Welcome to Design with Dawn
Hello, I'm Dawn. I'm a high-end residential designer who also happens to be a little obsessed with budget-friendly DIY. That might sound like a contradiction, but to me it makes perfect sense. I believe a beautiful home should be for everyone, not just the people who can afford to hire someone like me.
I've spent over 10 years working across interior design, renovations, and property investment, so I've seen homes at every stage. From the "what were they thinking" fixer-upper to the polished, magazine-worthy finish. That experience is exactly what I bring to this space: real, professional knowledge, translated into projects you can actually plan and do yourself.
Here's where it started
Five years ago, I began DIYing my own home while on maternity leave. I had no money to speak of, and I was quietly struggling with postnatal depression in the middle of a COVID lockdown. DIY became the thing that gave me something to focus on, a small, tangible way to create order and beauty when everything else felt uncertain. I didn't know how to put up a shelf when I started. Now, it's part of how I earn my living.
If I'm honest, my love language is creating a beautiful, comfortable home for my family. You could call me a professional nester; I just happen to have the design training to back it up.
That's what Design with Dawn is really about: taking everything I've learned as a designer and handing it to you in a way that's achievable, budget-conscious, and doesn't require a trade qualification. I want to encourage and inspire women, especially, to try it themselves. To pick up the drill, make the mess, and see what they're capable of.
So whether you're here for your first project or your fiftieth, welcome. I'm glad you're here.
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