Making Spaces

Back in January 2021, we bought a unique 1960s split level detached house that needed a LOT of work – it had no insulation, the flat roofs were falling apart (quite literally), and add-ons over the years meant there was lots of wasted space and lack of flow. We initially started working with an architect because we desperately wanted to get it right – it was our forever home - but progress was painfully slow. The plans then turned out to be totally unaffordable: partly due to unnecessary details, and partly due to skyrocketing inflation. Cue Karen at Making Spaces. I’ve admired her work for years and I knew that she had an incredible ability to respect and celebrate the period of the house whilst creating a space that works for the people that actually live there (not just a shot for the ’gram). She took the time to really understand what we wanted from our home, how we live and what we love, and from there she was able to look at the floorplan and immediately suggest a number of changes to simplify the design without compromising on the things we valued most: space, ease and light. Working with Karen has been a joy. Despite juggling numerous projects, she has the ability to make you feel as though you are her number one priority, always. I have genuinely never worked with any professional that comes close to being as responsive or quick to action as she is, and her attention to detail is unparalleled. Every single light, every socket, every bathroom valve is positioned perfectly, and so even though we were working to a limited budget (there’s a mix of bespoke, Ikea and everything in between), the design feels thoughtful and special. However, the most stand out thing about Karen is her integrity. You feel like she’s got your back, always. Liaising with multiple trades is never easy or straightforward, but she is wonderful at holding people to account and advocating for you as a client. Everything she suggests is for the good of the design – not because she benefits in some way from you buying from particular places. Working with an interior designer is a luxury – no doubt about it. However, the money we have saved from a) not making unnecessary changes, and b) trade discounts (Karen passes these on, which is unusual from what I can gather speaking to various retailers), is in the tens of thousands of pounds. This was a wonderful surprise and not something I expected going into the process. However, the biggest thing for us is that we now have a home that feels so much more like us than we could ever have achieved on our own. I wouldn’t hesitate in recommending Making Spaces, and I can’t wait to start the next phase of this project so I can work with Karen again!

The title of 'interior designer' really doesn't do Karen justice - she is so so much more than that. Over the last 2 years she has helped shape our home into the most amazing space for us and our friends/family to enjoy. Right from our first meeting she took time to really understand how we, as family, live and what we needed from the planned extension to our house. She came up with so many ideas and suggestions we would never had thought of - like using a small upstairs area to house a laundry area with washing machine and dryer (to avoid endless trips trailing washing up and down the stairs). Such a fantastic idea and one I am grateful for every day! Her attention to detail in the planning stage was invaluable and she helped us work through every bit of design - from the electrics (including designing a lighting plan) to the layout of our kitchen/pantry/utility units, the most beautiful joinery for our dining/living area, the most amazing cork wall in our garden office... the list goes on... Karen just gets it - she understands how to make a space really work for the people living in it - but also has the most amazing ideas about how to make it look beautiful too. I genuinely don't know how we would have ever managed without her and will be forever grateful for all the help, support and advice she has given us over the last 2 years. We now have the most beautiful family home which is better than I could have ever imagined - and that is thanks to Karen. Yes she is an interior designer but also so much more than that.. she analyses, plans, organises, inspires and at times even counsels! Karen - you are amazing and I cannot thank you enough for everything.

Karen is a genius and a pleasure to work with. Here's an email I wrote her after one of our rooms (a combo kitchen/dining room) was completed. The room has since been featured in tons of blogs, insta posts, and in the Yorkshire Post! "I’m sitting on the sofa in our incredible dining room/kitchen, the design of which magically emerged from your brain. It’s the first night that it’s technically, finally, ALL done, and I have to say…it’s the absolute f’ing best!! The lighting, the colors, the mirrors, the table, the radiator, the tile, the mantle shelf, the YELLOW CEILING?!…every last detail is so brilliant and amazing that I just wanted to let you know and to thank you for all the sweat and tears (hopefully not blood) that you put into the design. It is truly a spectacular room and just fills us with such great vibes — in the morning when the sun plays off the sofa and in the evening when the lights are dim and it feels like we’ve stepped into a really fancy yet cozy restaurant that just happens to be our home. The child has gone to sleep and the wife’s in London and I have this glorious room all to myself! I’m now going to fix myself a cocktail, and continue to enjoy the splendours of your design in silence." So...yeah, Karen's certainly worthy of 5 stars. If there were 6 available, she'd be worthy of those!

Karen has been an inspiration to work with from our very first virtual meeting. From the initial concept, all the way through to the tenacity demonstrated in sourcing furnishings, fitting and scheduling of works, her dedication and attention to detail has been exemplary. A last minute paint colour change after a sleepless night is an indication of the personal care and thought Karen puts into her creations. She has an uncanny ability to help you explore and develop your own taste and style, which for me has proved to be quite an enlightening journey. Karen took my ramblings and vague brief and developed them into an exquisite design, and I now find I have a room that almost feels like it gives me a hug every time I walk in. I feel I am the very lucky custodian of a work of art that Karen has produced and am looking forward to transforming the rest of the house into a unique and personalised home.

Karen is a superstar. We initially met on a colour consult for the hallway and after a cuppa and me moaning about our kitchen, she persuaded me the way to go was to put off the decorating and knock down a wall in the kitchen instead! This was a bit of a shock but after some discussions we went for it and the end result is amazing. The space has been totally transformed and it makes a difference to our family every single day. She is a true designer. I have also seen Karen recently to talk through the actual hallway, where she has given me the confidence to use colour everywhere and has shown me how to pull it all together (all walls still intact). She is incredibly creative and inspiring and I would not hesitate to work with her again.

I originally approached Karen during lock down having seen her excellent work on the Harrogate House and the 70's Living Room. Our rather tired, wonky and small detached garage offered a great opportunity for a new home office. Having hit the proverbial brick wall, we commissioned Karen for a day to provide layout, window and door position options/advice, then used her remote design service for the interior detail. Karen's creative flair and eye is for all to see in her projects. What sets Karen apart is her grace, intelligence, humour and firmness (when required) to shift your mindset to unlock what it is you are really looking for. It quickly becomes apparent that you are in safe hands. The depth of thinking behind her designs and importantly the fixture and fitting recommendations becomes apparent once you start delving into the detail. Karen works hard to find the most affordable solutions. A thoroughly enjoyable journey. Highly recommended.

Karen is absolutely fantastic! I was a fan of her blog & then realised she was Leeds based - so could actually work with her... We were doing a renovation & had lots of ideas... but it’s difficult to know what will & won’t work... so we booked a Karen for a day. (Split over a couple of sessions...) Firstly - she helped us with practical & realistic view of the architects plans. Yes - the architect needed to go back to the drawing board - and yes every day we are pleased we gave her the plans to look at! Second - she designed our living room. Chatted with us & just got exactly what we were trying to do & then made it possible. (She chose lights that were £25 from Made as well as some other higher end items - she understood our need to stick to budget!) Finally - we then booked an additional day - and this time worked with Karen as a sounding board and ideas vault rather than a full design as she’d helped build our confidence. She’s just bloody brilliant and totally doesn’t realise it.

Working with Making Spaces on an extension, ground floor remodel and total refurb of our three bed property has been fantastic from start to finish. From the very first chat about the architects’ plans (and a subsequent change which has transformed the space) to the finishing touches, Karen has been invaluable. She’s been approachable and non-judgmental whilst also steering us towards design choices that have created a home that we love. She has helped with sourcing products, layout issues, and even trouble with the trades. She is excellent value and we can’t recommend her highly enough.

We got in touch with Karen last summer as we were at a dead end with our snug room. It was quite tricky for a number of reasons and after several failed ideas of our own we knew we needed expert help. It was the first time we had hired a professional. After an initial consultation, Karen came up with a number of themes and ideas, all of which were something we would never have dreamed of ourselves. I think the art of a good designer is to push you to the edges of your comfort zone which Karen did. The results were transformational as hopefully the photos illustrate. As we had existing contacts, we managed the trades ourselves but Making Spaces can handle the full project if desired. Karen was very good at suggesting accessories within our budget which we bought ourselves. Finally, whilst the cost isn't exactly cheap, overall we got an outstanding solution that we couldn't have got without Karen's help. The proof of the pudding is we used Making Spaces again recently for input into another room. Good designers are a classic case of you get what you pay for!

We initially approached Karen looking for advice regarding a new kitchen to go within a proposed 2-storey extension to our house. We took along our architect's drawings. Immediately Karen could see several areas within the drawings which didn't make sense, didn't make best use of the available space and which would cause great frustration to us living there. We agreed to leave the drawings with her to try and work out a better layout. What she came back with blew our minds. Karen managed to put herself inside the drawing and walk around visualising all aspects, creating what is probably the best use of the space. She asked the right questions to get to know what would work best for us and our family. She then talked us through her proposed layout in such a clear, logical manner that it was easy for my husband and I to visualise it too. She was also very adaptable to any input we had. Karen manages to combine incredible creativity with a very logical approach. She will create something beautiful which also funcions perfectly. Communication was always fabulous. Prompt responses to emails and very approachable. So, we'll shortly get to the task of specific kitchen design, but oh my, we are so, so glad we approached Karen before any building work had started! Karen has likely saved us from a completely inappropriate and frustrating extension. She was worth every penny and I would wholeheartedly recommend Karen for any interior project when you would like to look at designing, reorganising and optimising your space.

Thanks to Karen's help we have been able to finalise the layout of an old house remodel that we are 100% satisfied with. We used her day rate service (remotely) and she was clear about what she could achieve with this service from the start. The process really helped us make our minds up and gave us the confidence to move forwards. The way she works is much more valuable than what was costed for, so thank you again.

I haven't worked with an interior designer before, so I wasn't really sure what to expect. However since working with Karen - Starting in March. Karen continues to impress me with her amazing ideas (Which are on a limited budget by the way) Karen is an absolute joy to work with - Her communication skills are excellent, always clear and quick to respond be it over the phone, email, instagram, pinterest etc - Never leaving a question unanswered. I am absolutely thrilled with the work Karen has done for me so far. The use of colour and pattern, careful thought into proportions, design details are all very apparent to me and people who visit my home.Karen also has a great practical mind in terms of placement of furniture and the non-move-able stuff like dishwashers, boilers, storage space etc. Karen is also highly adaptable in terms of styles - She knows how to nail everything, without necessarily being a fan of it herself. I can honestly say I wouldn't chain anything regarding my dealings with Karen.Karen has very clearly surpassed all my expectations. A few bonuses I should point out that I didn't necessarily expect - Karen had lots of very significant trade discounts, a set of used and trusted trades people (All of which have proved to be very good for me) Karen is good fun to work with too! - I always look forward to the next appointment or call.