With a passion for interior design and a dedication to her Instagram account, second-time Webb & Brown-Neaves client Jen Farr truly enjoys the building process. Her fascination with design has led her to build a second Webb & Brown-Neaves home which is schedule to be completed in February 2020.
“My favourite part of the building journey is looking for the perfect design and tweaking it to suit my needs,” she said. “I love ending up with a brand-new house designed and decorated just the way I want it. A home that no one has lived in before!”
Jen is currently building her second Webb & Brown-Neaves home in Perth’s Southern suburb of Salter Point, with a replica of WB’s home design, The Eden.
“We were originally going to build The Moda, until I found The Eden featured in a New Homes lift out in the paper,” she said.
“We decided to visit, and amazingly, it was almost the exact same layout as the last home we built with Webb & Brown-Neaves in 2015, so we knew the design worked well for us and our needs.”
Having built with Webb & Brown-Neaves previously, choosing to build with them again was a no-brainer. “They are a well-respected, trusted name in the building industry and the design and decoration of their display homes is superior.”
Jen and her husband Clinton are downsizers, with their last home being built on a 900-square metre block. “We definitely needed a smaller block. Our last home was way too big for just the two of us and required a lot of maintenance. Our new home will be built on a 485-square metre block, which will be perfect for us.”
Jen has a passion for interior design, which started at a young age. She runs a well-known Instagram page, @designdevotee, with a healthy following in excess of 50,000, dedicated to her love of all things design. “I have loved interior design my entire life. When I was about 10-years-old, I used to make two-storey doll houses out of shoe boxes and sew curtains and bedlinen for the furniture I made for it.”
While anyone would think she’s had years of design training, Jen’s talent is purely self-taught. “I have done a few short courses and workshops over the years but I have never worked in the indsutry. I have helped quite a few people with their interiors but I never charge for my services – I do it because I love it.”
Jen’s Salter Point build is only in the early stages of construction, but she already has plans for the interiors. “I’ve already researched most of the items I want and have done up lists for each room. I’m going for a relaxed coastal/Scandi look with lots of white, pale timbers and pastels, including my beloved blush,” she said.
“I am planning a coastal/boho room for my four granddaughters, and have already bought the bedhead!”
Jen’s six building tips:
1. Have a realistic budget, as extras you add to your build will raise the cost.
2. Consider the finish of the house, including flooring, window treatments, lighting and of course landscaping.
3. I would always choose to build a display home now as you know what you are getting for your money and you know exactly how the design will turn out.
4. Read all documentation very carefully and go through it several times to make sure you haven’t missed anything.
5. Do all your research early in the process to ensure you know exactly what times, taps, basins, and wall colour will best suit the style of home you are building.
6. I would suggest asking for help from an interior designer so you end up with a cohesive look that suits your style and the way you live.
