not actually important....in fact it could be an advantage for you to not be in a design category 'box'. Keeping your personal style uncategorised frees you from the restrictions of a label and allows you to curate a home based on how you want to live while using collected and much loved items. Instead of trying to fit into a rigid category like "Modern" or "Industrial", your unique aesthetic will emerge naturally as your designer gets to know you and helps you to focus on your personal feelings, daily lifestyle, and consistent habits. I like to stay away from the mainstream aesthetic and really dig deep with my clients to get the best results and maintain longevity for the project.

I work closely with my clients' to arrive at suitable design conclusions. I take time to probe my client, observing their personal style and lifestyle needs while paying attention to the architecture and suitability of the design. There is very little room for error. Communication is key to getting the right result.

An average preliminary interior design consultation is up to 2 hours long. In that time, a clear scope of works and a detailed overview plus some major selections can be completed. After that initial meeting, there will be clarity on what is required to complete the project from a scope point of view and what level of service you might need from your designer. From there, I can be flexible with the service I provide and how it is delivered.