Introducing Diane Azzopardi, our very own in-house colour consultant here at Pacific Blue. Diane is an invaluable member of our team who helps make our clients’ dreams a reality. We asked her about her journey in becoming a custom home designer so far and how she provides support at every step of the build process from conception through to completion.
1. How did you get into the Home Designing industry and how many years of experience do you have?
I started my career in property and building management. I used to help clients renovate their investment properties and manage large apartment refurbishments. I came to realise one day that my passion was building homes and interiors. I love the journey of creating something grand from nothing. Working with clients and trades to create and build a home is such a team effort and everyone’s contribution creates a beautiful outcome. With 16 years of experience in the building industry, I feel very humbled every morning to wake up to a role I truly love and am passionate about.
2. As an interior designer what questions do you ask the client?
No two homes are the same, so I find it’s always a good baseline to check in with our clients and get an overall understanding of what a home means to them. I ask questions like:
- How do you want your home to feel?
- How do you want your home to look like at the end of the build?
- What are your family needs and how can we design your home to suit them?
3. How involved do you like the client to be in the design process?
It’s important for us that our clients are involved with their house design process and the interior design process. We are conscious that we are building their dream home and they are making a large financial investment. We see our role as helping our clients and want to guide them in the process from conception to completion. When designing their homes we think about their long-term plans, their family needs, and their financial investment.
4. How do you go about adding the client’s personal touch when designing their dream home?
We sit down with our clients prior to making any selections and we create a vision board for their home. We like to really build that mental vision on how they want their home to feel and look. I ask clients to trust their instincts when completing their colour selections and choose what they naturally gravitate towards. At the end of the process, we go through all their preferences together and really hone in on finer details to ensure all their selections work harmoniously together.
5. When designing a room what is the most important factor for you?
I prefer to go with the approach less is more. I like to choose one focal point and have one statement piece within the room.
6. How do you go designing houses for more difficult sloped blocks?
When designing our custom homes we are very conscious of the natural environment of the home. Our intent is to integrate the home with its natural surroundings and work with the lay of the land. We achieve this with split-level homes rather than flat house pads on level land.
7. What has been your favourite project to work on in your career?
I don’t really have a favourite as I love every project I have had the pleasure to work on. It doesn’t matter what the client’s budget is, my intent is to maximise that budget to achieve the best result for them.
At Pacific Blue we are custom design home builders who take the time to build quality homes. If you’re looking to build your dream home, contact our friendly team to have a consultation with Diane and our builders.
