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How two long time expat ladies are transforming homes and condos with their interior design skills
“TO stand still is to fall behind.” When this is applied to property it becomes clear that not regularly refreshing a property effectively equates to damaging what is almost certainly a significant investment.
This is the philosophy behind Bô-Interiors, a company run by long-term British expatriate Patricia Frost and her business partner Nathalie Collard, from Belgium.
Together they realized that there was a serious need for Home Staging services in Bangkok, where far too many properties languish on the market and depreciate.
“TO stand still is to fall behind.” When this is applied to property it becomes clear that not regularly refreshing a property effectively equates to damaging what is almost certainly a significant investment.
This is the philosophy behind Bô-Interiors, a company run by long-term British expatriate Patricia Frost and her business partner Nathalie Collard, from Belgium.
Together they realized that there was a serious need for Home Staging services in Bangkok, where far too many properties languish on the market and depreciate.
The pair are truly veteran expats: Patricia was born in Thailand and holds British and Thai nationality, while Nathalie has been in Asia for more than 16 years. Both have a passion for interior design and relish the opportunity to re-create beautiful living environments, no matter the destination.
Within the past two years Pat and Nat have teamed up to offer their unique Home Staging and interior design services; Bô-Interiors can transform spaces with either simple non-invasive treatments or total facelifts to create more attractive living environments. As a result, such properties can be rented out or sold faster and for a higher price.
“The budget to invest can vary a lot,” says Patricia. “But the ‘before and after’ visual effect is usually very convincing and the owners soon realize they have not only maintained but often increased the long term value and desirability of their property.”
Renovating is a very Western concept – Paris and London renovated apartments are constantly featured in deco magazines – but more and more Thai residential owners are beginning to adhere to the idea that leaving empty units exposed to humidity and dust is passively inducing depreciation.
Real estate agents are finding Bô-Interiors a decisive ally whenever securing deals dependent on renovation works.
The team offers project management and reporting, assuring the buyers who are away or who have no time that quality control is being carried out on their behalf by two perfectionists who benefit from Patricia’s ability to speak fluent Thai and from a solid address book of contractors and suppliers.
“Less than 10% of property owners see the potential of their condo or house, and our first visit is to assess just that,” explains Patricia.
“With simple and sometimes really non-expensive solutions, we manage to improve the looks of a property so that it appeals to a far greater number of clients. It is important that homeowners understand that by skilfully stylizing and
de-personalizing their property – and perhaps de-cluttering it – it gives more freedom to candidate buyers or tenants to imagine themselves and their own belongings being added to a very attractive picture.”
Bô-Interiors also provide property search services for investors or candidate buyers who do not permanently reside in Bangkok. If space is one of the selection criteria, Patricia and Nathalie often advocate for the advantages of older buildings.
“High ceilings, clever layout providing natural ventilation, great sound insulation et cetera are unfortunately not part of the average Bangkok modern constructions. Investing in an older condo, ripping everything apart and redecorating can often equal paying the same price as for a shoebox-size modern condo – except that the owner ends up with a 200 or 300 sq m flat which has their own favourite living features,” says Patricia.
More information on www.bo-interiors.com
Within the past two years Pat and Nat have teamed up to offer their unique Home Staging and interior design services; Bô-Interiors can transform spaces with either simple non-invasive treatments or total facelifts to create more attractive living environments. As a result, such properties can be rented out or sold faster and for a higher price.
“The budget to invest can vary a lot,” says Patricia. “But the ‘before and after’ visual effect is usually very convincing and the owners soon realize they have not only maintained but often increased the long term value and desirability of their property.”
Renovating is a very Western concept – Paris and London renovated apartments are constantly featured in deco magazines – but more and more Thai residential owners are beginning to adhere to the idea that leaving empty units exposed to humidity and dust is passively inducing depreciation.
Real estate agents are finding Bô-Interiors a decisive ally whenever securing deals dependent on renovation works.
The team offers project management and reporting, assuring the buyers who are away or who have no time that quality control is being carried out on their behalf by two perfectionists who benefit from Patricia’s ability to speak fluent Thai and from a solid address book of contractors and suppliers.
“Less than 10% of property owners see the potential of their condo or house, and our first visit is to assess just that,” explains Patricia.
“With simple and sometimes really non-expensive solutions, we manage to improve the looks of a property so that it appeals to a far greater number of clients. It is important that homeowners understand that by skilfully stylizing and
de-personalizing their property – and perhaps de-cluttering it – it gives more freedom to candidate buyers or tenants to imagine themselves and their own belongings being added to a very attractive picture.”
Bô-Interiors also provide property search services for investors or candidate buyers who do not permanently reside in Bangkok. If space is one of the selection criteria, Patricia and Nathalie often advocate for the advantages of older buildings.
“High ceilings, clever layout providing natural ventilation, great sound insulation et cetera are unfortunately not part of the average Bangkok modern constructions. Investing in an older condo, ripping everything apart and redecorating can often equal paying the same price as for a shoebox-size modern condo – except that the owner ends up with a 200 or 300 sq m flat which has their own favourite living features,” says Patricia.
More information on www.bo-interiors.com
