Future Proofing: What Designers & Builders Have Planned for 2022
In the first of a two-part series, pros share the lessons they learnt in 2021 and what they will be focused on in 2022
After a challenging time for the building and design industry with lockdowns, shortages and delays, 2021 is finally behind us. Here, three pros reveal what the past year has taught them, how they coped and what their priorities are for 2022.
“We relied heavily on our suppliers and trades who went above and beyond to send out samples and conduct online showroom tours. The design community really pulled together to support each other during a challenging 2021,” says Bull.
While business was also good for Sophie Kost, lead designer at Melbourne firm My Beautiful Abode, she wasn’t immune to the pressure. “It felt like a huge amount of work to juggle lockdown with the complexity of the kids’ remote learning and managing my projects remotely,” she says.
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While business was also good for Sophie Kost, lead designer at Melbourne firm My Beautiful Abode, she wasn’t immune to the pressure. “It felt like a huge amount of work to juggle lockdown with the complexity of the kids’ remote learning and managing my projects remotely,” she says.
Find, follow and network with other pros on Houzz
“Business was very busy, which is hard to believe in these crazy Covid times,” says Neil Turrell, director at Turrell Building.
“Even though we were busy, acquiring materials has been a struggle due to demand on the industry and the global shipping issues.
“Acquiring timber framing has been a major issue as we lost 45 per cent of our country’s stock of pine framing during the huge bush fires two years ago. Adding to the pressure has been the 30 per cent boom in building, shipping issues, cost increases, and many mills closing down due to Covid. Really, it has been the perfect storm,” he says.
“Even though we were busy, acquiring materials has been a struggle due to demand on the industry and the global shipping issues.
“Acquiring timber framing has been a major issue as we lost 45 per cent of our country’s stock of pine framing during the huge bush fires two years ago. Adding to the pressure has been the 30 per cent boom in building, shipping issues, cost increases, and many mills closing down due to Covid. Really, it has been the perfect storm,” he says.
Photography: Suzi Appel.
What were the main challenges and how did you adapt?
Not being able to meet clients face-to-face was one of the most challenging aspects of last year, says Bull. “The service we provide is very personal and it can be difficult to build rapport with a client over the phone or computer.
“We made sure our communication was regular and offered Zoom calls whenever we could. If clients were within our restricted radius, we dropped off samples and parcels where we could,” she says.
What were the main challenges and how did you adapt?
Not being able to meet clients face-to-face was one of the most challenging aspects of last year, says Bull. “The service we provide is very personal and it can be difficult to build rapport with a client over the phone or computer.
“We made sure our communication was regular and offered Zoom calls whenever we could. If clients were within our restricted radius, we dropped off samples and parcels where we could,” she says.
Supply-chain issues have also had an impact on Bull’s business. “Projects are taking longer to complete, products and materials are stuck overseas with lengthy delays and material and component shortages have had huge implications on our clients’ projects,” she says.
“While these issues are out of our control, it’s important to communicate changes regularly and try to manage client expectations as best as possible. We always seek and specify locally made materials, furniture, art, and accessories so that we have a bit more control over lead times and can engage directly with makers,” says Bull.
For Kost, “2021 felt like a year of efficient video conferences and waiting for samples to arrive,” she says with a laugh. “Not meeting with my clients face-to-face meant having to give more focus than normal to receiving and interpreting the brief in order to achieve the desired outcome.”
What will you be focused on in 2022?
Bull says:
Bull says:
- Customer experience: We want to provide our clients with great service from the initial call through to project completion. Consistency, communication and creativity are our core values. After the past two years of disruption, we will be looking to improve on and reinforce these values in 2022.
- Supporting local talent: We love working with local suppliers and trades and will continue to support the industry in 2022.
- Refuelling our fire: We are excited to get out there again and be inspired to create beautiful designs for our clients. Travel (even if it’s local), visiting galleries and design events are high on our list for the year to come.
Turrell says:
- Forward planning: We will be ordering materials two to three months earlier than usual so we can get what we need in time.
- Operations: Adjusting our back-end and staying on top of price increases of materials (and hopefully some future decreases). We also want to manage the size of the company – we don’t want to get too big, too fast, so we’re in a good position if things in the industry turn down the track.
- Refining our target clientele: We will be focusing on mid- to upper-market projects in 2022 as increased building costs, combined with the quality of our builds, means low-cost builds simply aren’t a sustainable market.
“These will be our priorities for 2022 as it has been a struggle with fixed contracts lately, with us having to shoulder many price increases that we haven’t been able to pass onto our clients,” says Turrell.
“As busy as we have been, we have only been treading water and not actually getting in front financially. Next year looks to be much better, fortunately,” he says.
“As busy as we have been, we have only been treading water and not actually getting in front financially. Next year looks to be much better, fortunately,” he says.
Kost says:
- Refining our process: I plan to keep some of the newer tools I needed during lockdowns and drop those processes that now feel outdated. I will also be playing catch up with photo shoots of finished work.
- Upping the digital side: I will be using online resources that I hadn’t bothered with before, such as calendar management tools and accounting programs. I will continue to use Houzz Pro as a way to generate and manage my leads.
How will Houzz Pro help you in 2022?
“Houzz Pro puts us directly in touch with our ideal clients,” says Bull. “Clients are matched based on our location and services offered. A lot of the work is done for us by the time the client makes initial contact with us via Houzz.
“We will continue to boost our profile on Houzz Pro through our project work and testimonials so we can engage with even more clients in 2022,” she says.
“Houzz Pro puts us directly in touch with our ideal clients,” says Bull. “Clients are matched based on our location and services offered. A lot of the work is done for us by the time the client makes initial contact with us via Houzz.
“We will continue to boost our profile on Houzz Pro through our project work and testimonials so we can engage with even more clients in 2022,” she says.
“Houzz has such fantastic rapport with the public,” says Turrell. “We’ll continue to upload our great work onto our Houzz profile and feel confident that together with our reviews it will continue to help grow our business.”
Your turn
What are your business priorities for 2022? Tell us in the Comments below. And remember to like this story, share it with your team and join the conversation.
More
Want more practical tools to run your business better? Learn about Houzz Pro business management software
Your turn
What are your business priorities for 2022? Tell us in the Comments below. And remember to like this story, share it with your team and join the conversation.
More
Want more practical tools to run your business better? Learn about Houzz Pro business management software
How was business in 2021?
“Another year of lockdowns in Victoria made it a challenge for everyone on many different levels,” says Julianne Bull, principal designer and director at The Den Interiors. “We were fortunate to have projects that had already commenced that we were able to continue working on. Large-scale construction projects were delayed slightly, but we were able to conduct site visits and meet with trades.
“We engaged with new clients wanting to redecorate or who were in the early stages of planning for 2022 via Zoom consultations. Once the restrictions lifted, we were able to meet these clients face-to-face and commence design work,” she says.