Meet the married couple playing matchmaker for your renovation

Alice (then Alice Carter) started the business on her own in 2012 after years managing a design studio. Initially she thought she could act as a sort of agent for interior designers, but she quickly discovered that it was private individuals — the homeowners — who needed the most help.

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Like singletons tired of swiping dating apps, she saw they were settling for what was easy and in front of them because they had a tight deadline to meet. “They often go with the person who has given them some good advice, then they get to a point where they think, ‘Hang on a minute, they haven’t quite got me,’ or, ‘It’s not quite what I had in mind.’ By that point they don’t know how to get out of it.”

It turns out that breaking up with your builder can be as messy and costly as a divorce. Carter Wells has had to contractually separate some builders and homeowners so they could move on — “not the loveliest part of the business, but one that proves this is a real problem,” Alice says.

The interior of a recent transformation

Alice and Nick know the power of a good recommendation; they were introduced by a mutual friend 23 years ago and have been married for 16 years. “A third party knows a bit more about both of you as separate individuals,” Nick says. “They usually have a more honest approach and they might see something — a kind of connection or reason why you work together — that you just wouldn’t make on your own.” Nick joined the team in 2018 from the world of hospitality, adding one of his last names to the company name.

The first step is the taste test. Alice, who loves this part the most, likes to meet the client in person to get a sense of their style — which books, magazines and newspapers they read, where they go on holiday and what hotels they think are stylish (or hideous). She needs to find out how they will use the space; will they be living in it all year round or renting it out for six months? Are there children and pets living there?

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Images of homes and interiors are then compiled into a book, deliberately excluding the names of any designers. Once the client is happy with what they see, the hunt is on to find the perfect team. Carter Wells doesn’t have a database of contacts, it starts from scratch for every client.

The most common mistake that homeowners make is focusing too much on aesthetics and not enough on how the practice operates. A pair of London lawyers who aren’t at home much might be looking for a company that’s “systematic and process-led” to finish an apartment in six months, Alice says, but a housewife whose husband is travelling for work a lot might have a firmer idea of what she wants and more time to get involved. “She knows what she likes visually and has a good eye, but needs hand-holding by a designer who she’s going to enjoy a relationship with,” she says.

The couple, pictured in their office, have been married for 16 years

VICKI COUCHMAN FOR THE TIMES

To give Nick and Alice a greater insight into how studios work, Sophie Coller, a former managing director at the interior designers Kitesgrove and Studio Ashby, joined the business about 18 months ago.

Many designers and architects will have what Alice calls “monster jobs” that last for months or even years, but they will look for smaller jobs to help with cash flow. Finding a smaller firm, perhaps set up by a former employee of a favoured designer, can be the key to achieving the aesthetic you want on a smaller budget. Unlike a bigger practice, they may be able to start straight away too.

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“We don’t want clients to feel like they are filling a gap in somebody’s business,” Alice says. “One of the most common mistakes people make is they’ll go after a big name, get super excited about it, then be put through a process which might leave them feeling, let’s say, second best. We want them to be a star project for a brilliant design firm, whether they’re spending £100,000 or £10 million. It’s still a lot of money in your world.”

Once a shortlist is drawn up, the wooing begins. From first meeting to contract signing, this usually takes about three months. When meeting a designer, builder or architect for the first time, ask, “Will I be dealing with you?” There’s no point getting along swimmingly with the head of the studio only for them to leave you with a junior employee who you don’t get on with.

Great design is more than just budgets and blueprints, Alice says

Ask them to talk through a recent project they have worked on. Nick says: “You don’t want to waste their time or yours. You’ve got to ask them quite direct questions like, ‘Is this project too big or too small for you? How much will it cost to make my house look like this?’”

If you want to seduce a big name or an ambitious designer, you have to be prepared to sell your project. Point out the challenges to whet their appetite, such as a grade II* listing or needing to fit five bedrooms in a converted barn. “It sounds a bit grim but it’s true,” Alice says. “It’s not just about the money for some companies. Top architects have a diverse portfolio; they haven’t got to where they are by doing row after row of London townhouses.”

Alice always asks for a one-page “visual response” to the brief that shouldn’t take the designer or architect long to do. “One designer drew a tapestry for a client that had all these lovely details about the house, like some Lutyens features as that was their favourite architect and butterflies because the wife loved them. I think it says a lot to get something from a designer like that,” Alice says.

Visit the office to get a flavour for the company, Some homeowners are reassured by order and efficiency, others are looking for chaotic collages plastered all over the walls. “You’ll also be able to see how the boss deals with their staff, if the communication and respect is there, and if that’s how you would want to be dealt with,” Nick says.

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First date rules apply. If the conversation is flowing naturally you will probably be able to work with them. If they seem distracted or not willing to answer questions directly, move on to the next one. “You can tell when the client and contractor click when they’re buzzing over something really specific or strange like a chair or a light fixture,” Alice says.

When the fee proposals come in, it’s important to make sure the quotes are like-for-like. There might be a £20,000 discrepancy but one company has factored in 12 months of project co-ordination, for example, and the other bidder hasn’t.

Carter Wells charges 10 per cent of the design fee for its matchmaking service, and it has worked with a range of budgets, from £500,000 to £10 million.

The dead time between exchange and completion is a popular time for buyers to reach out. Some want to scope out costs and any possible planning or feasibility issues before that, for which Carter Wells charges an hourly fee.

The hardest jobs are not necessarily the biggest or most run-down properties. Alice says: “Confident with design but green with experience — that type of client is the ultimate challenge. When you come into the world of design, it’s more about emotion. You can’t always explain why that chair is worth £25,000.”

You may have heard of love languages but we all have different negotiating styles too. One client would act shocked when she saw how much things cost, telling the designer she “fell off her chair” when she saw the fees. “The interior designer called me up in a panic, thinking she’d halved her budget,” Alice says. “I had to explain to her that she hadn’t, that’s just how she communicates when she wants to negotiate.”

If Nick had to leave would-be renovators with one piece of advice for a less stressful build or renovation, it would be to pick a team that you genuinely enjoy spending time with. “The reason you like being around them is usually because you trust them and respect them,” he says. “If that is there, you will have fun.”