We are long overdue in writing this review, probably because we've been enjoying our home so much since finishing our renovation project by Golden Design. Ellen & Alice are masters of their craft. From day one of working together they blew us away with their knowledge, organisation & dedication to our project. Their eye for design & attention to detail really sets them apart, and this added so much value throughout the project, from the initial designs to working with the builders on specific details that ultimately made the look and feel of the space.
They brought in the most highly skilled, highly professional contractors throughout every stage of the project as well. Special shout out to the inimitable Lawrence Goodwin & team who made the beautiful, bespoke joinery for our kitchen. When we hit snags along the way - we had very few but of course they happen in every renovation project - Ellen & Alice went above & beyond to find solutions quickly that kept the project on track, and kept us calm.
The finished renovation has far surpassed all of our expectations and transformed our home. We can't thank Ellen & Alice enough for everything. Working with them was a total joy, both throughout the project and now as we continue to enjoy the final result.
Emily, Dalston client
We first approached Golden Design when we were looking for help in renovating our home in late 2019. This was a fairly comprehensive project - including two new bathrooms, complete re-plumbing / new electrics, various other bits of fairly substantial building work, and a cosmetic refresh throughout. So the scope of the role that we asked Golden Design to play was to do all of the space planning & architectural drawing, project managing the build (including leading tender processes for other trades), all the way to softer design elements (from lighting planning to soft furnishing, including sourcing of all furniture), and cost planning & budgeting the whole project. Essentially they did everything that didn't require physically picking up tools!
Ellen and Alice were outstanding throughout the design process: They were quick to understand our desires, sensitive to our tastes, and creative in their proposals. Their communication was first class - making it clear when they thought the project needed to go in a certain direction / there were 'optimal' design decisions, but always left us space to make up our own minds. They were sensitive to our budget, and never looked to over-engineer or spend extravagantly for its own sake. The attention to detail during the design phase was phenomenal - Decisions we could never have thought to even consider at this stage were made before a single builder had stepped on site, and that attention to detail was enormously beneficial during the more chaotic stages of the build process. Indeed, even soft furnishings were being ordered before any work had even begun to make sure the delivery schedule would be perfect!
They were able to introduce us to a number of trades with whom they had worked previously (main contractor, joiner, electrician, plumber, flooring, etc) but all of whom tendered competitive quotes - that was a real plus as everyone on site had worked together on previous projects. With Ellen & Alice supervising closely (on site even more often than we were, and cracking the whip to keep the project moving ahead on time & and on budget - a pretty remarkable achievement).
The end result is that we've ended up with a stunningly beautiful home. A comfortable and luxurious space, something far superior to what we have been able to achieve ourselves. I am 100% confident that had we tried to do this without their help, not only would we have something far less wonderful, but we would have comfortably spent at least what we saved on their fee (very reasonable) in cost overruns and poor decisions elsewhere in the project. They were the single best decision we made at any point through this build, and we are enormously grateful for the time, energy, and emotion they invested. And if you need any further endorsement, we've just paid to have them lead phase 2 of rear extension / new kitchen!
Ed, Victoria Park client
Ellen was really wonderful to work with. This is our first home and it needed a huge amount of love as it hadn't been touched since the 70s! We quickly realised what a daunting project renovating was going to be. Ellen and Alice were both deeply reassuring, professional and easy to work with. They offer a variety of ideas and are enthusiastic about finding options that are right for you. Their work is hugely detail oriented and they were able to truly transform our small space! We really love spending time in our new home.
Anna, Holland Park client
We hired Ellen as an interior architect and designer for a large scale floor remodelling involving a new kitchen, playroom, laundry and bathroom. My husband and I had done up a house before and found it incredibly stressful, and had argued a lot and we were nervous about doing another project. Ellen took away all the stress from the project and actually made it exciting and fun. Decisions were made steadily over time which meant we weren't overwhelmed and she is FANTASTIC at sourcing beautiful, unusual things which don't break the bank. She handled all the budgets really well and project managed the whole thing, we had little to no contact with the builders, despite living on site, and we felt completely confident leaving everything in her capable hands.
She is truly passionate about interiors and homes whilst also really caring about the smallest details - right down to where put a USB socket. We have now lived in our kitchen for 6 months and couldn't be happier with it. She also has a great network of builders, upholsters, joiners etc who were all talented, good to work with and good value for money. I really couldn't recommend Ellen highly enough - after we finished our ground floor we started straight away on our office which she did a super job with, and I can't wait to start phase 2 of our home with her next year.
Olivia, Notting Hill client
Having moved out of our house and in with my parents, after a couple of months of trying to manage the house project whilst both working full time, as well as having a toddler and being pregnant, I decided we needed some help. I had so many ideas going round in my head (and photos saved!) that it was overwhelming me. I searched and searched on Houzz for a professional and deliberated over whether it would be worth spending the money on someone when I came across Golden Design. Seeing photos of previous projects I knew that I’d found the right fit. Despite coming late to the project, Ellen quickly got up to speed and from then on didn’t stop. Along with a wealth of experience, she is proactive, vibrant, has great taste and a keen eye for detail. She is passionate, determined and fun to work with. Having her on board massively eased the pressure and I no longer felt like my brain was going to pop! If you are wondering whether or not to get some help with your project then I'd say do it; it is well worth the money. And I'd definitely recommend Golden Design. Thanks again for everything, Ellen.
Nicola, Esher client