Delivering Luxury in Lockdown

Jen Bernard, founder of Bernard Interiors tells us about how her company delivered a luxury project during lockdown.

Bernard Interiors was commissioned in 2019 to design the redevelopment of a luxury apartment on the Golden Mile in Marbella for a longstanding private client. The contemporary interior has a sophisticated European feel throughout with carefully considered design details incorporated right through to give a seamless and crisp finish. The value of the property has increased by a substantial amount since the works have been completed.

1. What was your favourite part of the design process for this project?

I enjoy every part of the design process for different reasons, however for this project in particular, it had to be spending time with the client developing the design concept and brainstorming ideas. Selecting all the key finishes and materials from high-end suppliers out in Spain was exciting; the white marble and porcelain tiles were the starting point of the design in this project and helped to inform the rest of the scheme.

2. Which style trend is your favourite for places in the sun?

A neutral canvas always works really well as a starting point, keeping it light and airy. I love layering on top, adding colour and texture through carefully curated artwork, fabrics and decorative accessories.

3. What advice do you have for people thinking about a renovation project for their home abroad?

Having the right team around you is so important. You need strong relationships and open communication with all involved in order to move the project forward. It’s imperative that drawing standards are clear and thorough, so they can be understood by trade professionals of all languages.

4. How did you navigate delivering projects during lockdown?

Lockdown was of course a challenge, however we still managed to deliver three projects between March and June. The relationship we have with our clients and the trust they have in us ensured the projects went ahead as planned. Strong relationships with our build team, project managers and install team were also absolutely key for this to happen. The robust procedures we already had in place prior to lockdown hugely helped. Detailed installation manuals including drawings, diagrams and clear instructions were produced for the install team as we weren’t always able to be on site ourselves, due to travel restrictions. Modern technology like video calling was also very useful in these circumstances.

5. What is your core ethos?

The Bernard Interiors core values are at the heart of everything we do, we pride ourselves on being passionate, personal, polished and professional. We provide a tailored service, interpreting our clients’ tastes and requirements to perfection so we execute projects with exceptional attention to detail. Our goal is to always exceed their expectations and ensure the whole process is seamless.

6. What are you working on at present?

Since lockdown began in March, we’ve seen an influx of more large scale, luxury residential enquiries than ever before so we have some very exciting projects in the pipeline, including another project in Marbella, a bespoke new build Georgian mansion and a pied-à-terre in Scotland. Alongside our growing residential portfolio, we also continue to work on large commercial projects and our speciality sector is the retirement, wellbeing and care market, creating homes for varying ages throughout the UK and overseas.

Learn more about Bernard Interiors here: https://www.bernardinteriors.co.uk/