Do I need an interior designer for a renovation or new build?

Involving an interior designer early — whether you're renovating an existing home or building from scratch — means your layout, material selections, cabinetry, lighting, and finishes are all considered together before decisions get locked in. Changes are far less costly at the planning stage than after building starts. A two-hour consultation for $180 is often the clearest way to understand what working with a designer would actually involve for your specific project.

Am I locked in once I receive a quote? What if I want to make changes?

No. Once a client receives a quote from Greer Mayberry Design, there is flexibility to adjust the scope before committing. The process is designed to give you choices, not lock you in. Many clients find this is the point where the process starts to feel manageable — you can see what's involved, ask questions, and decide what's right for your project and budget.

How long does an interior design project take?

Timelines vary depending on the scope of work and the trades involved. The design phase — concept development, selections, documentation — is typically completed within a few weeks to a few months depending on project complexity. The build phase (construction, cabinetry, installation) takes longer and depends on trade availability and the scale of the project.

Can Greer give me a rough idea of what the build will cost?

Yes, within reason. While Greer Mayberry Design cannot provide firm builder or cabinet maker quotes, Greer draws on years of local project experience to give clients a realistic ballpark for material and build costs based on their brief. For more detailed costings, trades are brought in early in the process to provide accurate quotes based on the design documentation.

Does Greer project manage?

Greer Mayberry Design does not offer formal build project management, however Greer remains a supportive presence throughout the process. She can assist with design decisions during construction, answer questions, liaise with trades and suppliers where needed, and help ensure the original vision is carried through. The day to day running of site works, scheduling, budgets and builder supervision is typically managed by you, your builder, or a project manager, with Greer there to support the design side along the way.

Can I use my own trades?

Absolutely. Greer encourages clients to use trades they already know and trust, or those recommended by their builder. Existing relationships often make for a smoother process. If you're starting from scratch, Greer is also happy to recommend trusted trades and suppliers to help get you started.

Can you incorporate my existing furniture or favourite pieces?

Absolutely. A home doesn't need to start from scratch to feel beautifully considered. Greer loves working with meaningful pieces you already own and will design around the items you'd like to keep, blending them into the new direction through colour, texture, layout and layering.

How can an interior designer save me money?

Working with an interior designer can save both time and money. Greer helps you make the right decisions early, avoiding costly mistakes, delays, and expensive changes later in the build or renovation process. She also saves you countless hours researching products, suppliers and finishes by narrowing options quickly and clearly. Access to trusted suppliers and trade resources can also provide value that isn't always available to the general public.

I don't know what style I want, can you still help?

Definitely. Many clients begin the process knowing what they like, but not how to define it. Start collecting images, spaces or details you're drawn to, and Greer will help identify the common thread. She is experienced in interpreting personal style and translating it into a home that feels cohesive, elevated and genuinely yours.

Interior Designer Surf Coast

Greer Mayberry Design is a Geelong-based interior designer offering design, decoration, and consultation services across the Surf Coast, including Torquay, Anglesea, and Jan Juc. With 20 years of experience on residential and commercial projects, Greer designs homes built for coastal living, not just coastal looks.

The Surf Coast is a specific design context. Every project here starts with understanding how you actually live near the water.

What does interior design on the Surf Coast actually involve?

Interior design on the Surf Coast means understanding how coastal families live: sandy feet through the door, somewhere for surfboards, strong sunlight through ocean-facing windows, and a lifestyle that's casual but considered. Every material choice, layout decision, and finish starts from that reality.

The Surf Coast has moved well past the Hamptons moment. Shiplap, shell accessories, and blue stripes belong to a different era. What works now is warmer and more specific: engineered floors that tolerate sandy feet, entries designed for the transition from beach to home, kitchens built for families who eat and entertain outdoors. The aesthetic follows from the lifestyle, not the other way around.

Sunlight is a material consideration here. Coastal homes often have strong north or east-facing exposure, and fabrics and floors chosen without thinking about fade will show it within a season. Getting orientation right at the selection stage is really important. Getting it wrong costs considerably more to fix.

Interior Design for Torquay, Anglesea and Jan Juc homes

Torquay and Anglesea are different design briefs. Torquay is Victoria's surf capital, a town that has grown significantly from a holiday village into a genuine community of families, sea-changers, and retirees who made the permanent move from Melbourne or Geelong. Design there starts with the surf lifestyle: where the boards go, how the entry handles the beach, how the kitchen serves a family who entertains outdoors. Jan Juc sits in the same coastal corridor, sharing Torquay's character and its design considerations.

Anglesea is quieter. Two-thirds of homes there are holiday houses, and the demographic reflects a more established buyer: couples who have made it to the Great Ocean Road and want their property to feel considered, personal, and built to last. The sustainable design ethic is strong. The nature setting is part of the brief.

Greer has completed projects in both Torquay and Anglesea and works across the wider Surf Coast. The interior designer Torquay and interior designer Anglesea pages cover each area in more detail.

Does a Surf Coast interior designer need to know the area?

The lifestyle knowledge matters. A designer who understands the Surf Coast knows where the boards live, where you’d take your dog for a walk, where the dog leash goes, how the light moves through an east-facing living room on a summer morning, and why carpet near a beach entry is never a good idea. That practical understanding shapes every recommendation from the first conversation.

Greer's connection to the Surf Coast goes beyond the work. She spent years in the surf industry at a Surf Coast brand, visiting homes and shops in the community long before her interior design career began. She knows how Torquay families use their kitchens and how Anglesea couples think about their holiday houses. That's the kind of local knowledge that produces genuinely useful design decisions, not ones applied here from somewhere else.

On a recent Torquay project, Greer worked with a developer to design a townhouse for the Surf Coast buyer demographic. Understanding who would live in the home, and how, shaped every decision.

"It's putting yourself in that person's shoes and really looking at who the client is and how they're going to live that lifestyle. Do they have morning coffee before they go out? Where do they put their shoes when they walk through the door? Are they going to entertain a little bit? Do they need the powder room to feel a little bit more special?"

Greer Mayberry.

Residential and commercial interior design projects across the Surf Coast

Greer Mayberry Design works on residential renovations, new builds, developer projects, and commercial fit-outs across the Surf Coast. Commercial work in Torquay includes Blush Bar, a beauty salon and bar in Torquay that has grown into an ongoing design relationship across multiple projects.

For residential clients, the scope of interior design services ranges from a two-hour consultation through to full-service design for whole-home renovations and new builds. If you're working on a project on the Surf Coast, get in touch to discuss what's involved.

Frequently Asked Questions About Interior Design on the Surf Coast

Greer Mayberry Design offers a two-hour consultation for $180, which is the clearest starting point for most projects. Full-service residential and commercial projects are quoted individually based on the scope of work. There is no one-size fee structure because no two projects are the same.
Yes. Greer Mayberry Design has completed residential projects in Torquay and Anglesea and works with clients across the Surf Coast including Jan Juc and surrounding areas. Based in Geelong, Greer is well-placed to work anywhere along this stretch of coast.
An interior designer can reshape the space itself: improving layout, flow, cabinetry, and how rooms connect. An interior decorator focuses on the furnishing and styling layer. Greer Mayberry Design offers both, which means a Surf Coast project can be approached as a whole rather than in disconnected stages.
Timelines vary depending on the scope of work and the trades involved. The design phase: concept development, selections, documentation is typically completed within a few weeks to a few months depending on project complexity. The build phase (construction, cabinetry, installation) takes longer and depends on trade availability and the scale of the project.
Yes, within reason. While Greer Mayberry Design cannot provide firm builder or cabinet maker quotes, Greer draws on years of local project experience to give clients a realistic ballpark for material and build costs based on their brief. This helps you understand the full picture before committing to a direction. For more detailed costings, trades are brought in early in the process to provide accurate quotes based on the design documentation.
Greer Mayberry Design does not offer formal build project management, however Greer remains a supportive presence throughout the process. She can assist with design decisions during construction, answer questions, liaise with trades and suppliers where needed, and help ensure the original vision is carried through.
The day to day running of site works, scheduling, budgets and builder supervision is typically managed by you, your builder, or a project manager, with Greer there to support the design side along the way.
Absolutely. Greer encourages clients to use trades they already know and trust, or those recommended by their builder. Existing relationships often make for a smoother process. If you’re starting from scratch, Greer is also happy to recommend trusted trades and suppliers to help get you started.
Working with an interior designer can save both time and money in many ways. Greer helps you make the right decisions early, avoiding costly mistakes, delays, and expensive changes later in the build or renovation process. She also saves you countless hours researching products, suppliers and finishes by narrowing options quickly and clearly. Access to trusted suppliers and trade resources can also provide value that isn’t always available to the general public.
Definitely. Many clients begin the process knowing what they like, but not how to define it. Start collecting images, spaces or details you’re drawn to, and Greer will help identify the common thread. She is experienced in interpreting personal style and translating it into a home that feels cohesive, elevated and genuinely yours.
Greer Mayberry Design is based in Geelong and works with residential and commercial clients across:
Geelong, Torquay, Surf Coast, Barwon Heads, Ocean Grove, Anglesea, Jan Juc, Bellarine Peninsula and Melbourne.