In this issue, we’ll consider something many homeowners and investors feel but never discuss: the quiet paralysis that comes with not knowing where to start on a design project.  

You'll discover:
 •  Why decision fatigue is the real enemy of great interiors
 •  What happens when you finally get clear on your design vision
 •  How your confidence as a client directly shapes the result
 •  A simple first step to get unstuck and move forward with your space

Let’s dive in!

Last year, I began working with a couple designing their retirement home. We spent months visiting showrooms, websites, and collecting paint swatches, but nothing worked.

Every decision took several weeks because nothing felt right.

After a lot of back and forth, they decided to put everything aside and chart the way forward from the end. From the end, yes, because your vision at the end of the project is what determines the process of getting there.

And from that point, every single decision — the furniture, the palette, the lighting, the textures — had something to answer to. The confusion and frustration didn't disappear overnight, but it now had a compass.

What the clients had been missing wasn't more information or more inspiration; they had plenty of both. What they were missing was clarity.

How did they want their home to feel at the end of the project?

Once they understood it, making decisions became easier. The clients got more involved and felt sure about the project, which made my job as the designer much simpler.

That's the benefit of having design clarity. It doesn't just make you confident and excited about your space. It makes the whole process better for you and everyone involved.

The construction industry has changed so much over the years that we now have too many choices. There are 28,000+ shades of paint at your average hardware store.

There are entire Instagram accounts devoted to a single style of tile, and you can spend three weeks researching cabinet handles and still not feel sure about your choice.

This is called choice overload. And when it comes to home design, it doesn't make people more creative; it makes them freeze. We start second-guessing everything, we delay, and we wait for a sign that never comes.

Meanwhile, our spaces remain the same.

The problem isn't a lack of taste or vision. Every person walking into a design project has both. The problem is that there's no framework to run those choices through. Without one, every decision feels equal, and that's exhausting.

When you're clear on your design identity — the mood, the feeling, the non-negotiables — decisions become easy. You stop asking if an item is right and start asking if it fits.

These are fundamentally different questions. One comes from anxiety, while the other comes from authority.

Clarity in design isn't about knowing all the answers upfront. It's about knowing your priorities and understanding your vision of the space.

Imagine two homeowners renovating a kitchen. The first walks in with a mood board pulled from five different magazines. She likes everything she's saved, but she can't explain why or what connects them.

Every conversation with her contractor requires more decisions. Every sample becomes a source of stress.

The second homeowner walks in knowing three things: warm materials, open shelving, and nothing too polished. She can walk through a showroom in an hour and tell you exactly what stays and what goes. She doesn't need to see 50 options. She needs to see the right three.

The difference between these two experiences isn't the budget or the time. It's the fact that the second homeowner has done the inner work to understand her own design DNA. She knows what speaks to her and what doesn't.

And because of that, she moves faster, spends smarter, and ends up with a space that feels personal.

For anyone putting money into an interior design project, design clarity is not a luxury. It's the best insurance policy you can buy.

There's something most construction professionals don't say loud enough: the quality of a project is heavily shaped by the client. I'm not only talking about the budget or the brief, but the client's confidence in their vision for their space.

When a client is unsure of what they want, two things can happen. First, the project stalls. Approvals take longer, decisions get reversed or second-guessed, and momentum dies.

Second, and this is the part that really matters, the project loses its soul. Instead of a space that reflects your aspirations, you end up with something that reflects everyone else's best guess.

But a confident client?

A confident client is a designer's dream. Not because they're easy to work with, but because they know the result they're going for. They push back, ask better questions, catch things, and they care.

That kind of engagement produces better results because the designer and contractor are clear on expectations and the client's vision. The designer can push creatively because they know the direction. The whole project gets tighter, sharper, and more intentional.

Design confidence doesn't come from experience, but from clarity. You don't need to have renovated ten homes to walk into a project knowing what you want. Clarity is something you can get in a single focused session if you approach it the right way.

Most people put off starting their renovation because they don't know where to begin. They think they need to have it all figured out before they call anyone. But actually, you don't need to have it figured out first. You get support first, then you figure it out.

That's what my Experiential Design Discovery is built around. In one immersive session, we work through your space, your lifestyle, and your instincts to help you uncover your design DNA - the core of what makes a space feel authentic to you specifically.

You walk away with a clear, actionable plan for renovating your space. Not a mood board. Not a vague sense of direction. A real plan with real priorities, so you can move forward without second-guessing yourself at every turn.

It's $350. It takes one session. And it turns months of spinning into weeks of doing.
If your space has been sitting on the back burner and you've been collecting inspiration without taking action, this is what breaks that pattern.

Not another Pinterest board. Not another showroom visit. Just one conversation that finally puts everything in order.

Book your Experiential Design Discovery and walk away with your design DNA and a concrete plan for your space, all in one session, for $350.

▶ Mastering the Art of Client Psychology: Mertz Lifestyle

▶ I’m Overwhelmed By Renovation Decisions. Help!: Maya Smart

▶ Connected Realities: The Workspace Design Show London 2026

▶ Design Transformation Experience: Design Beyond Aesthetics

The 2026 Workspace Design Show’s theme, “Connected Realities,” will explore how physical and digital environments blend into one seamless experience. For homes, that means planning spaces where tech (Wi‑Fi, smart devices, screens) is integrated but not visually overwhelming, so rooms still feel calm and human.

You can echo this by hiding cables, building tech into joinery, and designing clear “on/off” zones. That is, areas that support work and streaming by day but quickly revert to restful living spaces at night.

Installations such as Exhale by Peldon Rose focus on how light, reflection, texture, and sound shape our wellbeing. At home, you can borrow this by layering warm and cool lighting, using textured finishes (limewash, boucle, timber), and managing acoustics through rugs, curtains, and soft upholstery.

For Airbnbs, even small sensory upgrades such as heavy curtains, dimmable lamps, and a few tactile elements can dramatically change how “expensive” a space feels.

Talks, programs, and forums at the show will highlight how the modern workplaces behave more like living organisms: responsive, flexible, and tuned to hybrid work. This translates directly into homes with adaptable zones: a dining area that can quickly become a video-call setup, a guest bedroom that doubles as a studio, or movable partitions that create privacy on demand.

Sustainability talks and innovation zones foreground low-impact materials, circularity, and long-life products. Homeowners and investors can apply this by favouring durable finishes, reconfigurable furniture, and energy-efficient lighting and controls. These choices not only lower running costs but also help interiors age gracefully, which can be attractive to buyers and tenants alike.

The Workspace Design Show London 2026 is running from 25–26 February 2026 at the Business Design Centre.