Launched recently by interior designer Tarmaine Hales, ‘Ask for 30’ lets you ask an interior design question for just $30 a pop! Amazing value, the online concept arose after the designer did some market research before launching her Canberra based business Harlo Design Studio recently.
“Initially it started with me noticing a repeat pattern of friends and family getting in touch to ask me a ‘quick question.’ When I started thinking more seriously about starting up Harlo Design Studio I did a lot of research and asked a lot of questions. I found those that hadn’t engaged an interior designer hadn’t done so primarily for reasons of price and accessibility. Also, many of them felt they didn’t necessarily need a full consultation,” says Tarmaine.
“I felt there was a real gap in the industry to address those people that had done a lot of the ground work themselves, but just needed a little bit of professional help. Also, many people said they didn’t have the time to actually visit a designer,” says Tarmaine.
A straightforward system, clients simply ask a question online at a time and place that suits them before paying for the service upfront using Paypal. “It’s a very simple process. I ask a couple of questions about the client’s style and budget via an online questionnaire. I also provide visuals and an overview of various styles after which the client has the opportunity to upload their photos and submit their question,” says Tarmaine.
“When I started my business I wanted to make interior design accessible to people and price played a real part in this. The intention with the really reasonable price is to get people thinking about their space and investing in it,” says Tarmaine of the service that has been operating for a couple of weeks now. “In the two weeks that it’s been live, the response has been really positive.”