Designed By Catherine Finlay

Catherine designed major renovations and much-needed repairs to our 100-year-old four-bedroom home to enable us to enjoy it for years to come. She listened closely and warmly to our ideas and priorities, and thought creatively about how the structure could be used for all our needs: living, working from home, entertaining, etc. We are absolutely thrilled with her design and the flexible and beautiful spaces that it has produced. We appreciated Catherine’s flexibility on her involvement in our project. During the early stages Catherine and her network of professional contacts (surveyor, QS, engineer, arborist, etc) provided fantastic, detailed guidance, advice, and execution of all aspects of the work. Even with COVID restrictions, this gave us a dream run through the processes of Council approval, tendering and engaging a builder. With an exceptionally good builder in place, we appreciated being able to approach Catherine from time to time for suggestions or advice when needed. Catherine also gave us access to outstanding suppliers (tiles, kitchen appliances etc) and we really love the quality & beauty of the finishes we have been able to choose within our budget.

Catherine was amazing to work with. She was enthusiastic about my brief, also helped in internal design solutions. Amazing detail & thought process throughout the entire design process. Made it a very easy & effortless process designing our dream home within strict council constraints. We are so grateful for all the advice she gave us. We wouldn't hesitate to recommend her to anyone planning a build.

Catherine has worked with us now on three properties. Each time she has taken care to understand our needs and tailored solutions to suit them. We have found Catherine and those tradesmen she works with to be a delight always willing to help achieve a shared vision is time and on budget. Catherine has very capably managed the processes of design, dealing with Council and Certifiers, Builders and Trades for all our projects. We would confidently recommend "Designed by Catherine Finlay" to anyone wanting a highly skilled professional to manage their renovations/builds.

Catherine has been superb from the start to the finish of this project. She is stunningly efficient, super experienced, a terrific listener and always able to work toward solutions. She is realistic about budget and timeframes, a great designer who understands the brief and is able to both offer opinions and allow you to make decisions. Catherine has wonderful relationships with builders and suppliers and makes this process a dream. I cannot recommend her highly enough. I'm so delighted to be able to narrate such a warm successful professional relationship. I will always speak really highly to others of Catherine's work.

We have worked with Catherine on several projects. Her work ethic is second to none. Her planning, coordination, and execution throughout the building process were excellent. As clients, Catherine kept us informed, managed all expectations, coordinated all aspects of the build, and delivered a quality build in a timely manner. We wholeheartedly recommend Catherine and DBCF.

Catherine has worked with my family and I on two projects now. The second project being a full renovation of our house from top to bottom including a large extension and pool! Catherine has designed a house that fits beautifully with our family, is functional and beautiful! Catherine is pragmatic and has worked with us as the build has progressed being available for questions and consults. For key decisions she’s on site walking me through options. Catherine is well connected to builders and other suppliers and helped run the tender process to select our builders for both projects. Importantly Catherine is also aware of our budget, something that not all architects are. She works with me to consider how we will use a space or a product and what will therefore be best for us as a family and for our budget. We can’t wait for the builder to finish so we can move in! Definitely recommend Catherine to others seeking an architect who is easy to work with and designs lovely homes for families!

Catherine has designed two renovations for us and we have found her excellent to work with on both occasions. She finds creative solutions, designs beautifully functional spaces (including pools), is very responsive and takes care of all the approval processes. Catherine has also been a wealth of knowledge when it comes to materials, suppliers and trades, helping us to find a great builder we have used for both projects.

Timely and manages to a plan with a coordinated set of deliverables. Cost of service appears reasonable but I don't have any direct comparisons -- we primarily selected Catherine based on recommendations and her assistance in framing the works programme

Catherine was patient with us as first time renovators, was very conscious of our budget, really understood our needs, and based on her experience had a good point of view on how our needs are likely to change . She incorporated quite a few wow factors, and has a great sense of when to give a firm recommendation on design choices vs. frame options and leave to personal preferences. We absolutely love the space - to live in, entertain and host house guests - and are looking forward to enjoying it for decades to come

After talking to three different architects Catherine was the obvious choice for our house renovation. She spent the time understanding what we wanted, and the design she came up with met the brief and maximised the potential of our project. Catherine helped guide us through the process of engaging a builder and then managing the build, and was always available to answer our often stupid questions throughout the project. Catherine was a joy to work with and I couldn't recommend her highly enough. We have been living back in our house for a year now and we enjoy every part of what Catherine designed for us.

We had a large dated house that needed work to the exterior and all of the interior. Four bathrooms, a powder room and kitchen and all other areas were refurbished. Catherine had some terrific ideas with reworking spaces. She also guided us on budgets, where to reduce spend and where to invest to aid resale. Her builder and contacts were also very professional . The entire process worked finishing on time. We are currently reburshing a flat. Catherine has reworked the spaces and is managing the works.

It was a delight to work with Catherine, she listens to what we wanted and came up with some great designs for us. Nothing was too much trouble and Catherine was there to help whenever we asked for help. Catherine has a portfolio of trades to choose from and we are extremely happy with the building company we selected. Our renovation has recently been complete and we are very happy with our new home

Catherine Finlay is an extremely professional designer. I have recommended Catherine to many of my clients who have been very happy with her service. Catherine understands design and works to budget. She is very easy to deal with, which is very important. Catherine also undertook a project by clients who resided in America. They were extremely pleased with the work undertaken. I would not hesitate to recommend Catherine Finlay for a design project.

Catherine combines good practical input with deep relationships at the Council and a thorough understanding of the approval process for residential renovations. Her design input and contribution was also excellent. She also worked very well with the builders and forged a trusting relationship which meant that there a high degree of trust and confidence in the project team which ultimately delivered the desired results.

As a Commercial Interior Designer, I needed to appoint someone who had a good knowledge of residential design but more importantly had a clear knowledge of the local Council Requirements. Our home was part Heritage Listed and came with several restrictions so Catherine was able to navigate the problems encountered and guide us through all the associated hoops. She was able to work effectively in collaboration with me to pull together the necessary documentation for a DA submission. With her extensive knowledge of local trades she was also able to tender the building works on our behalf and was a constant support as and when required throughout the whole process from inception to completion. I would happily recommend Catherine Finlay to anyone seeking a knowledgeable, passionate and understanding Designer and have already done so on numerous occasions. Thank you Catherine.....we couldn't have done it without you. Freya Reid

I have worked with Catherine for many years providing structural and civil designs for her projects. She has always produced practical designs that achieve what the client wants. Many clients have commented to me how happy they have been with her designs and the whole process. I have always found it easy to work with Catherine and hope to continue doing so,

Catherine was not only creative and thorough in the planning stages of our project, she was also a highly professional and diligent project manager. We thoroughly recommend her.

I highly recommend Catherine for these reasons plus more: She is a very good communicator. #1 essential. She has a great eye for seeing what can be and what will work. She is practical and thinks of things like a mum. She is budget aware. She has a wealth of technical and supplier and design knowledge. She can also help you with the interior furnishings. She can accommodate whatever level of involvement you want to have on your project. She is flexible and available to her clients. She is a really nice person and lovely to work with.

Catherine Finlay is a true professional. I have had the pleasure of working with Catherine on many projects. Her knowledge and attention to detail is impressive. At all times Catherine considers her highly valued Clients whilst maintaining a generous respect for the companies and Trades working together on the project. In my opinion this creates a healthy and happy working environment with only the best results for Clients. I would highly recommend Designed by Catherine Finlay to anyone looking for a quality project from a quality person. Narelle - CNP Custom Joinery.

AMAZING, a pleasure to deal with, very trust worthy & every renovation/building project is a breeze from the start to the end process. Quality service is always provided, Professionalism, Sensational Designs & really talented. No regrets, always a pleasure to work with.

We have recently completed yet another project with Catherine - one of many we have worked on with her over the last 15+ years. Catherine has exceptional skill at designing the most beautiful yet practical homes. Catherine is always professional, reliable and trustworthy. We look forward to continuing our relationship with her and would recommend Catherine for any project.

Catherine has now worked with us on a couple of home renovations and we could not recommend her more highly. Her practicality and professionalism is exceptional and her ability to deliver a stylish finish on time and on budget.

I have used Catherine twice now. Three years ago for a full renovation of a cottage, and this year to renovate the laundry and kitchen in an Art Deco apartment. Catherine is easy to work with, has great ideas and I have found her recommendations for trades people very reliable. She is pragmatic, and has brought both projects in on time and on budget.