Pickles & Rouse

Jo from Pickles & Rouse was simply amazing with my project. She is so experienced and provided amazing design ideas for natural light and energy and cost. I have a difficult property with commercial and residential zoning and heritage commercial overlay in a historic old hotel. Jo seemed excited by the challenge and was able to fully guide me through the design and permit process so well. She is just easy to deal with and so approachable and up front about all the pros and cons of design and cost. I found Jo and Harry a dream to work with communication wise and our difficult permit application was approved first time which is a testament to their thorough work ethic and attention to detail. I have recommended Jo to friends and clients in the area and would use Pickles & Rouse again for our next project.

Jo was able to take our ideas and really thought about what would work for our family beyond the scope we thought available. She managed the council process seamlessly. We had no stress which can otherwise be a stressful process. Our house is a double fronted Victorian with significant heritage. Other architects we spoke to were unable or unqualified to handle this type of scenario, Jo was not phased by it and had no issue obtaining council approval for our design. I have to make special mention of her style and taste for finishes, no point in a beautiful design if the finishes are dull or not appropriate, Jo’s style is absolutely stunning - spot on and highly recommend.

I worked with Jo from concept through to final delivery of my renovation and can highly recommend her. My renovation was of a 2 storey, 3 bedroom, 2 bathroom Victorian cottage, with layout change, new paint throughout internally and externally, re-landscaping of the rear, not a room was untouched and she advised us on everything. I had no experience in attempting anything like this, and Jo was able to guide me through it every step of the way. From providing templates and tools to complete for all the finishes, recommending types of finishes to achieve certain looks, retailers to look at for everything to working up colour boards based on photos we selected to help us choose between final fittings, colour schemes and furniture choices Jo made it as simple as possible. During design Jo suggested a number of innovative solutions and worked on different proposals to help us decide the best layout. She also suggested a number of innovative key finishes for our staircase, outdoor area and balcony which guests always comment on. Jo was also able to balance what might look best, with what might look best within our budget. She was also able to provide guidance on the many little details and finishes that come up during construction (e.g. bevelled edges on splashback to match bevelled edges on the staircase) to ensure everything ties in. During construction Jo was constantly in close contact with myself and builder managing delivery and explaining issues and implications as they arose and recommending solutions – including handling of variations. She treated the project as her own with her attention to detail in ensuring builders delivered quality finishes exactly to plans (something which I learnt is not a forgone conclusion with builders). She challenged the builder and engineer on details like steel construction and location which the builder was happy to proceed with until they found a solution which matched the aesthetic we wanted. I thoroughly enjoyed working with Jo, she was at all times professional, she is creative but matched and delivered to our style. She was friendly, patient with my stupid questions, and quick – turning around design changes and chasing builders/trades/council.

Jo, Harry and the team were exceptional in the way they approached our project. Every stage of the project was treated as if its their own home, with highest level of attention to all aspects of the design. With some professions, if you find a great provider, you'd stick with them. I think we've found ours.