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You have been directed from myclaybrickhome.com as this is now my new business

Interior Design for your Home

Fresh Pair Of Eyes-v2

When to consider working with me.

If you’re home hasn’t been touched for 10+ years and you’ve lost the motivation to tackle what’s needed. Let me take on the work. 

If you’d rather be planning and taking your next trip away, than thinking about what colour to paint the walls, and where to get new carpet from. Let me take on the work. 

If there is work to do in several rooms and you’re not sure where to start, so you don’t start at all. Let me take on the work. 

If you’ve heard too many horror stories from friends being ‘ripped off’ by tradesmen (or women!) and are worried about making the same mistake. Let me take on the work. 

If you’ve got ideas about how you want your home to look, but no idea how to make it happen. Let me take on the work.

Working with your requirements I create room designs that reflect your personality and lifestyle. I bring these designs to life using my trusted trades working to your budget and timescales. 

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My Services

My Services

I offer a ‘pick and mix’ service which starts with a design.

A design takes into account the style, colour, materials, furniture and accessories for a space. 

The cost of the design is based on the number of rooms and how much furniture and accessories are needed.

A typical single room cost is £395. 

From the design I can then organise all the trade quotes for works. I typically arrange two quotes per trade unless more are requested.  I meet the trade with you at your home, brief them on the requirements and then collate all the quotes. These are presented along with other costs for a full budget review before progressing. 

A typical cost for the trade quotes is £350 (dependant on number of trades)

After sign-off on the trade costs, I can then project manage the works from start to finish.  From emptying the room(s), to full redecoration, and final finishes. 

The fixed project management fee is dependent on the scale of the work and the number of trades to manage. 

My Trades

All trades have the appropriate qualifications, accreditations, and insurances. 

I meet with them on a regular basis to discuss upcoming work and their availability.

If you’d like to talk to previous clients about the trades used, that can be organised.  

I have trades for: Building, Plumbing, Heating, Gas Check, Electrician, Plasterer, Painter & Decorator, Flooring, Carpentry, Home Automation, Soft Furnishings, Kitchen/Bathroom design, Tiling, Decluttering, Deep cleaning, and a Handyman.

If the trade you need isn’t on the list, I have a local network that I can go to, to ask for help. 

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My Trades

Tony & Sue from Thorpe Bay

Testimonial

Testimonial

Tony & Sue

I was recommended to Tony & Sue by a local kitchen company, that had recently fitted a new kitchen. After a ‘Fresh Pair of Eyes’ session at their home, they asked me to design their hallway, living room, home office and guest room. They wanted their home to feel welcoming from the moment you came through the door. Plus, they wanted to redecorate the rooms in the house that had not been touched for several years as a ‘last’ redecoration project. They had ideas for the spaces and were looking for guidance and advice. I provided details of the trades I recommend, and they managed the work themselves.

Here is what they said:

Our home was looking a bit tired and so we asked Vicky to design fresh
décor in our hall, stairway, lounge, spare bedroom and study. We have lived here for a long time and had done very little to these areas. It wasn’t long
before Vicky came back with novel ideas, much of it was very innovative and we would not have considered ourselves. Vicky always invited our input and was adamant we should only proceed if we were truly happy with what she was proposing. How glad we were that we went along with her suggestions as the results were wonderful and will suit us for many years to come. 

We found Vicky very approachable, hardworking and available at all times.
She was always on top of things and although she must have had other clients at the time, she treated us as if we were her only ones.

Friends of ours have recently employed Vicky on our recommendation and we
would have no hesitation in recommending her to others.

Tony & Sue
Tony & Sue from Thorpe Bay

Testimonial

Ann & Peter

For the first time Ann and Peter were going to have the kitchen they’d always dreamed of having. A space to entertain their friends and family, whether it be for dinner, drinks and nibbles, or hosting the monthly book club. 

They were extending their property and their builder recommended that they get in touch to work through their kitchen layout and design. We started with a Fresh Pair of Eyes sessions so that I could get to know them, their requirements and the space. From this session I created several layouts plans for the space, we worked through the positives and challenges of each before finalising the layout. We then moved into a 3D model so they could see and feel the space better. The design is now with the builder to bring the vision to life. 

Here is what they said:

Annie and I are recently retired and decided to extend our house rather than move. 

We were recommended to Vicky by our Builder.   A very important part of our project is a new kitchen.   Being an older property it had a few peculiarities’ as to dimensions.  Vicky came to the rescue, she took her time to get to know us, including our lifestyle and preferences. 

On her first visit to our house, she immediately understood what we were aiming to do and made very constructive suggestions for the layout and design, which continued throughout the whole project.   She is an absolute pleasure to deal with and keeps you in the loop the whole time and is never difficult to contact.

We consider her fee to be very good value as she certainly gave us the time, and nothing was too much trouble.  She liaised with our builder well, which made the whole experience stress free. Vicky certainly has a flair for design along with sourcing fittings and appliances, but we never felt she was ‘taking over’ and always had our best interests at heart.  

She is professional and super-efficient, and we would thoroughly recommend her.

Ann & Peter
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Testimonial

About Me

I’m Vicky Labinger, wife to Jason, Mum to Jasmine (23) and Jessica (20) and Bucky the black lab (3). I’ve lived in Hockley (Essex) all my life and am now settled in the home my parents bought when I was 11.  My design business is called My Claybrick Home, named after the street I live in, and the home my Dad passed to my sister and I in 2018.

I have always loved Interior Design and after hitting 50 I decided it was time to quit the corporate life and set up my own business. I’ve now been designing for over 3 years; but it still feels like yesterday. I took a diploma in 2020 to upskill and fill in my knowledge gaps. 

I started working with all sorts of clients, in all different styles of homes, which has been amazing to get my business off the ground. I’ve more recently realised that I love to work with older clients who want their home to be comfortable and represent them. For me it’s all about building a trusted relationship, which takes time. I have worked with some amazing clients who may be retirement age, but they’ve got just as much energy and enthusiasm for life as their younger version. 

I do get a little jealous when clients tell me where they are off next on their holidays, and I hope by working hard on my business I’ll get to enjoy my retirement as much as they are. 

Here’s a photo of my Dad. He would have been my ideal client as he loved design but was too busy planning his next holiday, or a trip to visit Cambridge to help at the university. I think he would be proud of how I’ve updated the family home, making changes that he wanted to make. 

Vicky

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