At Chilli Pepper Designs, every project is a collaboration, and at the heart of that is our Lead Interior Stylist. We sat down with her to talk about what she does, how our team brings CGI projects to life, and why clients love working with us. Q: Hi Lily! First off, tell us a bit about your role at Chilli Pepper Designs. A: Thanks! I’m the Lead Interior Stylist, which means I’m involved in project management from the very beginning right through to the end. I work closely with both our 3D modellers and CGI artists, helping interpret the client’s vision, coordinate timelines, and ensure the final imagery meets or exceeds expectations. I also manage client relationships, build mood boards and floor plans, and prepare project proposals so everything runs smoothly. It’s a creative and organised role — and I love that mix! Q: How does a CGI project start at Chilli Pepper Designs? A: It all starts with an introductory meeting, usually a video call where we talk about what the client needs, their brand style, budgets, deadlines, and any reference materials they have. We dive into their vision, go over the brief, and make sure we’re aligned before…
At Chilli Pepper Designs, every project is a collaboration, and at the heart of that is our Lead Interior Stylist. We sat down with her to talk about what she does, how our team brings CGI projects to life, and why clients love working with us.
Q: Hi Lily! First off, tell us a bit about your role at Chilli Pepper Designs.
A: Thanks! I’m the Lead Interior Stylist, which means I’m involved in project management from the very beginning right through to the end. I work closely with both our 3D modellers and CGI artists, helping interpret the client’s vision, coordinate timelines, and ensure the final imagery meets or exceeds expectations. I also manage client relationships, build mood boards and floor plans, and prepare project proposals so everything runs smoothly. It’s a creative and organised role — and I love that mix!
Q: How does a CGI project start at Chilli Pepper Designs?
A: It all starts with an introductory meeting, usually a video call where we talk about what the client needs, their brand style, budgets, deadlines, and any reference materials they have. We dive into their vision, go over the brief, and make sure we’re aligned before providing a quote. Once the client approves and makes a deposit, we’re good to go!
Q: What’s involved in the early creative stages — mood boards and planning?
A: After we’ve established the brief, I guide clients through the mood board and floor plan development. Clients often send inspirational images — from magazines, Pinterest, or even from our own portfolio and we use those to shape the look and feel of the scene. I craft mood boards that reflect the intended aesthetic and combine them with detailed floor plans, making sure the layout and styling work in harmony. This step is essential because it sets the tone for the entire scene and ensures everyone is on the same page before we build the 3D version.
Q: So what happens once the concept is approved?
A: Once the mood board and floor plan are signed off, our CGI artists start building the 3D models and 3D scene. They model the furniture, and I play a game of spot the difference, making sure each model is an exact replica. For the scene, I review the architecture of the environment, walls, doors, skirting before adding textures, lighting, and everything else that brings the space to life. I’m alongside the team during this phase to position furniture and accessories, refine details, and ensure the styling stays true to the vision we agreed on.
Q: Can you walk us through how you work with clients on imagery and revisions?
A: Absolutely. After the initial scene is built, we produce low-res draft renders that show key angles, product close-ups, and lifestyle visuals. These get sent to the client for review. They can ask for up to three rounds of amendments, and we usually turn these around within 24 hours. We want clients to feel involved and confident in the result — and we’re always happy to adjust angles, lighting, or styling to suit their needs.
Q: You work with lots of different types of clients — tell us more about them.
A: Definitely! We partner with furniture retailers, manufacturers, and wholesalers — anyone who needs top-tier CGI to showcase their products. Retailers often come to us for inspiring lifestyle images that sit beautifully across ecommerce sites and social feeds. Manufacturers especially love being able to visualise new designs before physical prototypes are made. And wholesalers use our images to present entire collections in context — without needing costly photoshoots. We also work very closely with our sister company, InDesign Furniture, making sure they have marketing material, technical line drawings, and furniture designs ready for their campaigns.
Q: Why is CGI such a game changer for your clients?
A: CGI allows brands to showcase products realistically without a physical photoshoot — which saves time and money, speeds up time-to-market, and offers flexibility in styling, lighting and environment. You can try different materials, finishes or layouts without building anything physically. It’s a powerful tool for telling a compelling visual story and helping customers truly see the product before it exists.
Q: Final question — what’s your favourite part of the process?
A: Seeing the final render come together after all the planning and collaboration. It’s incredibly rewarding to take a concept from a simple brief to a fully styled scene that feels real and impactful. And the best part is when the client’s response is a “Wow!” — because we’ve helped them visualise something better than they hoped for. That’s what makes all the hard work worth it!