How to select the perfect finishes for your home

A beautifully designed home rarely comes down to just one standout tile or paint colour. More often, it is the result of hundreds (or thousands) of carefully considered decisions.

With Sample Workshop, founder Emma Woodhams helps homeowners turn ideas and moodboards into a clear vision for their home.

“We often see people arrive feeling overwhelmed, with a long list of decisions and no clear direction,” says Emma. “The moment the samples come together on the table is usually when everything starts to make sense.”

With Sample Workshop, you can explore more than 7,000 finishes with expert guidance. (Credit: Supplied)

The right finish

If selecting finishes for a home was as simple as choosing your favourite tile, nobody would lose sleep over it. But the reality is that a countertop picked in one showroom, a carpet chosen at a flooring retailer and a paint colour saved from Pinterest do not always make good roommates.

That’s why Sample Workshop takes a big-picture approach. Rather than assessing products one by one, Emma helps homeowners see everything together. Flooring, cabinetry, benchtops, tiles, paint colours and hardware are laid out side by side, giving a helpful picture of how they’ll work together rather than alone. It’s a surprisingly common stumbling block.

“A carpet chosen in one place and a benchtop selected somewhere else might both look great individually, but that doesn’t necessarily mean they’ll work together,” says Emma.

Sample Workshop supports both homeowners and designers with a service that is tailored and specific to your aspirations for your home. (Credit Supplied.)

Endless options

With more than 7000 samples under one roof, Sample Workshop gives clients the chance to edit and refine their selections before committing. What emerges from the process is usually a pattern homeowners can work with.

“We look for the common thread,” says Emma. “People often think they love lots of different styles, but usually there’s a clear pattern once you start laying everything out.”

The result is a curated sample board and detailed specification that takes the guesswork out of decision-making. And while trends come and go, Emma’s philosophy remains the same: create a home that reflects the people living in it.

“I often ask clients whether they’d still choose something if nobody else was doing it,” she says. “If the answer is yes, it’s probably their taste rather than a trend.”
Emma’s parting advice? “See everything together before you decide on anything.”

After all, good design isn’t about picking the best individual pieces, but rather about making sure they work together.