Julia Fowler
Interior Designer Auckland
Interior Designer based in
St Heliers, Auckland
I’ve always had a love for the arts and anything creative. My mum often reminds me that at age 3 I found a purple floral duvet covers in Farmers and I wouldn’t leave the store until she bought it for me….. hence my love for beautiful things started early.
Having gained an Art History degree I moved to London so I could see all the incredible art and architecture I had studied in Europe, and though my career took a corporate path in HR, my need for a creative outlet was always there.
A move to Sydney years later led me to buy an apartment and renovate it, which piqued my interest in designing a unique and functional home on a budget. Given we didn’t want to overcapitalise on the apartment we did a lot of DIY ourselves and I noticed that often tradesmen would push you in the direction of very boring design as it was whatever was on-trend at the time. Often going against the designs the tradies told me about made me realise I had a flair for mixing old and new, bargain and luxury and once the project was finished I saw how the aesthetic of my home always wowed people.
On moving back to New Zealand after having two children, I noticed that many friends and peers in my generation are incredibly house proud, but sometimes struggled to get the look they wanted to achieve. They often seemed to get stuck replicating the same Ikea or Kmart filled homes they saw online, but sometimes lost their own style in the process.
On starting this Julia Fowler Interior Styling I hope to bring creativity back into people’s homes. I want to help clients identify the aesthetic they love, and use that aesthetic to create personlised, and stylish spaces that fit their lifestyle and their budget.
My design process
My process is based firstly around function of the home, as I am very aware of different needs depending on your stage of life. True interior design is about integrating the aesthetic elements with the function of the space. The first step when I work with clients is a questionnaire which helps to identify the functional needs of the space and then moves on to deep dive into their inspiration and interests to establish what aesthetics please them in a space.
The other important focus in my process is budget. Clients often tell me they have tried to work with an Interior Designer before but that all the items the Designer suggested were way too expensive and therefore the client ended up doing nothing and still paying for the service. This is why transparency on what kind of budget you are working with is important to me, I want my ideas to be able to be realised for you, so if that means working with mostly second hand items, that’s not a problem. Part of the fun of my role means I can be creative with where I source items, so working with varying budgets from one client to the next is what keeps things interesting! Upcycling and DIY are often part of my design if there are small changes you want to make, however I do have a handyman I can recommend you have a real aversion to DIY.
Access to wholesalers and trade pricing is another perk of working with a designer as you will get furniture, homewares and trade supplies at better quality for discounted prices. Most of my suppliers offer mid-range pricing (probably similar pricetags to Freedom Furniture), but I also have accounts with higher end NZ and Australian design stores.
When you book in for a fixed price room design I provide your design with a google document showing images of any furniture or décor or trade items I recommend which are all directly linked so you can view them online. I will list prices if they are from one of my suppliers, and I try to give you a few options particularly if you are mindful of spend. Sometimes I recommend items from well known retailers or I am happy to give suggestions if there is a particular brand or shop that you know and love.
Another unique part of my process is giving you a visual of your room redesigned from a photo (you can see here two ‘before and after’ examples). This isn’t a render, but rather you room made-over in a photo. I am able to add in different coloured walls, new furniture and décor and even remove elements that we no longer want. I have found this to be invaluable when clients are trying to make decisions about which colours to use or items to buy, as they can see the vision I am trying to show them at a fraction of the price of a full render.
Outside of my fixed price room packages I do offer offer hourly support. This might be additional help once we have completed a design in another area, or perhaps just extra support with sourcing some more furniture.
Follow up calls and texts are part of my ongoing support for my clients as well as a continued access to my trade suppliers even after we have finished our project.
If you are still unsure about whether my service is a fit for your needs, I always offer a free discovery call where you can tell me your needs and I can work out which of my services are a best fit for your home.
To check out some great examples of my design process take a look at my Instagram page as I have pinned a couple of reels that take you through my entire process end to end.
“design is not for philosophy, its for life.”
— Issey Miyake