Our Design Process
A seven-step journey that guides you from first ideas to the final styled space.
Our Role in Your Design Project
We introduce you to design ideas and concepts that feel as if they were always meant for you, even if you had never imagined them before.
Every selection is carefully considered so your home feels thoughtful, personal and quietly unexpected, whether it's a compact city floor, a forever family residence or a weekend chalet.
In a fast-moving world, our aim is to make the journey calm and cocooning, blending experience, humility and integrity with just enough magic to keep it special.
Seven steps to a finished home
Our time-tested process keeps your project moving smoothly, whether you are refreshing a single level or building a new home from the ground up.
Research
Building the foundation for everything that follows.
We begin with open, detailed conversations to understand how you live, what you love and how you want your home to feel when it's complete.
This is where we gather your inspiration images, ideas and wish-lists, then translate them into a clear direction that anchors the entire project.
Initial Concept Drawings
Translating your brief into scaled plans and early concepts.
We prepare scaled drawings and floor layouts for every key area, showing how rooms connect and how you will move through the home day-to-day.
Cabinetry, built-ins and decorative elements are outlined, and you'll see preliminary colour and material ideas through inspiration imagery and sample palettes.
Design Development
Detailing every interior elevation, surface and finish.
At this stage, the interior architecture truly comes to life. We refine earlier plans and produce detailed drawings for each elevation and every piece of millwork.
All hard finishes and fixtures are meticulously sourced, creating a coordinated palette that your builder or contractor will later procure and install.
You start to see how each choice connects, from flooring and tile to hardware, lighting and bespoke joinery details.
Construction & Tender Package
Finalising drawings and schedules for accurate pricing and build.
We complete the drawing set and compile all specified finishes into a clear schedule that is issued for contractor pricing.
Hard finishes such as tile, stone, hardwood, plumbing fixtures, millwork and recessed lighting are documented so your builder can procure them with confidence.
Sourcing Furniture & Soft Furnishings
Curating the pieces that make the house feel like home.
We source all the furniture and layered details that complete your home: sofas and tables, lighting, rugs, art and window treatments.
Orders are carefully managed and tracked so pieces arrive as efficiently and seamlessly as possible, ready for installation day.
Project Management & Site Visits
Keeping the build aligned with the design intent.
We attend key site meetings with your builder and trades to answer questions, review details in person and minimise potential errors.
Regular walk-throughs help ensure that drawings, specifications and on-site decisions all stay in sync with the original vision.
Installation & Project Completion
The final reveal — and all the finishing touches.
Once construction is complete and your home has been thoroughly cleaned, we oversee the delivery and placement of all soft furnishings.
From carpets and cushions to the smallest accessories, we style each space, record any issues and resolve them quickly so nothing is overlooked.
Our Philosophy
At VDS, we exist to uncover design ideas that feel as though they were always part of your story. We make considered choices so every element belongs.
Whether you're reshaping a compact apartment, building a long-term home or finishing a small cottage, the same calm, layered approach applies.
A guided process, clear communication and a home that feels uniquely and quietly yours — crafted with skill, experience, humility, integrity and a touch of magic.