Here’s how to stay calm and enjoy one of the most intimidating stages of a project – installing a room. These are our ‘Dos and Don’ts of Installing a Room’ with some tongue-in-cheek intended!

Don’t: Panic…

Installing a room can be daunting. Months and even years of preparation all accumulate down to this final push and seeing everything come together can be a pressure point. Remember to keep calm as it will help you work with the room. As you steadily go through the individual elements, you’ll be able to ensure the installation comes together beautifully. As long as the electrical points are considered, it’s always possible to change elevations and CAD plans once everything has been placed in the room. Experiment with moving furniture around to gauge what feels right in the space. Nothing beats the human eye.

Don’t: Forget the right equipment… 

A floor plan and a tape measure is crucial. Calming music is optional! Trying to find a lost scalpel knife on site is like trying to find a needle in a haystack. Buy yourself a workman’s utility belt for all of your equipment. Trust me, once items are put down at random on site, they will grow legs and abandon you. You’ll never see them again!

Ladders and scaffolding are essential: Get these organised in advance so there is less stress on the day. Don’t forget to prepare those muscles as there will be a lot of lifting, moving and hanging required. We don’t recommend skipping any gym sessions in the weeks leading up!

Do: Install furniture before art work…

Always install or position your furniture first, before hanging any mirrors and art work. This gives you a chance to play around and ensure the layout works fully before adding the final details. Sometimes things work differently or better in real life than they do on paper. Don’t strew boxes and packaging around you and keep everything super organised to save yourself drowning in wrapping paper.

Do: Ensure you have the best team around you…

Whether that’s fellow designers, your building team or decorators, ensure you have everyone on standby to help put your creation together. They should be calm, methodical and ready to crack open a window when it gets too hot. Fashioning the overalls here is Roy, who is tall enough to paint a ceiling without a ladder – everyone needs a Roy!

Don’t: Rush

Take your time in setting the room out, think about what works and what might not after all. Think about what else you could add to the room: Does it need another lamp? A different mirror? Brighter art work? Regardless of other tasks, this is the most important, so take a deep breath and tackle things calmly. Try to get a good night’s sleep before because installation hours are long and hard. A small twenty minute cat nap behind a sofa can work wonders!

Do: Enjoy many cups of tea…

No explanation needed!

We say that ‘every room tells a story’ and the experience you have during the installation are a part of that. We hope we have shown you how it’s possible to inject an element of fun, energy and enthusiasm at even the most daunting stages of a project. When we opened The Whitby Hotel in 2017, we vowed ‘never again’, but the joy of seeing a scheme come together is addictive and now we have set our sights on the opening of our next hotel: Warren Street Hotel. We expect many cups of tea will be had in the process!