By Ewan Palmer Qualified Interior Designer & Founder, Palmer & Palmer
What an interior designer brings to your project
If there’s one thing I’d like people to understand before they start planning a new kitchen, it’s this…
There’s a big difference between selling kitchens and designing interiors. That’s why I chose to study interior design.
Don’t get me wrong – you need to know kitchens inside out. Materials, layouts, appliances, storage… they’re all hugely important. But a great kitchen is much more than just cabinets. It’s about creating a room that feels right.
I don’t start with a brochure.
When people come to see me, I don’t reach for a catalogue. The first thing I do is ask questions.
How do you use the room? Who’s usually in there? What works now? What drives you mad? What would you change if you could?
Sometimes people don’t think they know what they want. Actually, that’s the best place to start.
My job is helping you work that out.
My qualification taught me to see the whole room
Interior design isn’t about cushions and paint colours. It’s about understanding how people use space.
- How natural light changes throughout the day.
- How proportions affect the way a room feels.
- How materials work together.
- How you move through a room.
- How one space connects to the next.
Those are the things that make the difference between a room that’s simply nice…
…and one that feels effortlessly right.
It’s amazing what a few centimetres can do
One of my favourite parts of the job is spotting opportunities. Maybe:
- an island is just a little too big.
- moving it six inches transforms the flow through the room.
- there’s enough space to create a hidden pantry.
- cabinetry can run all the way to the ceiling instead of stopping short.
- a curved end panel softens the whole space.
Those aren’t expensive ideas.
They’re design ideas.
And often they’re the things clients remember most.
Every project is different.
I’ve never designed two identical kitchens.
Because I’ve never met two families who live in exactly the same way –
- Some people love entertaining.
- Some need somewhere for children to do homework
- Some want the kitchen to disappear into an open-plan living space.
- Others want it to make a statement.
That’s why I don’t believe in standard solutions.
Your home should feel like your home.
Not somebody else’s showroom.
Sometimes the best advice is to spend less.
People are often surprised when I tell them not to buy something. But if I don’t think it adds value to your project, I’ll tell you. In fact, I recently told a client their existing kitchen was so well made that it didn’t need replacing. Instead, we looked at ways of improving the room around it.
That line builds enormous trust.
I’d much rather help you invest in the things you’ll appreciate every single day than spend money on features that simply look good in a brochure.
That’s one of the advantages of working with an independent business. The advice is personal, honest and never driven by sales targets.
I design more than kitchens.
Kitchens are still at the heart of what we do. But they’re rarely the only room people want to improve.
That’s why Palmer & Palmer also designs bedrooms, home offices and living spaces.
When those spaces are considered together, your home feels calmer.
More connected. More personal.
It’s not about making every room the same.
It’s about making the whole house work beautifully.
That’s what good design is.
People often ask me what my style is.
The truth is…
My style isn’t designing a home I’d like to live in.
It’s helping you create one you’ll love living in. The best compliment I can receive isn’t that a kitchen looks beautiful. It’s hearing someone say,
“I can’t imagine the house without it now.”
About Ewan
Qualified Interior Designer
With a background in interior design and years of experience creating bespoke kitchens and interiors, Ewan combines practical design knowledge with a genuinely personal approach.
Every project begins with a conversation. Every space is designed around the people who live there.
Beautifully designed. Perfectly made. For you.