Are you a keen gardener and are away for the holidays? Or do you always tend to forget to water the plants? Fear not – your lawn and garden need not suffer. Smart watering technology can do the job for you. Like oh-so clever smart heating indoors, smart irrigation systems do a vaguely similar job outdoors.
They are completely automated so will actively water your plants and garden for you. That means that they’ll the task off your hands completely. What’s more, they’ll know exactly when your plants need hydrating and by how much, so they’ll save water as they only use what your garden needs.
What is smart watering? Why should I get a smart irrigation system?
Image credit: Future PLC/ Claire Lloyd Davies
Garden irrigation systems come in all shapes and sizes, but they generally work in two ways. They can either be soil-based systems, which provide water on demand. These rely on a plant’s ability to draw up exactly the amount of hydration that it needs to survive.
Alternatively, they can be smart, weather-based systems, which use location and weather data to set specific watering schedules. So when it rains, they won’t water your garden. And when a stretch of dry weather is forecast, they’ll keep it perfectly hydrated.
How do irrigation systems work?
Image credit: Gardena
The weather-based gadgets are considered the ‘smart’ type of irrigation system. They can adapt quickly and effortlessly to their environment and can be programmed via a smartphone. They are battery operated and need to be attached to your outdoor tap or sprinkler system to access the water. Much like smart lighting systems, they’re connected to your phone via WiFi or Bluetooth, you operate them using an app from which you can set up a number of watering schedules.
You can also use them to water your garden on cue, whenever you think it looks a bit parched. Smart irrigation systems more efficient than watering plants by hand, too. They use just the right amount of water – no more, no less – meaning you won’t run the risk of overwatering your garden either.
Image credit: Eve Aqua
If you lack a lawn and you’re the proud owner of a petite plot packed with brilliant small garden ideas with plenty planters and pots to water instead, you can invest in a multi-channel water irrigation kit that works alongside a smart watering system. This is a specially designed hose with lots of individual drippers along the length that you can link up and feed into each pot so that water is delivered to each planter in one action.
Who makes smart watering systems?
Image credit: Colin Poole/Future Plc
The Eve Aqua, £89.95, links up to your sprinkler or a separate irrigation system and you can programme it to water up to seven times per day. It can be controlled either via your phone or by Apple’s voice assistant Siri. So if you’re an iPhone user, are out in the garden and your plants seem a little dry, you need just ask Siri to water your plants for you.
Image credit: Eve Aqua
Another great example is the Red Dot Design winning Smart Water Control, £144.95 by Gardena. With six daily watering programmes that can be set to water between 1 minute and 10 hours, it also features handy in-built frost protection which will alert you when the temperature drops to just above freezing point so you can remove it before it gets damaged.
While smart watering systems are undoubtedly a great help in the hot summer months, you can use them year round, too. Just don’t forget to disconnect them in winter!
The name of your interior design business is extremely important.
You can spend hours, days and weeks or even months trying to get it right before launching your business.
Firstly, stop letting choosing the name stop you launching your interior design company. Set yourself a deadline and go with it.
Secondly, I created this article to give you some clear guidance on what to do and what not to do when it comes to choosing the name for your interior design company.
4 Top Interior Design Business Naming Tips
I have compiled these top tips when choosing your interior design company name to make sure you don’t make any mistakes.
1. Keep it Simple & Memorable
Don’t make up words or try and be too clever with your business name – once you tell someone your business name once, they should be able to repeat it back to you the next time they see you. It needs to be easy to remember and easy to write down if someone hears your interior design company name – will they be able to Google it?
2. Be Clear What You Do
When you tell someone your business name, if they can instantly guess what you do and get it right then you have selected a good name. This is why most interior designers have ‘Interior Design’ or ‘Interiors’ in their name – as it makes it nice and clear what they are about.
3. Make Sure It’s Available
There is no point in choosing a business name only to find out it’s already taken. So go to Google and search for the name you want. The first thing to do is to see if there is another interior design company with that name – if there is then whatever you do, move on. Just think of all of the potentially lost clients of people searching for your business and ending up going to a different interior designer with the same business name.
Next up, make sure the domain itself is available (preferably the .com) for your given business name. You can check this easily using TSO Host. Also, as soon as you have chosen your business name, buy the domain. The last thing you want is for someone to buy it and leave you having to go back to the drawing board.
4. Test It Out
Go talk to friends and family and tell them your interior design company name – what reaction do you get? Also be aware of different accents – depending on where you are targeting your clients, accents can alter how different people think your business name is spelled.
Ask them their thoughts on the name before knowing what you want to do, ask them if it makes sense once they do. If they have any concerns, listen to them and discuss potential variations on your favourite choice of name.
Interior Design Business Name Ideas
Now you know the best practice for choosing your interior design business name – let’s have a look at some example ideas that you could use when naming your interior design business.
1. [your name] Interior Design
You will probably have seen this all over the interior design space already, it’s a common naming method for the industry and honestly, it works. Keeps it really simple, keeps it obvious what you do, easy to spell (if your name is) – it ticks a lot of boxes that I have previously mentioned in this article.
The only caveat to this choosing this method when naming your interior design company is that sometimes it can be hard to grow as everyone expects to work with you so you can’t hire other designers as easily – that being said, there are brands out there that have managed it.
Another option similar to this would be to use your initials instead of your actual name.
Examples of this type of interior design business name:
Sophie Smith Interior Design
JAC Interior Design
James Frank Interiors
JB Designs
2. [keyword] Interior Design
If you don’t want to use your own name, or you think it might be too difficult for people to spell. You could opt to use a different prefix but still using ‘Interior Design’ (or ‘Designs’ / ‘Interiors’) within the name.
You may find the first few ideas that you come up with have already gone – as the main keywords around the industry that people think of will have already gone.
However, rest assured there are still plenty of potential names out there for an interior design company. Again, consider using the initials of the full name in the domain or logo as well to increase your chances of choosing a unique name.
Examples of this type of interior design business name:
Decor Blueprint Interior Design
DB Designs
Moving Mountains Design
Metropolitan Interiors
3. Fully Branded
If you really don’t want to have ‘interior design’ in the name of your business – you have the option of making it fully branded with its own unique name.
You need to be careful with these names to make sure they are definitely unique and there’s no existing brand which will always be above you in Google if people are searching for the name.
Ideally, you will keep it linked to the home in some way, to keep it relevant to your interior design business.
Examples of this type of interior design business name:
Maisons Luxe
Imagine Walls
Simplify
Style My Space
The name of your interior design business should not be the thing that stops you when it comes to starting your business. Have a brainstorm, do your research, decide on the winner and get your business off the ground.
If you are an interior designer and haven’t yet signed up for a Houzz account – what have you been doing with your time? Social media marketing is vital for any business, and setting up a Houzz (pronounced ‘Howz’) profile should be top of the list for interior designers.
A hybrid social media/inspirational directory, Houzz’s aim is to connect homeowners with the correct home professional for their needs. The heavily-image based platform provides homeowners with tons of home inspiration, the ability to shop for homeware and the opportunity to find an interior design professional – all in one place! Houzz is essentially the one-stop-platform for anyone who is looking to renovate their home – so all of your potential clients.
Regardless of your interior design niche, whether it be kitchen design or space planning, Houzz is a great way to promote your business, show off your portfolio and gain new clients.
‘But how to use Houzz for marketing my business?’ I hear you say. In this article, I’m going to provide you with eight easy steps you can take to utilize Houzz as a marketing tool for your interior design business.
1. Fully fill out your profile
The first step in using Houzz for marketing which so many people don’t complete, is to fill out your Houzz profile. Fully. Your profile is the first impression you provide potential clients with, and the only way to turn these potential clients into actual or repeat clients is to supply them with all the information they require to make a decision.
Your Houzz profile should include a little background about yourself – your story, your interior designer experience and your main skills. You should also list the services you currently offer and the locations you serve, as this may prevent any questions from individuals you are unable to assist.
Additionally, there are sections for you to fill out regarding the average cost per project and, most importantly, contact details.
If you fill out your profile with plenty of information about your business, you are more likely to make potential clients see you are the perfect interior designer for them.
2. Upload your projects
The second step to Houzz success is to upload your projects. Many Houzzers only upload a handful of images, that haven’t been shot professionally and are very low res. Don’t do this. As mentioned previously, Houzz is a very visual platform; users visit Houzz to seek inspiration and they will not find inspiration in images you shot on your camera phone in dim lighting. But you already know that. So, if you do not possess the qualities of a professional photographer, hire one to shoot your projects – it will pay off!
Before saving photos to Houzz, optimise the file names to include suitable keywords for each image. If you leave the file name as DSC567, there is no chance of it showing up in search engine rankings (outside of Houzz). Take a look at your image, look at the interior style, colours, property type and make sure the image file is suitably and uniquely named.
When uploading projects to Houzz, make sure to name them – this looks much more professional, and can appear lazy if you don’t. If you’re struggling to think of a title for the project, simply use the location and project type (commercial, residential etc.)
For each project, make sure you fill out all the fields Houzz provides you with; these include vital pieces of information and will not only help you show up in Houzz, but in search engine results, too. Include a link to your website, a description of the project (what the brief was and how you achieved the finished look) and relevant keyword tags relating to styles, trends and products etc.
Providing as much information on a project listing as possible is a great way to show potential clients you know what you’re talking about when it comes to interior design. As well as this, each of the things listed above will help you show up in more Houzz results and increase the likelihood of your content showing up in search engine listings like Google.
Also, don’t forget to credit your photographer on each project – they’re certain to appreciate it, but don’t forget to check with them first that you have permission to share the images.
3. Create ideabooks
Step three in your path to dominating Houzz is to begin creating idea books. Think of a Houzz ideabook as a Pinterest boards of the platform, full of interior inspiration. Ideabooks are a great way to show off your personal style, adding inspiration from a selection of images (either from your own portfolio or the Houzz image database), products and Houzz Stories.
When planning and naming your Ideabooks, it may pay off to do some keyword research and reap some SEO benefits from Houzz. Make sure you include plenty of images and a description (100 words minimum) that includes your target keyword and you will instantly maximise your potential to rank on Google.
With the ability to make ideabooks private or public there are many ways you can use them to market your business. For example, you may decide to make a public ideabook to demonstrate your knowledge of different interior design styles and trends to potential clients who are browsing your profile. This is particularly helpful when you are just starting out and don’t have a large portfolio of projects behind you.
Another way to utilize ideabooks is to create a private project portfolio for clients you are about to begin working with. Doing this is a brilliant way to personalise a client’s interior project and show you understand their style, wants and needs. You can either invite colleagues and clients to the ideabook and allow them to add items, or you can complete the ideabook and share it with a client once it is complete. Either way, ideabooks make a great tool for communicating concepts throughout an interior design project.
4. Follow & Engage with other users
Once your profile, projects and ideabooks are complete, your next step is to engage with other Houzzers. Just like any other social media platform, in order to grow your channel, you must engage with other users.
This can be carried out through following other Houzzer’s profiles (you may also get some ideas from stalking them), leaving reviews if you know the user or have previously worked with them and liking and commenting on images.
Think about it, you want people to engage with your own profile; you want people to like your images, leave you reviews and be impressed by your portfolio – and so does everyone else! Engaging with other users is not only a form of flattery for said user, it also gets your profile seen and shows that you are active, which is exactly how you want to attract clients.
So go ahead and get liking!
5. Give advice and answer questions
You may not be surprised to find out that Houzz has it’s very own discussion forum labeled ‘advice’ in the main menu. The forum is a place for homeowners and professionals to connect, share their burning questions and give brilliant answers. Step five in your road to successfully marketing your business on Houzz is to give advice and answer questions.
By offering your expert advice on a variety of topics, you will portray yourself as an expert to the users of Houzz, whilst helping individuals out at the same time. And you know what happens when you help people? They trust you. Additionally, the more discussions you engage in, the more credibility you will gain as an interior designer in the eyes of Houzz, which will ultimately result in a Houzz Influencer Badge – and we all want one of those!
As well as being rewarded for helping the Houzz community, every question you answer will show up on your interior designer profile, thus demonstrating your knowledge to any potential client that happens to visit your profile.
Make sure you are only offering your very best advice when answering questions. Veer away from answering questions for the sake of it – people can see through that. You may also want to think twice before heavily promoting your services on the discussions, Houzz dislikes interior designers doing this, just let your expertise shine through.
6. Get clients to leave reviews
If you have been in the interior design game for a little while now, you will have a collection of previous clients. Step six in this guide to utilizing Houzz as a marketing tool, is to get your clients to leave a review on your profile.
Ask them nicely, bribe them (just kidding), do all you can to get them to leave the review, but get that review! Of course, if your portfolio already consists of a collection of happy clients, you will need to do none of the above, because to your former clients, letting others know about your talents is a no brainer – you’re ace!
Having a selection of five star reviews and accompanying comments adds to your credibility, shows potential clients you are a talented professional and boosts your Houzz profile. The more reviews you receive, the closer you will be to receiving a ‘Recommended on Houzz’ badge – another one to add to your collection.
If you are just starting out in interior design and don’t have any previous clients, a great way to begin getting reviews is to ask your colleagues. They will no doubt have something to say about your abilities, work ethic and interior design style.
7. Get Featured by the Houzz Editorial Team
One of the final steps to marketing your interior design business on Houzz is to get featured on Houzz Stories. Articles on Houzz Stories are written by the platform’s editorial team and regular contributors. With advice and inspiration on a number of topics from interior styling to outdoor design and even ‘Houzz’ tours, being featured on Houzz Stories is the ultimate promotion for your business.
So how do you get featured? Well, you’re unlikely to become a contributing writer unless you have experience writing about interiors for another publication; if this is you, you can email their editorial team with examples of your work.
If you aren’t an experienced writer, there are other ways to get featured on Houzz Stories. You may have recently (within the last 18 months) completed a project that you think is the bees knees and have plenty of quality images showcasing the property before and after, to prove it. All you need to do is submit it to the editorial team for review.
Take a look at previous projects Houzz have written about, and if you think you’ve got a few projects that would fit in well their requirements, submit them!
Additionally, if you or one of your clients has an amazing house – perhaps something a bit different, eclectic or personality-centred – you can submit the property to be featured within the platform’s ‘Houzz Tours’. Upload some quality images that showcase the property in its best light and submit them to the Houzz Tours team.
8. Consider Signing up to Houzz Pro+
Once your business has become a little more established and you’ve exhausted the optimisation of your free profile, you may consider signing up to Houzz Pro+.
The paid version of Houzz increases your visibility in the platform’s search listings, allows you to properly define your business by listing it in more than one category and gives you access to a performance dashboard.
The great thing about Houzz Pro+’s performance dashboard is that you can see how many impressions your profile gets and which of your images are clicked on and saved the most. This helps you to identify which images aren’t doing so well, and enables you to add better suited images for greater profile engagement.
Now that you’ve read my eight steps to dominating Houzz, you are more than ready to set your profile up and start reeling the clients in. If you only take away one thing from this guide, let it be that imagery is key. You will not attract potential clients without brilliant imagery of previous projects.
Refer back to this guide any time you need to and remember what a great marketing tool Houzz can be, if utilized correctly.
How much does a front door cost? If you’re looking to replace your front door, a quick online search will reveal various budget-friendly products. But what does the price include and how much difference does the material make to the costs, quality and performance?
Your front door, like replacement windows, is one of the first things that any visitors will see when they come to your home. Consider what kind of impression you want to make. Budget doors can look just that, whereas a bespoke, high-end door will make an impressive feature and boost your property’s kerb appeal.
How much does a front door cost?
‘Style has an impact on cost,’ says Victoria Brocklesby, COO at Origin. ‘Generally, higher quality products have a more stylish finish. They hey are made to a higher standard, using good quality materials, with a keen eye for detail. When it comes to value, I would recommend considering the long-term return on investment, not just the initial outlay.’
There’s also security and thermal efficiency to factor in. Could a budget door compromise these important elements? ‘Price differs depending on level of security and insulation,’ says Elizabeth Assaf, Designer and Co-Founder at Urban Front. ‘High security doors that are also Secured by Design accredited cost more. The thickness of the door and how well it will perform over time are what’s important.’
Here, we’re looking at the different front door materials and how much you should budget for the various options. With each option, we give you an indicative price bracket to reflect a sliding scale in terms of quality and performance.
Image credit: Future plc/Nigel Rigden
Before you buy, take time to consider what is included in the price.
1. Installation costs
Many front door suppliers include installation in the cost, but it’s always worth double checking. If a product is supply only, that means it doesn’t come with installation – and you may need to source the door frame separately.
If you’re buying a door from a DIY store, they may not offer installation, in which case you’ll need to get a quote from a local trade to see how much they’ll charge. Alternatively, you could fit it yourself – but make sure you know what you’re doing, because a poorly-fitted door is a weak point in your home’s security, so you want to get it right.
‘Installation could be anything from a day rate of £150 to £1,500, depending on the configuration and complexity – for instance, is it just a door, are there sidelites (the window that sits alongside the door) to be fitted and is there any making good needed?’ says Elizabeth Assaf. ‘Our doors need four people to handle them, so they’re more expensive to fit compared to some products due to the handling.’
2. Door furniture costs
What door furniture comes with the product? Handles, letter boxes, knockers etc tend to be included in costs, but double check and see if you can change or upgrade to different options.
3. Door frame and fixings
Are you reusing what’s already there, or buying new? And what about long-term maintenance costs versus the upfront price for your door?
How much does a hardwood door cost?
Image credit: Future plc/Emma Lewis
Budget: £1,000-£6,000 (but can rise to £10,000+ for bespoke designs)
Wood is a popular option for front doors thanks to its natural and highly durable character. There is a timber door to suit most styles and budgets. Prices vary dramatically. The species of timber will impact on costs. Most come factory-treated to protect them from the elements, but you may also need to budget for staining or painting on site.
You can seek out more affordable hardwood designs, but if you want something bespoke, you’re looking at a much bigger investment. For instance, hardwood door specialist Urban Front offers bespoke designs in a variety of oversized formats, pivot styles and contemporary finishes. ‘Hardwood is one of the most expensive products currently as it’s a natural product,’ says the company’s Co-Founder, Elizabeth Assaf. ‘Our doors start from about £6,000 including VAT for an Oak doorset, but our average sale is £10,000 to £15,000 for a bespoke solution.’
Timber doors require oiling, lacquering or painting, and the treatment will need to be redone every six to eight years. ‘If you’re doing the basic maintenance yourself, the cost of the product needed could be anything from £30-£100. Otherwise, you’ll be looking to pay a decorator a day rate for the work,’ says Elizabeth Assaf.
How much does an aluminium door cost?
Budget: £1,000-£3,000
Aluminium is a popular metal for front doors, as it offers strength, durability and low-maintenance at a value for money price point. These doors have an insulating core, giving them good energy efficiency and U-values (a measure of heat loss). They tend to have a more modern appearance, but can look stunning on a variety of homes, including conversions.
Aluminium is a premium product, so will be more expensive than PVCu and composite designs. ‘Generally, aluminium and timber doors come at a comparable price, depending on quality,’ says Victoria Brocklesby. ‘The Origin aluminium Front Door starts from £1,800 plus VAT.’
Aluminium doors have a powder coated finish, which requires very little maintenance to maintain a quality looking front door, so there are no future costs. You should have a beautiful entrance for many years. At the end of its life, as it is metal, the product can be recycled.
How much does a composite door cost?
Image credit: Future plc/David Giles
Budget: £400-£2,500
Composite front doors have a thick core comprising a reinforced frame and thermally efficient fill, creating a strong and energy efficient product. They are finished in a variety of materials – popular options include GRP (glass reinforced plastic) and timber, so they can offer different looks in terms of style. They’re generally low-maintenance, but check in with the supplier regarding upkeep for your specific finish.
Composite is a mid-price option – not as cheap as PVCu and not as costly as hardwood or aluminium. ‘Composite door costs start from £372 for the door only, not including the frame and any ironmongery. These can be added separately to be fitted on site by the joiner or carpenter,’ says Emma Archibald, Assistant Manager at DirectDoors.com. ‘We do offer composite doorsets, complete with the door, frame and door fittings, from £894. Any glazing is pre-installed.’
How much does a PVCu door cost?
Image credit: Future plc/Simon Whitmore
Budget: £350-£900
New PVCu products are readily available and affordable. You can get plastic doors in various styles, colours and wood effects. Some people consider PVCu to look a bit dated and cheap, but it’s a great option if you’re working to a limited budget – and good-quality modern products are rightly popular among home renovators. These doors are easy to source online and in DIY stores. You’re unlikely to find many PVCu products from the more design-led, high-end door specialists.
PVCu is a low-maintenance material and easy to clean, but these doors tend to have a limited lifespan (typically up to 35 years). ‘Although uPVC doors tend to be cheaper to buy, they don’t offer a robust and long-lasting option. So, they will need replacing more frequently than other systems and will end up in landfill when they come to the end of their life,’ says Victoria Brocklesby.
